The Problem: Fragmented Wholesale Experience
Small to medium businesses waste hours comparing wholesale prices across multiple suppliers, making phone calls, and coordinating deliveries. There's no single platform that combines price transparency with instant logistics—forcing buyers to juggle spreadsheets, phone calls, and delivery schedules.
Meanwhile, suppliers struggle with visibility, losing potential customers simply because buyers don't know they exist or what they offer.
Two-Sided Platform, One Seamless Experience
Marketplace Side: Compare prices, specifications, and availability across multiple suppliers in real-time
Delivery Side: On-demand logistics platform matching orders with nearby drivers for instant fulfillment
Integration: Seamless handoff from purchase to delivery with real-time tracking and communication
User Research: Two Distinct User Groups
Through interviews with 15 business buyers and 12 suppliers, plus observing 8 delivery drivers, I identified key pain points for each user type:
Maria Chen
Restaurant Owner • 38 years • Managing 2 locations with weekly wholesale orders
What Maria Needs
- Quick price comparison across suppliers
- Reliable same-day or next-day delivery
- Order history and easy reordering
- Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
- Real-time delivery tracking
Maria's Pain Points
- Spends 3+ hours weekly calling suppliers
- Can't compare prices easily
- Delivery windows are unreliable
- No visibility once order is placed
- Minimum order requirements are frustrating
Key Features: Marketplace Platform
🔍 Smart Comparison Engine
Search products across suppliers with filters for price, location, delivery time, and minimum order. Side-by-side comparison view with detailed specs.
💰 Dynamic Pricing & Deals
Real-time pricing updates, bulk discounts visualization, and personalized deals based on order history and volume.
📦 One-Click Reordering
Save favorite orders, set up recurring deliveries, and reorder with a single click. Order templates for regular purchases.
⭐ Supplier Ratings & Reviews
Verified reviews from other businesses, reliability scores, and detailed supplier profiles with response times.
Key Features: Delivery App (Driver Side)
🚗 Smart Route Optimization
AI-powered routing that batches nearby deliveries, optimizes for traffic, and maximizes driver earnings per hour.
💵 Transparent Earnings
Upfront pricing showing base pay, distance bonus, and tips before accepting. Real-time earnings dashboard with weekly goals.
📱 One-Tap Accept/Decline
Simplified interface showing pickup location, delivery address, estimated time, and payout—drivers decide in seconds.
🛡️ Safety & Support
In-app navigation, emergency support button, insurance coverage details, and instant chat with dispatch.
Design Approach: Three Interconnected Experiences
Platform Architecture
Buyer Web App
Desktop-first for detailed comparison, bulk ordering, and business account management
Buyer Mobile App
Quick reordering, delivery tracking, and on-the-go order management
Driver App
Mobile-only, optimized for one-handed use with large tap targets and minimal complexity
Innovation: Hybrid Delivery Model
Unlike pure Uber-style platforms, our delivery system combines scheduled wholesale deliveries with on-demand flexibility:
- → Scheduled Windows: Businesses can book specific delivery windows (morning/afternoon) for predictability
- → Express On-Demand: Need it now? Pay a premium for immediate pickup and delivery
- → Batch Optimization: System intelligently batches orders going to similar locations to reduce costs
- → Fleet + Gig Mix: Suppliers can use their own drivers or tap into our on-demand driver network
Technical Challenges & Solutions
Designing for Real-Time at Scale
The platform needs to handle live inventory updates, dynamic pricing, real-time driver locations, and instant order matching—all while maintaining performance.
Inventory Sync
Real-time inventory updates from suppliers with optimistic UI updates and conflict resolution
Driver Matching
Algorithm considers distance, capacity, current route, and driver ratings to optimize matches
Progressive Loading
Smart data fetching with skeleton screens and predictive prefetching for instant feel
Customer Journey Mapping
I mapped the end-to-end journey for both buyers and drivers to identify key touchpoints and optimize the experience:
🛒 Buyer Journey: From Discovery to Delivery
Discovery & Search
Action: Buyer searches for products (e.g., "Coca-Cola 330ml")
Pain Point: Too many results, unclear pricing
Solution: Smart filters (price, location, delivery time), clear comparison view
Price Comparison
Action: Compare prices across Costco, Booker, Bestway, etc.
Pain Point: Hidden fees, unclear availability
Solution: Transparent pricing, real-time stock status, delivery cost upfront
Order Placement
Action: Add to cart, select delivery window
Pain Point: Complex checkout, unclear delivery options
Solution: One-click reorder, saved payment methods, flexible delivery slots
Delivery Tracking
Action: Track order in real-time
Pain Point: No visibility, unreliable ETAs
Solution: Live map, driver contact, push notifications
Receipt & Review
Action: Confirm delivery, rate experience
Pain Point: Disputed deliveries, no feedback loop
Solution: Photo proof, instant support, supplier ratings
🚚 Driver Journey: From Availability to Completion
Go Online
Action: Driver opens app, goes available
Pain Point: Unclear demand, no visibility on earnings
Solution: Heat map of demand, expected earnings per hour
Receive Order
Action: See delivery request with details
Pain Point: Not enough info to decide, time pressure
Solution: Upfront pricing, distance, dropoff location, 30-second decision time
Navigate to Pickup
Action: Drive to supplier, load items
Pain Point: Unclear pickup instructions, parking issues
Solution: Turn-by-turn navigation, supplier notes, loading bay info
Complete Delivery
Action: Drop off at buyer location
Pain Point: Access issues, no contact info
Solution: In-app chat, delivery photos, customer instructions
Get Paid
Action: Earnings credited
Pain Point: Delayed payments, unclear breakdown
Solution: Instant payout option, transparent earnings breakdown
Design Process: From Wireframes to High-Fidelity
Starting with low-fidelity sketches, I iteratively refined the experience through wireframes, prototypes, and user testing:
Sketches & User Flows
Rapid ideation on paper to explore different approaches for comparison views, cart flows, and driver interface layouts
- Explored 5+ comparison table variations
- Mapped 12 user flows (buyer & driver)
- Created 20+ rough sketches
Low-Fi Wireframes
Grayscale wireframes focusing on information hierarchy, navigation patterns, and core interactions without visual design
- 30+ screen wireframes (buyer web/mobile)
- 15+ screen wireframes (driver app)
- Tested with 5 buyers, 3 drivers
Interactive Prototypes
Clickable prototypes with realistic content to test core flows: product search, comparison, checkout, and driver delivery acceptance
- Built in Figma with micro-interactions
- Tested 3 critical user flows
- Identified 8 usability issues
High-Fidelity Mockups
Fully designed screens with brand colors, typography, illustrations, and polished UI ready for development handoff
- Complete visual design system
- 50+ production-ready screens
- Developer-friendly specs
Interactive Prototypes: Explore the Platform
Experience the actual interfaces I designed for both the wholesale marketplace and driver delivery app:
WholesaleHub Platform
Browse products, compare prices across suppliers, place orders, and track deliveries
Driver Delivery App
Accept deliveries, navigate to pickups, complete orders, and track earnings in real-time
Interactive demos: These are fully functional prototypes built with real interactions, state management, and responsive design. Try different user flows to see how the platform handles complex scenarios.
Current Status & Next Steps
Completed: User research, competitive analysis, information architecture, wireframes, and interactive prototypes
In Progress: High-fidelity mockups refinement, usability testing with beta users, and developer handoff
Next Phase: MVP development with 10 pilot suppliers and 50 beta buyers in Q2 2025
Success Metrics: 80% order completion rate, <5min average match time, 4.5+ star driver ratings
What I'm Learning
This project combines marketplace dynamics with logistics complexity—something I haven't tackled at this scale before. Key learnings so far:
- → Two-sided marketplaces require balancing supply and demand incentives carefully
- → Logistics apps need exceptional performance—every second matters for drivers
- → Trust is everything—reviews, ratings, and transparency drive adoption
- → Mobile-first for drivers, desktop-first for buyers—different contexts, different needs
