Merging Agricultural transactions with blockchain
overview
SumerEx is a Web3 platform designed to streamline international agricultural transactions through smart contracts and blockchain technology. As the Lead UX Designer, I worked to create a user-friendly MVP that addresses the needs of farmers, buyers, and logistics teams while demonstrating the platform's potential to investors.
Objective
To develop a functional MVP that highlights SumerEx’s core features, proving the viability of its blockchain-based approach to agricultural transactions.
Stakeholder interviews
From the beginning, I focused on understanding the goals and challenges our stakeholders wanted to address. Through interviews, I dug into the platform's core needs and identified the features that mattered most—like contract management, data analytics, and a dashboard that simplifies complex transactions. These conversations helped clarify the big-picture goals while setting a solid foundation for the design and development process.
User Flows
After gathering stakeholder input, I mapped out user flows to break down how people would actually use the platform. This included everything from creating and managing contracts to uploading documents and tracking transactions. I designed the flows to feel intuitive while addressing friction points early. These became the starting point for our wireframes and prototypes.
Low fidelity design and prototype
With user flows nailed down, I jumped into low-fidelity wireframes to bring the vision to life. These prototypes focused on key areas like the main dashboard, contract screens, and settings. I prioritized usability and clarity while keeping the designs lean, so they were easy to iterate on based on team feedback.
Expanding Scope
As the project evolved, so did the scope. Features like multi-user permissions, deeper analytics, and external integrations started to take shape. To stay ahead, I led workshops with stakeholders to align on the vision for future versions. These sessions ensured that we stayed focused on delivering an MVP while laying the groundwork for what comes next.
managing work
To keep the team aligned and productive, I set up a Kanban board on Notion to track tasks and priorities. This visual approach helped us manage workflows, ensuring everyone knew what needed to be done and when. I also organized our communication through dedicated Slack channels, streamlining updates and discussions. These tools kept everything transparent and collaborative, which was especially critical given our limited resources and remote setup.
Roadmap
I developed a roadmap that split the MVP into clear, achievable milestones. The focus was on delivering essential features first: contract management, document storage, and a basic dashboard. This covered our MVP development only, we will revisit our feature prioritization afterwards and begin focusing on scaling up—things like multi-language support and advanced analytics for future iterations.
This is what we came up with:
Phase 1: Building the Core (Month 0-2)
The focus here is to develop the essential features needed to prove the concept and establish the technical foundation.
Deliverables:
Blockchain Integration:
Implement smart contracts for escrow payments.
Automate wallet creation using Auth3 Wallet during user registration.
Demonstrate secure and efficient transaction handling.
Basic User Accounts:
Set up user registration and login with email-based MFA.
Create profiles with just enough detail for functional use (e.g., name, organization).
Document Storage:
Enable secure file upload and storage with S3.
Focus on core functionalities for managing contracts and essential documents.
Fixed Contract Template:
Build a simple contract creation flow using FAS & Paid in advance shipping terms.
Include basic document linking to contracts.
Outcome:
A functional platform demonstrating blockchain-powered contract creation and secure document handling.
Phase 2: Adding Key Features (Month 3-4)
With the foundation in place, we’ll focus on key features that enhance usability and showcase the platform’s capabilities.
Deliverables:
Dashboard:
Create a simplified dashboard highlighting wallet balances, contracts in progress, and recent activity.
Payment Processing:
Enable users to send payments to escrow and release funds based on contract conditions.
Integrate a clear and intuitive workflow for payment actions.
Notifications:
Implement email notifications for critical events, such as contract updates and document uploads.
Settings:
Basic account management, MFA setup, and notification preferences.
Outcome:
A working platform capable of handling real-world scenarios, showing how blockchain can streamline transactions.
Phase 3: Usability Testing & Feedback (Month 5)
This phase is about validating the proof of concept through targeted testing and refining based on user input.
Deliverables:
User Testing:
Conduct usability sessions with a small group of farmers, buyers, and logistics professionals.
Observe key workflows like contract creation and payment processes.
Feedback Integration:
Identify pain points and implement quick fixes to address them.
Highlight refinements that improve the user experience.
Stakeholder Review:
Present the platform to stakeholders, gathering input on both functionality and future scalability.
Outcome:
A polished proof of concept ready for a soft launch or pilot demonstration.
Phase 4: Showcasing the Platform (Month 6)
Prepare to present the platform to potential users, investors, and industry partners.
Deliverables:
Live Demo:
Ensure the platform is ready for demonstrations, highlighting contract creation, payments, and basic analytics.
Onboarding Flow:
Develop a simple onboarding experience to guide users through account setup and initial platform use.
Presentation Materials:
Create concise materials showcasing the platform’s features, use cases, and potential.
Outcome:
A fully functional platform capable of demonstrating the technical feasibility and market potential of SumerEx.
Timeline Summary
PhaseDurationKey FocusBuilding the CoreMonth 0-2Blockchain, user accounts, contract creationAdding Key FeaturesMonth 3-4Dashboard, payments, notificationsUsability TestingMonth 5Testing, refinements, stakeholder reviewShowcasing the PlatformMonth 6Live demo, onboarding, presentation prep
What Success Looks Like
The goal is to prove SumerEx’s viability as a blockchain-powered platform for agricultural transactions. By focusing on a streamlined tech launch, we’ll deliver a functional product that highlights innovation, builds credibility, and creates momentum for future development.
Product design documents
To keep things aligned, I created detailed product design documents for every major feature. These PDDs outlined what each feature needed to do, how it should function, and how users would interact with it. They served as a bridge between design and development, keeping everyone on the same page.
design system
Initially, we set out to build our design system entirely from scratch, focusing on creating consistent components and patterns that aligned with SumerEx's brand and user needs. However, when the Figma Simple Design System launched, we decided to leverage its ready-made framework to accelerate development. This allowed us to streamline our process while still crafting custom components where necessary to address specific use cases for our product. This hybrid approach gave us flexibility without sacrificing quality or scalability
Design iteration
The design process was all about iteration. Each prototype or wireframe went through cycles of feedback and refinement. This approach helped us adapt quickly while making sure the platform met both user needs and business goals. Every version got us closer to something ready to share with investors.
Below is an example of one wireflow from our most recent iteration.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, the focus is on validating our decisions with real user feedback and preparing for future development. Adding features like multi-user permissions and advanced analytics will help us build on the MVP’s momentum and position SumerEx as a leader in the space.