Vishruth Balaji

INDEPENDENT UX STUDY, 2024

Building buyer confidence and motivating purchases in handicraft e-commerce

TanaBana Concept Platform

To put it simply,

TanaBana is an e-commerce platform for handicrafts. It uses craft storytelling to improve buyer trust for handcrafted goods.

Incredible crafts had invisible sales (online)

In 2023, while working with handloom weavers in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, I noticed a gap:

Their rich craft and process wasn’t translating into online visibility or sales.

This raised a core question:

How effective are current online marketplaces at selling Indian handicrafts?

Current platforms were selling crafts like FMCGs. And not succeeding.

A quick internet scan pointed me to Amazon Karigar, one of India’s only artisan to consumer digital marketplaces.

But these headlines stood out:

What critics highlighted:

Products felt mass-produced, not handmade

No clear way to verify authenticity

Weak connection between product and maker

These weren’t enough to draw conclusions: I decided to conduct a first hand UX evaluation.

What exactly was going wrong?

After going through the marketplace on both mobile and desktop, here’s what I noticed:

Sales-First layout buries craft info

Price deals overshadow the craft information; core craft details are buried beneath commercial clutter.

Lack of domain specific trust cues

No GI tags, artisan proofs, handicraft authenticators, government licenses- weakened handicraft purchase trust.

One size fits all approach commoditizes handicrafts

Standard marketplace UX commoditizes handmade crafts, not highlighting their uniqueness and cultural value.

TL;DR: Current UX pushes for commercial value over product info. But that doesn’t boost handicrafts sales.

The UX and visual hierarchy of Amazon Karigar, and similar platforms, prioritizes rapid sales, sidelining craft details. This works for mass-produced goods but fails to convey the unique worth of handicrafts, marketing them ineffectively.

TL;DR: Current UX pushes for commercial value over product info. But that doesn’t boost handicrafts sales.

If that’s the case, how can we influence purchase decisions of online shoppers?

People said that buying crafts is a different experience. Here’s how.

I wanted to understand what makes handicrafts feel valuable, and what shapes the purchase decisions of customers.

Here’s what stood out from our discussions:

Buyers perceive skill and handiwork as quality markers, and that time investment equals care

When they see this, buyers recognize that each piece has received individual human attention, increasing product value

People saw some handicrafts as collectibles or identity pieces

Because of their uniqueness and craftsmanship, buyers sometimes saw these pieces as heirloom crafts.

Certain people loved learning the maker’s story, especially when tied to tradition or skill

Some buyers are looking for meaning beyond function, and appreciate the human element in an increasingly automated world.

Aha Moment: Unique details about a craft, like the time invested, methods, or it’s sustainability, are a strong differentiator.

They create competitive moats that justify premium prices and create hooks for emotional marketing. When everything looks similar online, these details can attract buyers to a product and serve as decision making short-cuts.

Aha Moment: Unique details about a craft, like the time invested, methods, or it’s sustainability, are a strong differentiator.

Translating insights to UX strategy

Not all buyers need these narrative details or an additional push.

But for emotionally invested users, they add authenticity, cultural value, and emotional resonance.

How can we integrate a craft’s unique details into key touchpoints of user’s buy flow, to motivate sales?

Idea 1: “Micro-narratives” on product cards, in listing pages

Boosting click-through rates by adding bite-sized facts or stories on product cards, to grab attention in search results

“Micro-narratives” are details that show a product's unique value proposition within the limited real estate of a product card. These snippets reveal just enough information to pique at a users curiosity and drive more clicks.

Boosting click-through rates by adding bite-sized facts or stories on product cards, to grab attention in search results

Approach 1: ‘Did you know’ Tabs or Drop Downs

PROS

Expanded space and creative control

With not much real estate constraints, can hold descriptive copywriting without a restrictive character count.

CONS

Adds an extra interaction, and discovery friction

Reduces passive exposure to narratives; users must intentionally tap, which is not scroll friendly.

Approach 2: Short Narrative Ribbons on the card

PROS

Scroll friendly and scannable

Integrates without extra effort into skimming behavior, catching attention without requiring any extra taps.

CONS

Less space causes strict character limit

Crafting compelling copy in strict word limits needs content guidelines and copywriting support.

Lacks visual variety- all cards will look the same

Fully text-based, it demands more cognitive effort and offers less instant visual differentiation from other cards.

Approach 3: Icon Categories and Supporting Text

PROS

Visual cues attract more attention

Icons break visual monotony in the scroll and draw attention through quick, visceral perception.

Easier to implement for sellers on platform

Reduced copy effort- an icon library serves as an easier starting point for sellers, saving time.

CONS

Needs a well designed icon library

Limited icons risk standardization over products and if icons are ambiguous, the meaning may not be obvious.

Using an icon library sparked user interest without disturbing the scroll.

Approach 3, using Icon Categories, best matches the objectives of micro-narratives on a product card.

While short copywriting is a compromise compared to Approach 1, it still effectively sparks user interest. Plus, the added visual layer makes it more engaging and scroll-friendly than a text-only format.

Approach 3, using Icon Categories, best matches the objectives of micro-narratives on a product card.

Idea 2: Domain specific trust cues

Lowering drop-off rates on product details pages, by displaying trust cues to reduce purchase hesitation

Handicrafts are prone to fakes and cheap machine-made imitations. Without clear trust signals online, buyers feel uncertain, which can lead to purchase hesitation or abandonment.

Lowering drop-off rates on product details pages, by displaying trust cues to reduce purchase hesitation

Handicrafts are prone to fakes and cheap machine-made imitations. Without clear trust signals online, buyers feel uncertain, which can lead to purchase hesitation or abandonment.

There are many government issued verification stamps to ascertain the genuineness of a product.

Idea 3: Incorporating short-form content to build trust and perceived value

Increasing profile visit rates and average time spent on a page- to establish user trust and purchase intent.

Seeing the real craft behind a product bridges the “trust gap”- buyers believe it’s handmade. Short form videos can show the unseen production effort, skill, and authenticity, influencing purchase intent by building trust and perceived value.

Increasing profile visit rates and average time spent on a page- to establish user trust and purchase intent.

Approach 1: Using stories to aid product discovery in the explore page

Approach 2: Artisans upload short form content to their own profiles

This narrative layer transforms a standard seller profile into a clear story of their craft, helping the brand stand out.

Recapping intended impact & metrics

As this is a conceptual project, I could not conduct real-world testing and analysis yet. This section recaps the intended UX impact and the core metrics these ideas are designed to move.

Research Insight

Solution

Target KPIs

Craft details are buried- products are marketed alike, hiding USPs

Micronarratives on product cards

Clickthrough rate on product cards

Weak trust in authenticity,

impacts purchase decisions

Domain specific trust cues in

the product details page

Drop off rate at product details page

Weak connection to maker, poor

marketing and product discovery

Short form content to aid discovery

& create an emotional hook

Shop/Artisan profile visit rate

Time spent on artisan profile

In conlusion

Together, these features come together in the TanaBana app concept, to build buyer trust and highlight the true value of handmade products- helping entreprenuers earn better prices and lowering drop-offs in a crowded online market.

INDEPENDENT UX STUDY, 2024

Building buyer confidence and motivating purchases in handicraft e-commerce

TanaBana Concept Platform

To put it simply,

TanaBana is an e-commerce platform for handicrafts. It uses craft storytelling to improve buyer trust for handcrafted goods.

Incredible crafts had invisible sales (online)

In 2023, while working with handloom weavers in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh, I noticed a gap:

Their rich craft and process wasn’t translating into online visibility or sales.

This raised a core question:

How effective are current online marketplaces at selling Indian handicrafts?

Current platforms were selling crafts like FMCGs. And not succeeding.

A quick internet scan pointed me to Amazon Karigar, one of India’s only artisan to consumer digital marketplaces.

But these headlines stood out:

What critics highlighted:

Products felt mass-produced, not handmade

No clear way to verify authenticity

Weak connection between product and maker

These weren’t enough to draw conclusions. I decided to conduct a first hand UX evaluation.

What exactly was going wrong?

After going through the marketplace on both mobile and desktop, here’s what I noticed:

Sales-First layout buries craft info

Price deals overshadow the craft information; core craft details are buried beneath commercial clutter.

Lack of domain specific trust cues

No GI tags, artisan proofs, handicraft authenticators, government licenses- weakened handicraft purchase trust.

One size fits all approach commoditizes handicrafts

Standard marketplace UX commoditizes handmade crafts, not highlighting their uniqueness and cultural value.

TL;DR: Current UX pushes for commercial value over product info. But that doesn’t boost handicrafts sales.

If that’s the case, how can we influence purchase decisions of online shoppers?

People said that buying crafts is a different experience. Here’s how.

Here’s what stood out from our discussions:

Buyers perceive skill and handiwork as quality markers, and that time investment equals care

When they see this, buyers recognize that each piece has received individual human attention, increasing product value

People saw some handicrafts as collectibles or identity pieces

Because of their uniqueness and craftsmanship, buyers sometimes saw these pieces as heirloom crafts.

Certain people loved learning the maker’s story, especially when tied to tradition or skill

Some buyers are looking for meaning beyond function, and appreciate the human element in an increasingly automated world.

Aha Moment: Unique details about a craft, like the time invested, methods, or it’s sustainability, are a strong differentiator.

Translating insights to UX strategy

Not all buyers need these narrative details or an additional push.

But for emotionally invested users, they add authenticity, cultural value, and emotional resonance.

How can we integrate a craft’s unique details into key touchpoints of user’s buy flow, to motivate sales?

Idea 1: “Micro-narratives” on product cards, in listing pages

Boosting click-through rates by adding bite-sized facts or stories on product cards, to grab attention in search results

Approach 1: ‘Did you know’ Tabs or Drop Downs

PROS

Expanded space and creative control

With not much real estate constraints, can hold descriptive copywriting without a restrictive character count.

CONS

Adds an extra interaction, and discovery friction

Reduces passive exposure to narratives; users must intentionally tap, which is not scroll friendly.

PROS

Expanded space and creative control

With not much real estate constraints, can hold descriptive copywriting without a restrictive character count.

CONS

Adds an extra interaction, and discovery friction

Reduces passive exposure to narratives; users must intentionally tap, which is not scroll friendly.

Approach 2: Short Narrative Ribbons on the card

PROS

Scroll friendly and scannable

Integrates without extra effort into skimming behavior, catching attention without requiring any extra taps.

CONS

Less space causes strict character limit

Crafting compelling copy in strict word limits needs content guidelines and copywriting support.

Lacks visual variety- all cards will look the same

Fully text-based, it demands more cognitive effort and offers less instant visual differentiation from other cards.

PROS

Scroll friendly and scannable

Integrates without extra effort into skimming behavior, catching attention without requiring any extra taps.

CONS

Less space causes strict character limit

Crafting compelling copy in strict word limits needs content guidelines and copywriting support.

Lacks visual variety- all cards will look the same

Fully text-based, it demands more cognitive effort and offers less instant visual differentiation from other cards.

Approach 3: Icon Categories and Supporting Text

PROS

Visual cues attract more attention

Icons break visual monotony in the scroll and draw attention through quick, visceral perception.

Easier to implement for sellers on platform

Reduced copy effort- an icon library serves as an easier starting point for sellers, saving time.

CONS

Needs a well designed icon library

Limited icons risk standardization over products and if icons are ambiguous, the meaning may not be obvious.

PROS

Visual cues attract more attention

Icons break visual monotony in the scroll and draw attention through quick, visceral perception.

Easier to implement for sellers on platform

Reduced copy effort- an icon library serves as an easier starting point for sellers, saving time.

CONS

Needs a well designed icon library

Limited icons risk standardization over products and if icons are ambiguous, the meaning may not be obvious.

Using an icon library sparked user interest without disturbing the scroll.

Approach 3, using Icon Categories, best matches the objectives of micro-narratives on a product card.

Idea 2: Domain specific trust cues

Lowering drop-off rates on product details pages, by displaying trust cues to reduce purchase hesitation

Handicrafts are prone to fakes and cheap machine-made imitations. Without clear trust signals online, buyers feel uncertain, which can lead to purchase hesitation or abandonment.

There are many government issued verification stamps to ascertain the genuineness of a product.

Idea 3: Incorporating short-form content to build trust and perceived value

Increasing profile visit rates and average time spent on a page- to establish user trust and purchase intent.

Approach 1: Using stories to aid product discovery in the explore page

Approach 2: Artisans upload short form content to their own profiles

This narrative layer transforms a standard seller profile into a clear story of their craft, helping the brand stand out.

Recapping intended impact & metrics

As this is a conceptual project, I could not conduct real-world testing and analysis yet. This section recaps the intended UX impact and the core metrics these ideas are designed to move.

In conclusion