Cargill customers struggled with managing crop inputs without a centralized tool, relying heavily on sales representatives for time-sensitive information. This led to inefficiencies, delayed decision-making, and hindered access to critical business data.
I designedthat consolidated financial documents and crop input data in one place, allowing users to access vital information quickly and efficiently. The platform was mobile-first, catering to the needs of farmers who often worked in the field and needed easy access to the platform on the go.
When given this project, I was handed preliminary research performed by the stakeholders. With their insights, I was able to establish key features for the Crop Inputs Site.
Our discovery sessions consisted of understanding the needs for each feature and what role it plays for both a Cargill customer and a sales representative. After each session, I would update our roadmap with findings and create wireframes to be presented at the next session in order for our team to align on data and development requirements.
For each discovery session, I would conduct a SWOT analysis on the feature we would be discussing and compare it to pre-existing Cargill products.
I touched base with other UX/UI designers at Cargill to understand their experience with similar products they have worked with. This cross-collaboration opened up the opportunity to pass around and present ideas with designers before showcasing them to stakeholders as a potential solution.
This step was a key proponent to preparing me for any concerns or questions during discovery sessions.
After creating wireframes and building a high-fidelity prototype, I collaborated with developers to conduct usability testing with 12 users. The goal was to ensure that the platform was easy to use for farmers, many of whom preferred paper-based bookkeeping. Insights from the test drove key improvements in the design, validating our assumptions and guiding future iterations.
Ensuring consistent terminology across all Cargill tools was crucial for user adoption.
Unplanned follow-up questions uncovered deeper insights into user challenges and daily routines, enriching the design.
We learned that users didn’t need to see all data in a detailed format; instead, they preferred a simpler presentation with only the most relevant information.
Farmers emphasized the need for a mobile version of the website, which led to a mobile-first design approach.
The platform significantly reduced the dependency on sales representatives for business-critical information. By enabling farmers to access their data independently, we streamlined their workflow and empowered them to make faster, data-driven decisions.
Reduce dependency on sales representatives, allowing farmers to independently manage their crop input needs.
Cater to the on-the-go nature of farming, allowing users to access data from anywhere at any time.
Ensure that farmers could easily interpret financial and crop input information without feeling overwhelmed by excessive detail.
Please reach out if you would like to learn more about my process.
I would love to talk to you about it!
I learned how to overcome design challenges and pivots through thoughtful planning and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
This project sparked an interest in user research in me! Conducting and leading testing in an organized manner enabled me to extract rich data from our testing group. I hope to leverage my experience in future projects.
Working closely with developers and project managers gave me a deeper understanding of the project’s technical constraints and how to design within those limits.
Meticulous planning and documentation ensured that we stayed aligned throughout the project, allowing me to track progress and revisit key decisions.
I'd love to collaborate with you! Whether your product involves research or design, I'll dive in and keep your project moving.