The recent decriminalization of recreational cannabis by the Mexican Supreme Court has opened a burgeoning market. La Conecta is a forward-thinking mobile app designed to connect Mexican consumers with this evolving cannabis landscape.

The platform serves as a comprehensive resource, providing information on various strains and their benefits, offering guidance on responsible consumption, and promoting local shops, dispensaries, and their products.

Goal

To redesign a user-centric mobile app that fosters responsible cannabis use and facilitates product discovery and purchase from local points of sale, positioning La Conecta as a leading platform in the emerging Mexican market.

Target Audience

Cannabis consumers and salespeople within Mexico, aged 18-45.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead UX Designer for the La Conecta mobile app, driving the user experience from initial concept to final design.

• Responsibilities included: user research, information architecture, wireframing (low and high fidelity), prototyping, iterative design based on feedback, and ensuring responsive design across devices.

Key challenges
(pain points)

Combating misinformation and stigma

The nascent Mexican cannabis industry faces significant hurdles due to existing stigmas and regulatory complexities, hindering its potential growth.

Streamlining fragmented sales processes

Inefficient communication and lack of integration between suppliers, salespeople, and delivery services create critical bottlenecks in the current sales ecosystem.

Designing a user-friendly eCommerce experience

The platform requires an intuitive and engaging interface that effectively showcases products, provides clear information, simplifies the purchase process, and facilitates seamless communication between users and vendors.

Research Study

Understanding the unique nuances of the emerging Mexican cannabis market was crucial. Our research indicated that while Mexico has decriminalized recreational use since 2021, regulations around production and sale are still evolving, primarily allowing personal cultivation.

This context informed the need for a platform that could navigate these complexities while providing value to both consumers and potential vendors.

Personas

Ivana

• Age: 24
• Education: Bachelor of Social Science
• Hometown: Tijuana, Mexico
• Occupation: Student
  

Ivana is a student who needs a mobile app to buy cannabis because it effectively relieves her migraines, offering a better alternative to traditional painkillers.

José

• Age: 42
• Education: High School
• Hometown: Tijuana, Mexico
• Occupation: Salesman
  

José is a salesman who needs a platform to sell his products because he wants to effectively promote his dispensary and reach a broader customer base in the evolving legal market.

Starting the design

This phase focused on translating the insights gathered from user research and the defined user needs into tangible design concepts. The process involved a rapid exploration of ideas and the development of initial structural frameworks:

Ideation, Sketching & Wireframing

Refining the design

This stage involved a critical evaluation of the existing app and the initial wireframes, focusing on applying design principles, incorporating accessibility guidelines, and addressing user feedback to create a more intuitive and effective user experience. The following key areas underwent significant refinement:

The 'La Conecta' logo was redesigned to better align with the brand identity. The login/signup flow was also updated to adhere to accessibility standards and platform-specific UI guidelines for each social media integration.

The redesigned signup confirmation layout prioritizes clarity and functionality, addressing previous shortcomings in visual hierarchy and Gestalt principles to ensure a seamless user transition.

The 'Home' layout underwent the most significant iteration, requiring careful consideration of design principles, accessibility guidelines, and valuable feedback from potential users to create an engaging and informative entry point.

The 'Products' layout was enhanced to improve product discoverability, incorporating design principles that emphasize variety and relevance based on the user's region.

The 'Strains' layouts were refined with the integration of a filtering mechanism and consistent application of the app's established style patterns to improve search efficiency and visual coherence.

Key Mockups

This section showcases key screens from the high-fidelity prototype, illustrating the intended user experience and the application of the design principles established throughout the project.

The following mockups highlight core user journeys and key features:

High-fidelity prototype

Explore the interactive high-fidelity prototype to experience the intended user flow:
La Conecta Hi-Fi Prototype.

Style Guides

Going forward

Takeaways

Impact

Early feedback highlights the app's concise information delivery and educational value for newcomers.

One potential user noted, “I love how the app manages a lot of information in a brief, concise way... Thank you for all the research and thoughtfulness you’ve put into this redesign.”

What I learned

Joining the La Conecta team as a new member emphasized the importance of quickly integrating with the team's workflow and establishing clear communication. While understanding the project's goals is crucial, this experience highlighted the paramount importance of building strong relationships with team members and deeply understanding the target users to drive effective design solutions.

Next Steps

1) Exploring Cryptocurrency Integration

Expanding payment options to include cryptocurrency to cater to a broader user base and align with emerging trends.

2) Nationwide Market Expansion

Conducting further research to validate pain points across a wider geographic area and iteratively improving the app to facilitate nationwide market penetration.

3) Innovative Sales Channels

Investigating the potential of leveraging blockchain technology to create novel product sales experiences within a metaverse game environment.

LinkedIn  |  edith@edithmoreno.com

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