Technologies
Category
HiTech, RetailDevices
Web, PWAExpertise
UX/UINab New Needed to Transform a Very Basic Prototype into a Real Platform That Users Would Love
Nab New's Ceo Message
Nab is a hub for new releases of pop and geek culture, and so much more than that. Whether you are into collectibles or just looking for something new and fun, Nab's super cool website is the perfect excuse to take a break from work and have a good time viewing unique products and discussing them with friends.
Nab's community-friendly approach allows users to stay informed of new releases. Personalized product suggestions bypass the risk of items running out and collectors having to draw upon resellers.
To seed content for their community, Nab works as an aggregator, gathering over 25 vendors in one place. Some of these are big stores like Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Barnes & Noble. Others are niche stores like Entertainment Earth and Kidrobot. The result is a platform that solves the problem of fragmentation; that is, it helps users find everything in a single place. Nothing is as tedious and time-consuming as having to look for an item across various sources.
Through its hundreds of carefully selected items, Nab offers a wide range of merchandise, spanning through toys, games, movies & series, comics & graphic novels, and even vinyl records. Everything is new, and everything is lovely.
The Challenge
Nab had a strong vision, but they were realistic about their available resources. They wanted their platform to have a contemporary aesthetic vibe and had some ideas about how the look and feel should be. There was clarity about the importance of being able to track items. Personalizing the experience was essential. Most importantly, they wanted to build a great sense of community with a pleasant UI. With big long-term goals in mind, they sought to build what Nab CEO, Mike White, referred to as the Minimum Lovable Experience for their first release.
How Could Koombea Deliver Nab's Minimum Lovable Experience?
A minimum viable product was not enough. Nab wanted to deliver the best for its users so that everyone loved the product. It had to be free of invasive ads and should be able to display a lot of information in a friendly way. These two elements should not compromise the users' experience.
To reach the level of frontend development that Nab desired, it was crucial to prioritize essential features to stay on budget. The Koombea team was up for the challenge, but trust should come first so that the magic could flow.
The Solution
Finding the right technology for Nab's platform was a big challenge. From the start, it was clear that the way to go was web technology. We suggested a Progressive Web App (PWA) as the favored choice. A PWA would help Nab benefit from the strengths of a web app while delivering the look and feel of a mobile app.
The Strategy: Identifying Things That Users Valued the Most.
Choosing the right features and the right design were key elements to ensuring the product's success. Experience is not enough when it comes to designing and developing great apps.
Research and testing were necessary to develop a product that would gain traction. It would allow Nab to grow and obtain more resources. With that set, the Koombea team got to work.
The Process
We started by doing benchmark research to gain insights on platforms similar to what Nab wanted to accomplish. Additionally, we ran tests and surveys that helped us identify what the perfect blend of design and development needed was.
Trust the Process. It Can Be Fun.
Testing and research resulted in a list of high priority features. Together with Nab's mood board, these led to mobile-first down-to-earth wireframes for desktop and mobile. The identified Minimum Lovable Experience started taking shape.
One of the main elements to focus on was accessibility. Everyone needed to be able to use the platform. A crucial component that was essential from day one was the social layer. It was clear that the platform should allow its content to be easily shared. Another decisive feature was having easy to navigate categories.
These were some of the defined lovable elements and features:
- Noninvasive ads
- Easy to navigate categories
- Social layer (shares & follows)
- Personalization
- Easy onboarding
- Pleasant UI
- Trust
- Coolness
- Simplicity
As smooth as everything went, there were a few bumps in the road. Some of the functionalities were harder to build than anticipated in the initial estimation, so we had to reprioritize the MVP's features to help Nab stay on budget. Nab was utterly aware of the importance of pivoting towards an approach that would serve them better in the long run. Only by focusing on what was right and doing some forward-thinking would the Minimum Lovable Experience be attained.
Nab New's Ceo Message
The Result
Everyone ended up being very satisfied with the final product. Koombea was able to meet deadlines and scale quickly, thanks to smooth communication.
Both teams were aware that the project was ambitious since the start, but we both trusted it would be successful. The research helped set the right priorities for Nab's business model and its place as a startup.
The results of the platform were outstanding. Just a few months after being released, Nab won four Indigo Design Awards:
- Gold in Mobile Interaction & Experience 2020
- Silver in UX, Interface & Navigation 2020
- Silver in Interactive Design 2020
- Silver in Website Design 2020
Nab New's Ceo Message
What's new? What's going on? Check out Nab.
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