RATEUP
Helping people shop better.
Overview
Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
4 Weeks
Tools
Figma, Miro, AI-assisted tools
Concept
Independent portifolio project
Backgrond
Every day, millions of people make purchasing decisions—from the food they eat to the technology they use—hoping for quality and value. Although reviews are available on platforms such as Amazon and Google, they are often fragmented, inconsistent, or hard to navigate. This makes it difficult for users to find reliable and comparable information in one place. As a result, there is a clear need for a centralized and transparent platform that aggregates product ratings and supports informed decision-making.
There is a gap in the market for a solution that prioritizes the everyday consumer’s voice, turning a scattered and often confusing search for information into a streamlined, community-driven experience.
The Problem
Today, consumers struggle to find reliable and aggregated ratings for everyday products, from electronics to food and personal care items. There is currently no universal platform where anyone can quickly and easily rate and find products in a transparent way, providing diverse and trustworthy opinions.
Project Goal
Empower consumers to shop with confidence through a transparent, community-driven ecosystem of authentic product ratings and insights.
THE PROCESS
Emphatize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Empathize - Exploring the user's need
Delivrables
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Competitive analysis report
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User Personas
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Pain Points
Research Aproach
I adopted a user-centered research strategy to bridge the gap between consumer expectations, involving:
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Competitive Analysis: Evaluating existing platforms to identify gaps in data visualization and trust metrics.
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Interviews: Conducting one-on-one sessions with diverse shoppers to understand the "why" behind their trust patterns and decision-making habits.
Research Goal
The primary objective of this research was to understand the pain points consumers face when evaluating products. I aimed to identify what triggers trust in community reviews and how aggregated data can simplify the decision-making process.
Competitive Analysis
Competitor
What they rate
Rating System
Key Features
Strenghts
Weaknesses
Amazon
All products they sell
Stars (1-5)
Reviews, user photos, Q&A
Huge product base and reviews
Hard to filter by quality/only what they sell
Yuka
Food and cosmetics
Numeric score
(0-100)
Barcode scanning, health score
Health-focused, simple UI
Limited to food and cosmetics, no reviews
Any product
Community discussions
Forum-style recommendations
Organic, detailed opinions
No structured rating system
Youtube
Any product
👍, 👎,
comments
Video reviews: unboxing, comparisons
Rich content, visual explanations
Hard to compare rating quickly
Anyproduct
Varies
Aggregates rating, links, snippets
Access to multiple sources
Results are fragmented and mixed
Interviews
To understand the mechanics of consumer choice across different categories - from everyday groceries to high-ticket electronics - I recruited 5 participants with diverse shopping habits. The goal was to deconstruct how they evaluate products in real-world scenarios and what triggers a pivot to a different brand or item when their first choice isn't available.
During the interviews, I explored three core behavioral pillars:
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Comparative Logic: I investigated how users weigh attributes across different scales (e.g., nutritional value in supermarkets vs. technical specs in appliances) and the role of community consensus in these decisions.
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The Substitution Journey: I asked participants to describe what they do when their 'go-to' product is missing from the shelf or out of stock. I explored how they navigate the uncertainty of choosing an alternative and what specific information gives them the confidence to switch.
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Cross-Category Trust: I explored what makes a review 'trustworthy' for a participant, whether they are looking for a new laundry detergent or a high-end sofa, identifying common patterns in authentic community feedback.
Key finds & Insights
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The Fragmented Search Fatigue: Users reported visiting an average of 3 to 4 different sources (blogs, marketplaces, and social media) before feeling confident about an expensive purchase. This fragmentation leads to "decision paralysis" and a significant waste of time.
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The Credibility Gap: A recurring sentiment among participants is the "Skepticism Filter." There is a deep-seated distrust of 5-star ratings on retail sites, with users actively seeking out middle-of-the-road reviews (3 or 4 stars) to find what they perceive as the "authentic truth."
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The Universal Rating Vacuum: While niche platforms exist for movies or hotels, participants noted a total absence of a "Gold Standard" for everyday items. They expressed frustration that a unified, cross-category rating system - covering everything from groceries to furniture - doesn't yet exist to simplify their routine.
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The Contribution Barrier: Interviews revealed that most users only feel motivated to leave a review when they have an extremely negative experience. They cited "cumbersome forms" and "lack of immediate feedback" as the main reasons they don't contribute positive or neutral ratings, highlighting a need for a more engaging interface.
User Personas
“I want to make quick decisions, with no wasted time.”
Goals
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Make quick, informed decisions when buying products online.
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Avoid wasting money on low-quality products.
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Quickly see trustworthy reviews by browsing multiple sites.
Frustrations
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Online reviews are scattered across marketplaces.
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Difficult to filter reviews for relevance or trustworthiness.
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Doesn’t have time to watch long YouTube reviews.
Behavior/Habits
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Shops online daily for home goods, tech, her cats, and lifestyle products.
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Frequently checks product reviews before buying.
29
New York, USA
2 Cats
Marketing Manager
High - uses multiple apps daily
Age:
Location:
Family:
Occupation:
Tech Comfort:
Meet Emma: The busyshopper
“I want to make safe choices for my family, every time.”
Goals
-
Ensure the products she buys for her family are safe and healthy.
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Make better purchasing decisions for food, cosmetics, and household products.
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Trust ratings that are verified by the community.
Frustrations
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Hard to find trustworthy health-related reviews.
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Only find apps that cover limited products.
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Reviews online are often inconsistent.
Behavior/Habits
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Uses apps to scan beauty products.
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Reads both nutrition labels and online reviews.
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Shares experiences and recommendations with friends and family.
40
Paris, FRA
Married, 3 Kids
Family Doctor
Medium - uses apps mostly for convenience
Age:
Location:
Family:
Occupation:
Tech Comfort:
Meet Sophie: The Health-Conscious Parent
“I want a safe, sustainable, and stress-free shopping.”
Goals
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Ensure products are safe, vegan, and align with eco-friendly values.
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Avoid health and environmental risks by checking product safety and sustainability.
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Make informed purchasing
Goals
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Ensure products are safe, vegan, and align with eco-friendly values.
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Avoid health and environmental risks by checking product safety and sustainability.
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Make informed purchasing.
Behavior/Habits
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Checks ingredient lists, eco-labels, and allergen information
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Prefers simple, reliable guidance to make confident decisions aligned with values
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Searches YouTube and the vegan community for a range of products
55
Rio de Janeiro, BRA
Married
Retired Archtect
Low - Uses Youtube, Amazon and Google occasionally
Age:
Location:
Family:
Occupation:
Tech Comfort:
Meet Lucas: The Cautions Consumer
Pain Points
Lack of a single, trustworthy platform for general product ratings.
Reviews are scattered across multiple websites, making a quick comparison difficult.
Difficulty in trusting opinions due to fake or incentivized reviews.
Lack of a simple, engaging interface that motivates users to contribute ratings.
Define - User needs and problems
Delivrables
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Problem Statements
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How may we
Problem Statement
Today, consumers struggle to find reliable and aggregated ratings for everyday products, from electronics to food and personal care items. There is currently no universal platform where anyone can quickly and easily rate and find products in a transparent way, providing diverse and trustworthy opinions.
How may we...
Help users quickly see all relevant product ratings in one single place?
Make it fast and easy for users of all tech levels to search and rate products?
Allow safety, allergen, vegan, and eco-friendly info clearly ?
Allow users to rate any type of product, not just food or cosmetics?
Fragmented Reviews
Speed & Simplicity
Health, allergies & eco-friendy
Universal product coverage
Ideate -
Delivrables
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User Flow
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Low-fidelity Wireframes
User Flow
Low-Fidelity Prototype
The inicial concept
Test - Validaing
Delivrables
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Usability Test Objective
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Usability Test Findings
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Reflexions & Next Steps
Usability Test Objective
I recruited 5 participants for the Usability Test whom were never in contact with the project to provide diverse and trustworthy.
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Test if the participants can search for products.
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Test if the participants can rate a product.
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Test if the participants can share a product.
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Test if the participants can add a Allergy to their profile.
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Test if the participants can determine whether a prduct is safe based on preferences.
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Test if the participants can find their favorites products.
Usability Test Findings
I conducted 5 usability tests that were around 10 minutes each. Participants were able to complete the task with relative ease. A few places they ran into problems were the following:
Reflexions and Next Steps
This was my first UX/UI project and I learned a lot with it, and showed me a lot room to improvement improve as well.