BLOCKCHAIN PLATFORM
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 Their existing platform was outdated, difficult to navigate, and failed to inspire confidence among modern buyers.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.
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.
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.
Despite their strong legacy, Elite Diamond Emporium struggled with:
The challenge was clear: How do we modernize the diamond-buying experience while staying true to the company's rich heritage?
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:
Each of these personas had distinct needs, so our solution had to be flexible yet streamlined to cater to all types of buyers.
With a clear understanding of the problem and the users, I structured our approach into four core phases:
We reimagined the search and filtering experience, allowing users to refine their diamond selection based on:
Buying diamonds online can be intimidating due to the lack of physical inspection. To solve this, we introduced:
Our efforts paid off, delivering measurable improvements across key business and user engagement metrics:
"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
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:
