Design leadership during COVID 🛍️ With no in-person research possible, I adapted methods to ship three trust-building features — reviews, pay-later and better discovery — that kept Limeroad users engaged through the crisis.
Design leadership during crisis: building trust when everything changed
How I adapted UX research during COVID-19 lockdown to design three critical features that kept Limeroad users engaged when uncertainty was at its peak
Project Overview
The Challenge: During COVID-19 lockdown, Limeroad users needed financial flexibility and trust signals more than ever, but traditional user research methods weren't possible.
My Solution: I adapted research methodology to design three interconnected features - customer reviews system, pay-later functionality, and enhanced discovery - using competitive analysis and existing data.
The Impact
Maintained user engagement and business continuity during crisis while building financial inclusion features for economically stressed users.
The Business Problem
COVID-19 fundamentally changed how people shopped and what they needed from e-commerce platforms. Limeroad faced three critical challenges:
User Trust Crisis: People needed confidence in product quality when they couldn't physically shop, but had no way to share feedback except Google reviews.
Discovery Breakdown: Users couldn't find new features or marketplaces we'd introduced, leading to low adoption of business-critical initiatives.
Financial Stress: Traditional payment methods weren't flexible enough for users managing economic uncertainty during lockdown.
Why this mattered to the business: Lower engagement meant reduced revenue when the company needed stability most, while user acquisition costs were rising due to increased competition.
Research & Discovery
I adapted traditional UX research methods to work within lockdown constraints, using available data sources and competitive intelligence.
Customer Service Log Analysis
Method: Analyzed 6 months of customer support data (500+ interactions)
Key Discoveries:
Users frustrated with review process: No structured way to provide product feedback beyond Google reviews
Feature discovery failures: People couldn't find new marketplaces despite promotional efforts
Payment flexibility requests: Increasing inquiries about payment plans and credit options
Mobile usability issues: Higher support calls for mobile-specific problems
Competitive Analysis During Crisis
Method: Analyzed how 8 e-commerce platforms adapted to COVID-19 challenges
Strategic Insights:
Most competitors focused on safety features rather than financial flexibility
Review systems were either too complex or completely absent
Pay-later services were emerging but poorly integrated with existing platforms
Discovery mechanisms weren't optimized for changed user behavior patterns
Existing Data Mining
Method: Collaborated with business analysts to understand user behavior patterns
Critical Findings:
40% increase in mobile usage but higher abandonment rates
Average session time decreased suggesting decision fatigue
Cart abandonment spiked particularly for higher-value items
Support calls increased 60% mostly about payment and product concerns
User flows
User flows
Problem Definition
Based on research analysis, I identified three interconnected problems creating user engagement challenges:
1. Trust Deficit
Users needed confidence in product quality and seller reliability when physical shopping wasn't possible, but existing feedback mechanisms were inadequate.
2. Discovery Friction
Changed user behavior during lockdown meant existing navigation and feature discovery weren't surfacing relevant options effectively.
3. Financial Inflexibility
Economic uncertainty required payment options that traditional checkout flows couldn't provide, especially for Limeroad's lower-middle-class user base.
Core Insight: Crisis doesn't just change what people buy - it changes what they need to feel safe buying.
Key Design Decisions
Decision 1: Conversational Review System
Problem: Users avoided leaving reviews due to complex, time-consuming processesSolution: Bottom-card system with YES/NO → Fit feedback → Quality details → Reward flowReasoning: Made reviewing feel like natural conversation while providing immediate gratification through rewards
Decision 2: Integrated Pay-Later with Identity Verification
Problem: Users needed credit options but existing solutions required separate applicationsSolution: PAN verification → instant credits → e-KYC for additional credit flowReasoning: Integrated approach reduced friction while building trust through government ID verification
Decision 3: Enhanced Homepage Discovery
Problem: Important features and new marketplaces weren't surfacing in user journeysSolution: Reorganized content hierarchy and navigation to prioritize COVID-relevant optionsReasoning: Crisis required surfacing essential features over nice-to-haves
Limeroad reviews
Limeroad credit
Problem Definition
Based on research analysis, I identified three interconnected problems creating user engagement challenges:
1. Trust Deficit
Users needed confidence in product quality and seller reliability when physical shopping wasn't possible, but existing feedback mechanisms were inadequate.
2. Discovery Friction
Changed user behavior during lockdown meant existing navigation and feature discovery weren't surfacing relevant options effectively.
3. Financial Inflexibility
Economic uncertainty required payment options that traditional checkout flows couldn't provide, especially for Limeroad's lower-middle-class user base.
Core Insight: Crisis doesn't just change what people buy - it changes what they need to feel safe buying.
Key Design Decisions
Decision 1: Conversational Review System
Problem: Users avoided leaving reviews due to complex, time-consuming processesSolution: Bottom-card system with YES/NO → Fit feedback → Quality details → Reward flowReasoning: Made reviewing feel like natural conversation while providing immediate gratification through rewards
Decision 2: Integrated Pay-Later with Identity Verification
Problem: Users needed credit options but existing solutions required separate applicationsSolution: PAN verification → instant credits → e-KYC for additional credit flowReasoning: Integrated approach reduced friction while building trust through government ID verification
Decision 3: Enhanced Homepage Discovery
Problem: Important features and new marketplaces weren't surfacing in user journeysSolution: Reorganized content hierarchy and navigation to prioritize COVID-relevant optionsReasoning: Crisis required surfacing essential features over nice-to-haves
Limeroad reviews
Limeroad credit
Limeroad reviews
Limeroad credit
Testing & Validation
Stakeholder Feedback Sessions
Method: Weekly reviews with product managers and business teams via Zoom
Key Findings:
Review flow reduced complexity compared to competitor solutions
Pay-later integration addressed urgent business need for user retention
Discovery improvements aligned with changing user behavior patterns
Internal Team Testing
Method: Cross-functional team members tested prototypes before development
Results:
Simplified user flows reduced cognitive load during decision-making
Clear progress indicators helped users understand multi-step processes
Integrated rewards created motivation to complete actions
Key Learnings & Impact
Validated resourceful research approach – Sometimes the best insights come from unconventional sources when you're willing to dig deeper into existing data.
Proved emotional design drives engagement – Addressing user anxiety and financial stress had more impact than purely functional improvements.
Established crisis design principles – Designing for uncertainty requires understanding psychology as much as usability, especially during global disruption.