Role: Product & UX Designer
Project Type: Scalable Mobile Marketplace App

Lokal Market is a mobile-first platform that helps tourists and locals discover artisan markets and connect directly with vendors across Costa Rica’s coastal towns. It emphasizes clear navigation, vendor discovery, and building trust through transparent profiles.

Goals
– Enable users to find upcoming market events by date and region
– Facilitate vendor discovery and direct contact via WhatsApp
– Build trust with clear vendor profiles and reliable market information

The Process
– Conducted interviews and surveys with tourists, locals, and first-time vendors in local markets
– Defined three key personas (Camila: international tourist, Luis: local tourist, Isabel: crafter & vendor) mapping primary user flows
– Designed low-fidelity wireframes for home, market detail, and vendor screens
– Iterated on a map-first UI and product-oriented and vendors visibility hierarchy
– Preparing a clickable mobile prototype focusing on vendor visibility and ease of contact

Insights & Outcomes
A need for quick markets lookup, finding artisans and crafted goods, was addressed by:
– Delivering a map-first home screen with date filters and offline caching
– Crafting detailed vendor profiles with photos, coming events, and WhatsApp link to contact directly
– Simple vendor profile/dashboard without requiring a full website or digital skills to position itself