MS4 - Group22-MobileApp/Grupo22-Moviles GitHub Wiki

1. Descriptions

Problem description

University students often have to buy academic materials for their courses, such as textbooks, lab manuals, cardboards, and other supplies. However, once the course is over, these materials are no longer needed and are often discarded or forgotten without being recycled. This leads to a waste of resources and a negative impact on the environment. Additionally, buying these materials brand-new can be very expensive, and many students do not have the financial resources to afford them. Also, a lot of students are willing to use second-hand materials provided by their peers. The existing marketplaces do not provide the required alternatives to find the specific elements for the courses or are not trustworthy enough or are still too expensive. The current alternatives, such as groups in social networks, are not organized nor trustworthy enough. By the other hand, some students are willing to trade their materials for other materials they need, and this is not possible in the current marketplaces. As well, the current marketplaces do not provide a platform for students to sell their materials in a safe and organized way in order to recover some of the money they spent on them.

Solution description

The proposed solution is a mobile application designed to facilitate the exchange of second-hand academic materials among students. The app provides a platform for students to connect with sellers within their university to buy and sell academic materials they no longer need, thereby reducing waste, promoting sustainability, and making it more accessible to students. Some of the great features of the app include the ability for sellers to create listings for their academic materials, providing details and photos, and for buyers to search for specific materials they need or browse available listings. The app also includes an in-app messaging platform for buyers and sellers to communicate, negotiate prices, and arrange meetups. Users can arrange to meet on campus or at a designated location to exchange materials in person, and once the exchange is complete, buyers confirm receipt of the materials and sellers receive payment. Both parties have the opportunity to leave feedback and reviews, contributing to the community's reputation and trustworthiness. Additionally, the app includes an optional trading option where instead of offering a product for money, the seller can ask for other materials in exchange. This feature promotes a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective way to exchange materials.

2. Analytics Persona

Visualize better the Persona Canva

3. Problems-Alternative-Solutions(PAS) Diagram

Problem: "I need user feedback to improve the user experience of my app"
Alternatives: "I can use surveys or interviews to gather feedback from users, but these methods are expensive and difficult to create"
Solution: A feedback system that allows users to leave feedback and reviews on the app. In-app pop-ups will prompt users to leave feedback after using the app for a certain functionality.

Problem: "I need to ensure that users can trust the sellers and buyers on the app"
Alternatives: "I can use a verification system to verify the identity of users, Los Andes identity but this does not guarantee that the users are trustworthy"
Solution: A reputation system that allows users to leave feedback and reviews on each other. This will help to build trust and credibility within the community.

Problem: "I need to ensure that there is enough supply of materials on the app"
Alternatives: "Students can still buy brand-new materials from other sources and use the marketplace as a last resort"
Solution: A way to incentivize students to list their materials on the app, such as a reward system for listing materials or a lower commission fee for sellers.

Problem: "I need to encourage active participation and engagement within the app's community."
Alternatives: "I can rely on passive features and hope that users engage naturally, but this may lead to stagnation and disinterest."
Solution: Implement gamification elements such as badges, achievements, and leaderboards to incentivize and reward user engagement (this could also be useful for user to generate a sense of trust). Additionally, facilitate discussion forums, study groups, and virtual events to promote the app usage.

Problem: "I need to address concerns about privacy and security for user transactions."
Alternatives: "I can utilize third-party payment gateways, but users may still be apprehensive about sharing sensitive information."
Solution: All of the users have to be members of the university, this means the app will authenticate those credentials the will incentivize the users to meet at the university. This is a fast and secure way of making the exchange.

Problem: "I need to differentiate my app from existing marketplace platforms and attract users."
Alternatives: "I can focus solely on functionality and usability, but this may not be enough to stand out in a crowded market."
Solution: Emphasize the app's sustainability, environmental impact, and efficient to acquire the materials as key selling points, highlighting the benefits of reducing waste, promoting a greener lifestyle and a fast and secure way to optain the material needed.

Problem: "I need to have a method of handling returns or refunds for materials that were not in good condition."
Alternatives: "I can leave it up to individual sellers to handle returns, but this may lead to inconsistencies and dissatisfaction among buyers."
Solution: Implement a standardized return and refund policy within the app, ensuring that users have a clear process for reporting damaged or unsatisfactory materials.

Problem: "I need to address concerns about the authenticity of materials listed on the marketplace for a university."
Alternatives: "I can rely on users' honesty in listing materials, but this may not prevent the listing of counterfeit or unauthorized items."
Solution: Implement a verification process for materials listed on the marketplace, requiring sellers to provide proof of ownership or authenticity for items such as textbooks or study materials.

Problem: "I need to ensure that the marketplace for the university remains relevant and useful throughout the academic year for the students."
Alternatives: "I can focus solely on textbook sales, but this may result in decreased usage during periods when textbooks are not in high demand."
Solution: Diversify the offerings of the marketplace to include a wide range of academic materials and resources that cater to different needs and interests of students throughout the academic year for the students.

Problem: "I need to ensure that sales offers have enough information about the products."
Alternatives: "I can let users try to contact the seller for more information."
Solution: implement a process for uploading offers in the application, which stipulates the minimum requirements (name, brand, reference, photos, description)

Problem: "Difficulty finding a product with a specific characteristic among several types."
Alternatives: "I can let users review multiple offers until they find the one that is closest to their need."
Solution: implement a search engine that takes the description of the desired product and compares it with respect to the available offers.

Problem: "Difficulty finding other products that may be of interest."
Alternatives: "I can let users search for what they need exclusively or explore all the offers until they see something of interest."
Solution: Implement a labeling process that makes it easy to find multiple related products

4. Context Canvas

5. Bussiness Questions

Type 1:

Which is the code feature that is less used by the users?

Type 2:

How long does it take for users to create a listing on the app?
How many average clicks are there in the purchasing process?
What is the preferred payment method for the users?
How many users use the chat from start to end once they decide to buy something?

Type 3:

How do students prefer to authenticate their uniandes identity on the app?
What is the least used functionality per semester?
Which core functionalities are the most used in the marketplace?

Type 4:

What are the users' buying patterns in the exams week?

Type 5:

What are the categories users spend the most time when using the marketplace? (2/3/*)

6. VD Map

VDMAP drawio https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aWoPPaStE-3A1dFzpVYMDqGPJT3majVq/view?usp=sharing