1Bridge Advisor
Enhancing rural commerce through digital innovation.
Role
Senior Product Designer
Deliverables
Team
2 Product Designers
3 Engineers
Date
2022 - 23 (5 months)
The 1Bridge Advisor App was the first digital solution built to empower rural entrepreneurs by bridging the gap between local advisors and consumers. Before this, advisors relied on manual processes, fragmented communication, and in-person interactions to facilitate commerce.
This meant designing an app that was lightweight, multilingual, and accessible while maintaining a seamless user experience.
*The Challenge
The goal is to make the advisor flow smoother so fewer people drop off during setup. The order tools need to feel lighter and easier to use, and the product list should be simple to browse even for first-time users.
Advisors and consumers should feel more confident interacting with each other, so the experience has to feel clear and honest from the very beginning. And since many users rely on slow internet and basic phones, the whole interface needs to hold up well under those conditions without slowing down or breaking.
Research & Insight
To understand the unique challenges faced by advisors, we conducted a mix of field research, in-app analytics, and user interviews across multiple rural regions in India. Additionally, we analyzed competitors to position 1Bridge uniquely in the market.
Field Research & Interviews
We visited 5 key regions and interviewed 20+ advisors to understand their workflows, challenges, and needs. Key pain points included:
Limited Connectivity: Advisors struggled with data-heavy apps due to poor internet access.
Trust & Relationship: Sales were driven by personal trust, making transparent information crucial.
Navigation Complexity: Advisors, often new to mobile apps, find multi-step processes confusing.
Key Findings
Simplicity is Key: Users preferred minimal navigation steps to complete tasks efficiently.
Offline Accessibility: Ensuring app usability in low-connectivity areas was critical.
Trust Building: Clear and localized information boosted user confidence.
Language Barriers: Regional language support significantly improved adoption.
Personas
With the problem framed, we used the information gathered during discovery to create personas that would remind the team of the users' archetypes through the whole process.
A local shopkeeper trying to expand his business by offering more products through the 1Bridge app.
Goals: Generate additional income, access a wider product range.
Challenges: Limited mobile data, unfamiliar with complex app interfaces.
Key Needs:
Simple navigation with minimal steps.
Localized language support.
Offline access for placing and managing orders.
A homemaker using the app part-time to earn commissions by recommending products.
Goals: Supplement family income without committing full-time.
Challenges: Managing multiple orders and understanding payments.
Key Needs:
Clear commission tracking.
Quick order management tools.
Guided onboarding to simplify the learning curve.
Role: A small-town vendor hesitant about using mobile apps for business.
Goals: Test the app with a few products before fully adopting it.
Challenges: Distrust of online payments and data-heavy interfaces.
Key Needs:
Transparent payment processes.
Trust-building elements like customer testimonials.
Lightweight app performance for low-connectivity areas.
Design Approach
Wireframes
From this point forward, we entered a constant iterative process. User flows would be developed into wireframes to explore different alternatives at low and mid-fidelity levels. They evolved weekly through user feedback, adapting incremental improvements that ultimately shaped comprehensive workflows for all of the tasks.
We structured the app's navigation, prioritizing:
A clean home dashboard summarizing key actions.
One click order tracking to reduce search time.
Guided onboarding flows with illustrations and voice instructions.
Prototype & Testing
Since this was the first version of the app, we built interactive prototypes to test with advisors before launch. Key testing methods included:
Guerilla usability tests with rural entrepreneurs to gauge navigation ease.
A/B testing on different onboarding flows to optimize completion rates.
Field trials with select advisors to gather real-world feedback.
Cross-Team Collaboration
The app required close collaboration with multiple teams to ensure an optimal experience:
Business & Field Teams: Provided real-world insights into how advisors interacted with products, helping us refine the product catalog and workflows.
Engineering Team: Worked closely to implement offline functionality and optimize performance for low-end devices.
Collaborated closely with the development team to ensure smooth implementation. We used design system components to maintain consistency across screens and streamline development.
Final
The final screens focus on making the advisor flow faster and easier to use. Navigation is cleaned up with larger touch targets and clearer categories. Filters are simplified so advisors can sort leads by status or registration without digging around. The app now adapts to different regions through multi-language support and holds up better in weak signal areas with cached content and order history. A light reward system adds a bit of motivation, with badges for consistent work and small referral perks to bring new users in.
Outcome
The launch of the 1Bridge Advisor App successfully introduced a digital commerce tool for rural entrepreneurs, resulting in strong initial adoption and engagement. Within the first few months, the app reached 5 million downloads, highlighting significant demand for a structured advisory platform. Advisors quickly adapted to the platform, leading to a 20% increase in order placements per advisor.