Research
As part of the industrial quoting initiative, considerable time was spent researching how buyers from all types of companies reach out to suppliers for quotes and build strategic and transactional relationships. On the supplier side, we researched how suppliers received requests, their communication pathways, and how they typically communicate with prospective buyers.
User Flow Working Sessions
Given the complexity of the 2-sided relationship we were designing for, we conducted multiple working sessions defining user flows and identifying gaps in potential experiences. Not only did we need to consider the sometimes lengthy process of sourcing for a quote, but also the ideal experience to save a supplier costly amount of time quoting valuable requests.
User Testing & Design
Once we landed on our ideal user flows, we began testing to validate these intended experiences in low-to-medium fidelities. This gave us great insight, and allowed us to go back and improve our user flows to the point where our mental model of the experience aligned with real users.
Product Launch
The new experience we intended to launch coincided with updates to the core business model. To begin, we performed a soft launch and sought feedback from our early users. Once we’re able to debug our experience, we launched the Industrial Quoting on Xometry to the greater finishing and custom manufacturer audience.