Flikshop
Product Journey Redesign
Bridging the Distance: Designing Digital Solutions for Connection
Project Overview
Over the course of 4 sprint cycles (totaling 9 months), we will develop a strategic branding/marketing plan through the redesign of both the mobile platform and website by refreshing the UX/UI to modern standards (focus on accessibility, visuals, onboarding, & brand cohesion).
Timeframe
August 2024 - May 2025
Methodology
Agile
Key Role
Product Manager
My contributions
-
Analyzed qualitative and quantitative data to define pain points and user needs.
-
Defined the product vision and roadmap, aligning with business goals and user needs.
-
Developed user flow strategies and wireframe guidelines to enhance interaction and usability across web and mobile.
-
Facilitated design sessions and stakeholder meetings to foster team collaboration.
The Client
Founded in 2016, Flikshop simplifies communication between incarcerated individuals and their families by allowing users to send personalized postcards from their phones or computers to prisons, at an affordable price.
.avif)
Flikshop works hard to keep every person in every cell connected to their family members and other community resources, prior to their release.
Additional Product Offerings
In recent years, Flikshop has expanded its product offerings to fully support previously and current incarcerated individuals and their families towards recidivism.
Flikshop School of Business aims to expose its students to entrepreneurship and prepare them with workforce readiness skills.
Flikshop allows families to request Flikshop Credits, as well as partners with non-profit organizations that support children with incarcerated parents, and delivers your prepurchased credits directly to them to use within the Flikshop app.
The Flikshop Neighborhood provides community organizations and second chance employers the ability to connect their resources and programs to the incarcerated people that need them.
"I thought that I would die in prison, but my family's letters, photos, and visits that kept me alive. In prison, getting mail is like hitting the lottery!"
Marcus Bullock, CEO/Flikshop
Problem Statement
With so much expansion, Flikshop has been left with the challenge of low product adoption and a fractured user experience across services.
The company is struggling to decide whether to focus on expanding its market or improving the experience for its existing users. Without clear research insights, Flikshop is hesitant to make decisions that could potentially undermine its future growth.
To move forward effectively, Flikshop needs a data-driven approach to inform its next steps in brand/market strategy.
That's where we come in.
Discovery
Sprint 1
In Sprint One, our team focused on understanding the landscape and user needs to inform our product direction. We conducted a competitive analysis to assess existing solutions, identifying gaps and opportunities for differentiation. Additionally, we launched a user survey to gather insights from older adults, military personnel, and general users who communicate with loved ones from a distance, helping us uncover key pain points and communication challenges. This research laid the groundwork for data-driven decision-making, ensuring our product would effectively address real user needs.
Potential Users Surveys
Goal: Evaluate two potential user groups for expansion.
Competitive Analysis Matrix
Goal: Analyze Flikshop’s landscape relative to competitors to identify growth opportunities.
Outcome: In comparison, Flikshop offers a more diverse set of product offerings than its competitors.
Comparison matrix based on brand perception and leadership publicity.
Competitor landscape based on industry connections and course offerings.
Competitor landscape based on relative company size and product overlap.
Comparison matrix based on brand perception and leadership publicity.
Outcome: While other user groups could benefit from Flikshop's offerings, these users are already using other platforms and products to solve their communication needs.
Survey Design
We used two separate surveys with different sets of questions based on the target respondent.
Military Families (6 responses):
-
Survey Goal: Does it make sense for Flikshop to market to Military families?
-
Format: 17 questions; 12 multiple choice, 5 short answer
-
Question Scope: frequency of access to social media, media type preference, level of difficulty communicating while abroad
Elderly (50+) and their family members (20 responses):
-
Survey Goal: Does it make sense for Flikshop to market to Elderly demographics?
-
Format: 23 questions; 17 multiple choice, 6 short answer
-
Question scope: media sharing preference, technology comfort level, current media sharing methods
Challenges faced when communicated abroad.
Communication method preference
Comfort with technology
Challenges faced when communicated abroad.
Key Takeaways and Recommendation
Based on survey responses and our competitive analysis, we did not recommend that Flikshop focus additional business resources on acquiring military or elderly users as these audiences already have preferred methods of sharing photos and little utility for their additional product offerings.
Military Insights
-
Most Military respondents answered that they had almost daily access to technology even when stationed away from home.
-
All Military respondents preferred both texting and video calling over physical media.
-
Respondents indicated they have trouble with communicating when stationed away from home, but mostly due to factors Flikshop cannot remedy (e.g. time differences & connectivity).
Elderly Insights
-
Respondents age 55 and older mostly engage in photosharing through digital media (text message and social media) and would be interested in an app that would allow them to send physical photos.
-
Respondents age 55 and older have varied preferences when it comes to photo sharing. 6 out of 7 respondents reported either a digital preference or no preference at all.
-
Respondents age 55 and older have high degrees of comfortability when using technology to engage in photo sharing or viewing.
Sprint 2
Design
Goal: How do we get Flikshop users to enroll in and use more vertical products?
Mapping
For our mapping session, we pivoted from the traditional method and opted for a Q&A session to better understand the marketing and process gaps in the current product services.
Based on the answers we received from the client, we created "How Might We" questions for each product service.
Our client then voted on which solutions to sketch.
Sketching
Deciding
Prototype
Testing
Sprint 2
To test out our prototype, we created our draft user testing plan and conducted a pilot test study.
User Testing Plan
Available here, this plan outlines preliminary questions, user tasks, and task outcomes for testing sessions.
-
Current Flikshop users
-
New users unfamiliar with Flikshop
By testing current and new users, we can create a benchmark to define improvement against.
Ideal Testers
-
Create a new account
-
Find Flikshop course offerings
-
Book a demo for Flikshop Neighborhoods
-
Create and send a postcard
User Tasks
Current Progress
Sprint 3
With a shift in focus from the iOS app to the mobile web application, we are currently ideating on a solution for the mobile and desktop website.
Looking Forward
Sprint 4 and 5
Lorem ipsum odor amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Molestie lectus ridiculus efficitur lacus malesuada ultrices gravida iaculis lobortis. Nisi varius lacinia tempus parturient magna ridiculus eu malesuada. Interdum turpis pretium facilisis interdum natoque blandit laoreet ad. Phasellus nostra pharetra luctus augue congue sociosqu semper. Odio tortor quisque aliquam platea pretium malesuada. Sed himenaeos nisi sodales laoreet velit egestas rhoncus. Metus imperdiet donec nisi integer vitae; sed efficitur.