Ekvipasje

This project involved researching a chosen topic. As a member of the horse community, I decided to investigate the challenges that equestrians face in their online activities, specifically in buying and selling horses. I also explored potential solutions to these issues.

Year 2023‍

Duration 5 weeks

Role Sole UX/UI designer and developer.

Tools used Figma, Figjam, Jira, VSCode, pen and paper

The process

I approached the project with the design thinking process, progressing from empathising through all the steps until development. But of course this was executed dynamically, going back when new opportunities arose or when new ideas were inspired.

At the beginning of the project, I spent time finding insight into my chosen topic to address "Horse people's frustrations online". To achieve this, I conducted a thorough investigation, including a user survey to gather information about the online habits and service requirements of horse enthusiasts. I also conducted two one-on-one interviews with individuals actively working with horses. Additionally, I analysed my biggest competitor finn.no by conducting a user survey and four one-on-one interviews with its users to gain insights into their platform usage habits. The main question guiding this analysis was, 'How can I differentiate myself from finn.no?' I used the insights from surveys and interviews to prepare two personas that represent realistic individuals within the equestrian community, their needs and their wishes. Furthermore, I sketched out their user journey with the current online landscape, which helped me understand and empathise with the experiences of these individuals.

What does the equestrians lack today?

where do you find horserelated ads today?

Survey, how easy is it to find relevant horses for sale?

Quotes from interviews

"A national overview map of all farriers, trainers, veterinarians etc. distributed by region/county."

"More detailed advertisements, easier to find a job in the horse industry"

"Yes. I want a good, informative and complete page that collects and categorizes everything to do with horses in a sensible and clear way. A site that takes horse people and the horse market seriously.”

"Better categorization so you find what you want and not "everything". Farrier, overview of horse clinics, trainers. Which facilities rent out the use of riding houses/riding houses/event tracks etc. and what price/annual/monthly subscription?"

"A unified platform, now it's spread over so many places"

“An app where EVERYTHING is collected. But then everyone must also use it"

"An app/website only for horse-related content, where all horses and equipment are posted, trainers and their primary location, anonymous rating on seller/buyer/trainers"

Personas

Malin

40 / Show jumper, horse and farm owner / Oslo

Malin actively rides in show jumping, owns a farm and owns 3 horses. She is always on the lookout for new jumping talents in the stable, and also sells horses for others. She is also a trainer and offers stable places, so she wants to market herself within this. She finds it difficult to market herself outside her known network. She wants a platform where it is easier to reach out to potential stallholders or riding students. As well as a place where she can buy and sell horses. It must be easy to use on the go in and out of the stable and between training sessions, both outside in the rain or when it's cold because Malin is rarely inside during the day.

Goals

Market her own business
Build larger networks
Find relevant showjumping horses, and not have to search around half the internet or be dependent on international contacts

Frustrations

Thinks it is difficult to have to be on so many online platforms. especially with limited time she has in her everyday life
Feels like finn-no and Facebook are confusing and difficult to deal with
Have somewhat given up on breeding, because finding stallions has become too time-consuming

Vilde

23 / Student, leaserider / Bergen

Vilde is looking for a front horse she can have a few times a week. She wants a calm and kind horse, close to where she lives and to which she can take the bus. She likes to go for rides in the forest, but also a bit on the track now and then. She would also like to learn more about horses and wants to find an instructor that suits her and her level. She has a dream of renting a farm after her studies to be able to buy her first own horse to keep it there, but then she also needs help to find vets and farriers as she doesn't know anyone from before. She is used to using the internet and apps, and takes time to sit down before going to bed to look at potential pre-horses, and that she also likes to look around for a dream horse for the future.

Goals

Find a lease horse that suits her
Find trainers nearby
Wants to one day rent a yard
Wants to one day buy a horse
Find good vets and farriers

Frustrations

Can not find horses that suit her, they are only for hacking about
Finds it difficult to find horses that are out for lease. She has to roam through a lot of categories on finn.no or groups on Facebook
Can not find horses close by, neither is it reachable by public transport

To define the problem, I organised key insights from interviews and surveys into pain points and opportunities. Additionally, I conducted a competitor analysis to gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn't. Furthermore, I meticulously examined the functions within the finn app to understand how their flow worked. Based on the findings, I proceeded to the ideation phase.

Painpoints

Opportunities

Malin is struggling with reaching her goals

How can one develop a platform for equestrians online that fulfils the needs that are not met in the current situation?

For many, equestrian sport and the environment may seem inaccessible without an existing extensive network within the sport. Individuals aspiring to work with horses do not have access to the desired information. Numerous online platforms cater to those involved in horse-related activities on a daily basis, but the volume of websites and apps can be overwhelming. The question: Can we combine all the resources for horse enthusiasts on one platform and offer a time-saving solution by helping users find desired information efficiently? It would also provide a safe and organised space for buying, selling, or renting horses, and create an online community for enthusiasts to connect.

Based on the pain points and insights, a problem was crafted, where I then worked further to find possible solutions to this. Among other things, I created a new desired user journey for Vilde and Malin, and did some crazy 8s exercises on how to solve the problem. I also looked at a flow/information architecture as this became important as the solution had to have a lot of information and parts in it. I did a lot of brainstorming on what was needed/different possibilities in the solution and categorised these together, as well as looked at what was important and what was perhaps less important.

New User Journeys

I used user journeys again to map how the new website could be succesful.

Getting creative with crazy 8s to generate and discover ideas

Crazy 8s help generate ideas and opportunities fast.

Userflows

Looking at userflows, how should this website work. In this project it was important that the information architecture worked.

I developed a lo-fi prototype from the sketches and ideas I had come up with in the previous step. Along the way, I also went back to brainstorming to generate more ideas when I stopped prototyping. Or after user tests to iterate new ideas. In lo-fi, I sketched out the logic and flows. As well as some information and how this could be presented. I then did 2 user tests of the lo-fi version, 1 on the desktop and 1 on the mobile version. The tests were structured using a script with various questions and tasks to reveal whether the website works, meets goals and expectations, is intuitive and whether users want to use such a website - that such a website actually solves the problems of the horse people. The results of this test were used to generate new ideas and develop a (mid))hi-fi version. This was done simultaneously as I developed a small design system for the website. In this way, I was also able to test that my components, text and colors worked as desired. I tested (mid) Hi-fi on 2 people, 1 on mobile and 1 on desktop. These results were again used to iterate and improve to a Hi-fi prototype which became the basis for the development of the coded website.

Functions

Customisable onboarding

To customise user profiles according to the users' preferences, users can select tags during profile creation that suit them. Subsequently, they will proceed to a form corresponding to the user's selection of tags. These tags will be displayed on the profile so that users visiting someone else's profile immediately receive information about the type of horse enthusiast they are. Additionally, they will get an overview of any services, stables, and breeding activities they are involved in.

Profiles tailored to the user

All users have profiles customized to their needs. Here, you can add your services, and the ads you've posted will be displayed on your profile page. Our friends (personas) Vilde and Malin have done this, and now they can use Ekvipasje.no to achieve their horse-related goals.

Homepage with shortcuts to most functions

On the homepage, you'll find relevant information about most of the content on the website. You'll see recommended ads for you, upcoming events, latest forum posts, and blog articles. If you need something specific, just go to the menu. You can also add an ad directly from the bottom menu on mobile or the header on desktop.

Categories and filtering

There has been a focus on categorizing and filtering information on the site as logically as possible. Content is categorized into main categories and subcategories. To ensure that ads appear in the right place, one must also choose the type of ad when creating it. All key information will be described with tags that are searchable, and when you click on the tag, you will find more ads with the same type of tag. This will, for example, make it easier to find horses, which was a problem according to the user survey.

Search for what you want

A major pain point for users that was uncovered was the frustration over a lot of irrelevant content coming up when they searched for horse-related content. Therefore, on Ekvipasje.no, under each subcategory, you can search for category-specific tags. These will serve as filters for various ads, so you can find the ads that suit you and your needs.

Key information

When buying a horse or other horse-related items, there are certain things that are more important to know than others. Therefore, I have worked extensively to develop the ad pages to make sense in terms of what is being sold. After user surveys and tests, I identified what information was important for users to know and designed the ads accordingly. Key information is displayed at the top of the ad, the 'send message' option is available in several places as you scroll, and features such as a standard contract and recommendations from other users are important aspects of the ad. The result list is taken from the national register, and the idea here is that you can click through to the full list. Related ads are also displayed towards the end of the page for you to navigate to similar items.

Favorites

Users can add ads as favorites both on the ad card and inside the ad, so they are saved in their own favorites list where they can go back to view the ads again. It often takes some time to make a decision when buying a horse, and many also engage in market research, as revealed in the surveys and interviews.

Forum and blog

Through the user survey, I identified a need to convey more information, as well as loneliness for those who are not part of a large stable with other horse enthusiasts around them. Therefore, I implemented a forum where people can discuss horse-related topics with other horse enthusiasts. During user testing, I discovered that this wasn't enough to obtain information about horses, and there was a desire for a blog or articles about horse care. Therefore, this was also implemented.

Find important services

One of the main pain points was that people couldn't find trainers, veterinarians, or farriers if they didn't know anyone beforehand or receive recommendations from others at the stable. Therefore, the site offers users the option to register their services when creating a profile and choose whether to be listed on the site under different categories such as trainers, veterinarians, farriers, and riders. Here, they receive a brief introduction and any recommendations from other users.

Chatservice

In order to communicate interest in horses, equipment, farms, or services, the app includes a simple messaging service. Users can only send messages related to specific ads or services, ensuring clear communication. This prevents the app from becoming just another chat function and avoids overwhelming users with unnecessary messages. Additionally, users can share files to enhance the buying process. This feature allows the exchange of pictures, videos, or documents, based on user surveys that highlight the importance of multimedia content in decision-making.

Events

The site also provides information about upcoming events such as training sessions and competitions. The competitions category will redirect users to nryfstevne.no where there is an overview of upcoming competitions. Meanwhile, training sessions can be posted as ads on the website. This is again to disseminate information to users who may not receive it otherwise and to provide trainers and others a platform to market themselves.

Rent an indoor riding arena digitally!

The user surveys also showed that it is difficult for people to find indoor riding arenas available for rent. Therefore, there is a separate service on the site where users can find indoor riding arenas for rent. Here, users can also make payments through the website to obtain a digital subscription.

Equestrian jobs

To better serve users and create a comprehensive platform, extra services have been added, including equestrian jobs as it emerged during the survey that these are mostly announced on Facebook or that one has to go from farm to farm to inquire. Several other relevant horse-related ads are also planned to be incorporated into the website, making it a comprehensive solution where the community can gather, instead of having everything scattered across the internet.

Prototypes

How do we know that it worked?

Users register in the platform
Users create profile correctly and sorting by services, and sorting ads succeed
Users find the ads they want
Users can search for the ads and content they want, the logic works with tags and services linked to user profiles.
Users read blog posts
Users show interest in posts that are posted and click on them.
Users engage each other in forums
The forum is used for professional discourse or the sharing of other horse-related experiences.
Advertisements are posted and the content is sold/leased
Users actually buy horses or other content on the site. As well as that they continue to use the page for horse-related advertisements.

Future developement

Sort tags
Look even more closely at the sorting of tags, how these behave, etc. Should there only be suggestions or should users be allowed to enter their own tags when, for example, creating advertisements?
Filtering
Looking into filtering, could the ad pages be even more specific for each category?
Lease of indoor arenas
Take a closer look at the riding house subscription, payment methods, how it should work. This will need a separate investigation, as well as testing.
Sharing files in chat
Now this is not seen as close to file sharing in the chat, but this should also be looked at more closely.
Dig deeper into all features and interactions
Take a closer look at all small interactions in the platform, how can everything be optimized? Now there is only what is absolutely necessary in each category, but it could be exciting to do research and tests on each function and further develop these one by one.
Homestable of leasehorses
The problem of not being able to know where leasehorses are stabled, this should be looked at more closely.
Create an app
It could be exciting to further develop this to also be available as an app

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