Digital Signage at Zigcast

Role

User Research, Wireframing & Visual Design.

Platform

iOS Mobile

Category

Media & Advertising, SAAS

Year

2021

Introduction

Zigcast, a digital signage startup, aimed to help small businesses effectively engage customers in physical spaces.

However, small business owners often view advertising as an expense rather than a revenue-generating investment due to limited digital marketing knowledge and trust.

Challenge

Our research revealed small business owners were skeptical about digital signage's effectiveness, mainly because of unclear ROI and complex processes.

Owners wanted a straightforward, transparent, and accessible solution to confidently invest in digital advertising.

Fig 1 - Market Research

Our Approach

I collaborated with Bernard, another product designer, to design an intuitive platform enabling business owners to easily create and place digital ads in physical spaces.

We conducted competitive analyses on similar platforms like Uber, Yelp, and Instacart, and identified valuable insights, such as Optisign’s customizable screen sizes.

Fig 1.2 - Competitive Advantage

User Insights

Through remote interviews with five business owners, we observed firsthand their frustrations and identified pain points in navigating digital advertising platforms.

The primary challenges were complicated workflow for the main product offering and unclear cost structures that would be involved in financing an ad.

Fig. 1.3 - Old prototypes (Click to scroll through)

Creating a Solution

We sketched initial concepts and developed user flows to simplify the workflow process. Our solution featured a streamlined "campaign mode," enabling users to effortlessly create ads from templates and advertise across single or multiple locations. We added a part

We also developed low and high-fidelity prototypes and a UI kit consistent with Zigcast’s branding.

Fig. 1.7 - Wireframes

Fig. 1.8 - Hi-Fidelity Screens

Testing & Feedback

We had a second round of user testing that validated our solution. Participants found the streamlined campaign mode intuitive and appreciated the ease of use.
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On the other hand we struggled to tackle the unclear cost structures in way that would boost confidence as the different variables involved in financing an ad makes it vague to design for

Based on their feedback, we refined the user interface again, further enhancing simplicity and clarity.

Results & Reflections

The MVP we created significantly improved the user experience of creating and posting an ad, making digital signage more approachable and transparent for small businesses.

Although we tackled part of a problem, unfortunately we could not solve the unclear cost structures within the period. More research would need to have been done to present a better solution

This project underscored the importance of simplicity and transparency in digital advertising platforms, empowering small business owners to confidently invest in marketing to grow their businesses.

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