How can we make digital connections more human?

The Challenge

A global e-commerce marketplace wanted to differentiate itself and drive loyalty by providing a truly ‘human’ experience for both buyers and sellers on its platform.The big question they needed to crack first:

What does it mean to be human in a digital world?

The Approach

Through a series of web-based interviews and platform shadowing sessions, we looked to decode the meaning of ‘human’ as it relates to online marketplaces, the brand, and their digital conversation tool.

We employed a series of creative exercises and mock dialogue between buyers and sellers to understand the moments that matter most and to discover where and why genuine connection was lacking.

The Now What?

Our research led us to identify a series of core design principles to foster 'humanness' through online conversations. We packaged our findings into an easy-to-digest Platform Poster and a comprehensive Insights Playbook, giving the team clear action steps to create more meaningful engagement among buyers and sellers.