A Legacy in the Diamond Trade, Reimagined for the Digital Age
For over 50 years, HK Diamonds, a premier Surat diamond exporter and manufacturer, built its
reputation on quality, craftsmanship, and trust. However, as the world moved towards digital commerce, their
online presence failed to keep pace. Their existing platform was outdated, difficult to navigate, and failed
to inspire confidence among modern buyers. The company faced declining sales, increased competition from
digital-first platforms, and a lack of engagement from both returning and new customers.
That’s where I came in. As a Principal Product Designer, I led the
transformation of their
digital
experience, revamping the platform into a modern, scalable, and user-friendly solution that not only
reflected their legacy but also positioned them as an industry leader in the digital era.
HK Diamond and Blockchain Integration
During my time working with the Everledger platform, I had the unique opportunity to
collaborate with HK Diamond, a prominent player in the diamond industry. They were in the process of
revamping their platform to integrate Everledger's blockchain services, aiming to enhance transparency and
security in their supply chain. This presented an exciting challenge to ensure a seamless transition for
their users.
Conversations with HK Diamond's Leadership
To truly understand the needs of HK Diamond's users, I engaged in extensive user research,
including
in-depth conversations with key stakeholders and actual users. I spent hours over cups of coffee, listening
to their experiences and challenges. Three particularly insightful conversations stand out:
This was a golden opportunity to understand the strategic vision and technological
direction of HK Diamonds. Brijesh provided invaluable insights into the business objectives behind the
blockchain integration, the challenges of implementing cutting-edge technology in a traditional
industry, and his vision for the future of diamond trading. He emphasized the importance of balancing
innovation with the established trust and legacy of the brand. Discussing the technical challenges with
the CTO helped to understand the limitations, and possibilities of the new platform.
Roy provided invaluable historical context, highlighting the traditional workflows and the
existing pain points in their platform. He emphasized the importance of maintaining trust and
familiarity for their established clientele while introducing the benefits of blockchain technology. He
shared the challenges of implementing new technology to a user base that value traditional methods.
Anoop, with his deep understanding of emerging markets, shared his vision for the
platform's future. He stressed the need for a mobile-first approach and a user-friendly interface to
cater to a new generation of digital-savvy buyers. He also discussed the importance of clear and concise
information about the blockchain integration, ensuring users understood the added security and
transparency. He explained the cultural differences in how diamonds are purchased in India.
These conversations provided critical insights into the diverse needs of HK Diamond's users,
informing the design and development of the revamped platform. The user research with Roy and Anoop directly
influenced the design decisions regarding the on boarding process for the blockchain portion of the site,
and the help and faq section of the site. The conversation with Brijesh Dholakia heavily influenced the
overall strategic direction of the product, and the prioritization of features.
Bridging Tradition and Innovation
Despite their strong legacy, Elite Diamond Emporium struggled with:
An outdated, non-intuitive platform that led to poor engagement and
high drop-off rates.
A complicated purchasing process, with users unable to easily compare
or evaluate diamonds.
A lack of transparency in diamond certification, making buyers
hesitant to complete purchases.
A missing design system, causing inconsistencies and inefficiencies in
future updates.
The challenge was clear
How do we modernize the diamond-buying experience while staying true to
the company's rich heritage?
Understanding the Users: Who Buys Diamonds Online?
To craft a platform that truly resonated with customers, I conducted extensive user research,
including stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, and usability studies. From our insights, we
identified three key customer personas:
The Busy Entrepreneur
Short on time, they want a seamless, efficient buying process.
The Diamond Enthusiast
They appreciate aesthetics, quality, and the credibility of
certification.
The Traditionalist
They value legacy, trust, and a well-documented buying process
over flashy features.
Each of these personas had distinct needs, so our solution had to be flexible yet
streamlined to cater to
all types of buyers.
A Strategy Rooted in Research & Design Thinking
With a clear understanding of the problem and the users, I structured our approach into four
core phases:
Research & Strategy
Conducted heuristic evaluations to assess platform weaknesses.
Benchmarked competitors like Blue Nile and James Allen to identify gaps.
Defined a product roadmap aligned with business goals and user expectations.
UX & UI Redesign
Created wireframes and interactive prototypes to streamline the user journey.
Established a modern, elegant design language reflecting the luxury of diamonds.
Simplified navigation with intuitive search and filtering for better product discovery.
Feature Implementation & Testing
Introduced Advanced Optimization Filters, allowing users to filter
diamonds by shape, carat, cut, polish, and certification from institutions like GIA, IGI, GSI, and HRD.
Developed a 360° Diamond View, letting users inspect diamonds from all
angles before purchase.
Conducted A/B testing to refine key interactions, ensuring maximum usability.
Scalable Design System
Built a component-based design system, reducing design inconsistencies
and making future updates seamless.
Ensured cross-platform consistency, allowing smooth adaptation for mobile and desktop
users.
Transforming the Experience
Advanced Optimization for Seamless Search
We reimagined the search and filtering experience, allowing users to refine their diamond
selection based
on:
Shape, carat, cut, polish, and fluorescence levels.
Preferred laboratory certification, ensuring authenticity and trust.
Location-based services to help users find providers near them.
Expansive Inventory & Personalized Experience
The new platform provided access to 10M+ diamonds, empowering users with more choices
than ever.
We introduced a custom inventory management system, enabling users to:
Receive alerts for new listings.Track in-process diamonds.Place bulk orders and book inspections at manufacturing plants.
Bringing Diamonds to Life with 360° View
Buying diamonds online can be intimidating due to the lack of physical inspection. To solve
this, we
introduced:
High-definition 360° viewing, allowing users to inspect diamonds from
every angle.
Interactive video representations, helping users assess clarity,
sparkle, and cut quality.
Augmented reality (AR) previews, offering a realistic view of diamonds
before purchase (planned for future phases).
A Digital Transformation Success Story
Our efforts paid off, delivering measurable improvements across key business and user
engagement metrics:
130x Faster Operations
Optimized search and comparison, increasing
engagement and efficiency.
90% Task Completion Rate
A seamless UX flow ensured effortless
browsing-to-purchase transitions.
8.5/10 Satisfaction Rate
Users praised the intuitive navigation and visually
stunning interface.
88% Increase in User Engagement
Improved session duration, higher conversion rates,
and increased repeat visits.
Testimonial
The UX design services we received were invaluable in enhancing our online platform,
resulting in increased engagement and conversions. Our users have praised the new design for its
simplicity and ease of use, enabling them to easily find the diamonds they seek. Investing in user
research and testing provided us with critical insights into our users' needs, which we will continue to
prioritize as we refine our platform.
Mr. V. E.
Chief Technology Officer
Building for the Future
The transformation of Elite Diamond Emporium was a prime example of how UX and
product strategy can breathe new life into a struggling business. However, innovation doesn’t
stop here. To continue evolving, we identified key next steps:
Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing: Introducing responsible sourcing
information to educate buyers.
AI-Driven Personalization: Implementing AI-powered recommendations
based on user preferences and past searches.
Augmented Reality & Virtual Try-Ons: Enabling users to visualize
diamonds in real time before purchase, making online diamond shopping even more immersive.
