FloomX

UI/UX/Prototyping

FloomX is the second service created by Floom. It follows floom.com, a curated marketplace for independent florists providing them with a “backend management dashboard” to create, allocate and manage inventory.

Using the knowledge and data acquired from the former service and with the help of the florist network, we created an end to end platform offering florists a single entry point to manage every aspect of their business.

I was brought on board for 9 months on this project to lead the design from the discovery phase to the launch of a minimum viable product.

I was first tasked to create a scalable framework where we could track and document the progress of all the various features on the new SaaS platform. This was implemented in Notion, taking in consideration developers, stakeholders, and Sales so they can input and interact with the content in a meaningful way. The structure was made flexible enough so it could evolve over time as the project moved forward.

In parallel I defined the digital version of the brand based on existing global guidelines. The idea was to keep a coherent experience throughout, unifying digital and print, while considering the inherent rules of the support it was used on (Including colour, font, legibility, imagery, or tone of voice).

The first bulk of features to be implemented were the ones already set on Floom.com. This was the base of the project so we could port selected current florist users to FloomX and get their inputs as we evolve and improve the product. We brought these features to life by keeping in mind global dependencies from other upcoming new features. This allowed us to create flexible structures we could evolve as we implement them.

Having that in mind, we created a platform that was usable and adapted to both florists and the customer service team who would require slightly different needs to perform their respective tasks.

These base features include “Order management” where the florist can control all their orders coming through the various channels available to them (in-shop point of sales, Custom site, and floom.com); “Product management” allowing them to create all their compositions that would end up on these channels; And “Add-ons” letting the user add extra products to their flowers.

Once these features were tested and put live we started to work on new ones.

Florist app:

We created an app to simplify and give quick access to some some key actions florists need to perform during a typical day. Using it, gives them instant notifications about order updates, delivery, and low stocks. The app has also been thought through to help florists to fulfil these key actions on the go, so they can react quickly and avoid any potential issue.

Custom site:

One of the core features we developed was the creation of custom sites and the customisation of the CMS that manages them. We created a templated design system for mobile, tablet and desktop that allowed us to quickly generate websites by inputing branding elements and adding components required for the each florist (That we helped define with each of them). To manage this, we adapted an already existing CMS (DatoCMS) to help the Sales team be more efficient at website creation as they were on boarding new florists on the platform.

Wholesale:

The current wholesale situation is time consuming, the florists have to go to the market every day to buy fresh flowers and lose some precious time they could use to focus on their passion. This feature is aiming to solve this issue by allowing the florist to order stems from Floom trusted suppliers for next day delivery. The service has been structured to help them budget and manage their wholesale items based on customer demands.

Ordering directly through the platform also allows more automation of the florist entire process. For example, when stems are low they will automatically be added to a shopping list making the ordering more efficient. Having this constant live connection with stocks helps the florists forecast their ordering and reduce wastage.

Point of Sales:

We also created a POS device fully integrated to the main platform meaning when walk-in customers make payments in-person the florists will have everything, from all of their channels available form a single dashboard. Allowing them to speed through the details so that they can focus on the flowers. The POS system is able to process payments, as well as a full reporting module allowing the florists to see how their businesses are performing quickly and easily.

Some more features are being built to help consolidate this ecosystem and increase automation even more between all the different aspects of floristry. This includes “Courier”, bringing delivery service directly onto the platform, allowing to track accurately the different orders. A product gallery hosting a huge variety of single stem products a florist can use to sell on their platforms; Or a “Floom florist network” feature giving access to a wide florist network to send and receive orders when a florist needs extra help.

Bringing this platform and all these features live in such a short period of time was challenging. It forced me to move deftly across specialties constantly evolving and adapting the process to subject matter, context and florist needs. I had to design for streamline development, releasing great features faster, and learning as much as I could in the process.