PRD for sustainable home and garden products e-commerce site called GreenHabitat.co

Introduction

In this PRD, I will outline the specifications and requirements for the development of a sustainable home and garden products e-commerce site, called GreenHabitat.co . The purpose of this document is to define the features and functionalities of the site, as well as business objectives and how they will be achieved.

Project Overview:

GreenHabitat.co aims to provide a seamless online shopping experience for customers who are looking for eco-friendly and sustainable home and garden products. By offering a range of products that are environmentally friendly and ethically sourced, we aim to appeal to the growing consumer demand for sustainable products.

This PRD will provide a detailed outline of the product requirements, including user stories, and features. It will also include a product roadmap for the development process, as well as a pre-launch communication plan and launch strategies.

Your Role:

As the Product Manager and Product Designer, my responsibilities included developing the Product Requirements Document (PRD), designing the user interface and user experience (UI/UX), and overseeing the conceptualization and planning phases of the HolistiqCare app. This document showcases my work in creating the PRD and design specifications for the app.

Problem Statement

Background:

The demand for sustainable products has increased significantly as consumers become more aware of their environmental impact. Despite the growing interest, finding a centralized platform that offers a wide range of eco-friendly home and garden products is challenging. Many existing e-commerce platforms do not prioritize sustainability, leading to a scattered and time-consuming search for consumers who want to make environmentally conscious purchases.

Challenges:

• Lack of centralized platform: Consumers struggle to find a single, comprehensive platform that offers a diverse range of sustainable home and garden products.
• Verification of sustainability claims: Many products are marketed as sustainable without proper verification, leading to consumer distrust.
• Personalization: Consumers need personalized recommendations to help them make sustainable choices that fit their lifestyles and preferences.
• Awareness and education: Educating consumers about the importance of sustainability and how their purchases impact the environment is crucial for long-term engagement.

Product Goals:

• Introduce a subscription-based service for regular sustainable product deliveries

Success Criteria:

• Reach a 10% conversion rate for new account sign-ups within the first quarter.
• Maintain a customer satisfaction score of 90% or higher based on feedback and reviews.
• Secure at least five partnerships with recognized eco-friendly brands within the first year.
• Ensure that 80% of the products listed have verified sustainability certifications.

Product Vision statement

GreenHabitat.co helps environmentally conscious consumers easily find and purchase sustainable home and garden products that reduce their carbon footprint, support ethical and eco-friendly practices, and create a healthier living environment.

We will achieve this by:

• Expanding our product selection to include a wide range of sustainable products for every area of the home and garden.
• Exploring partnerships with eco-friendly brands and vendors to provide the best quality and selection of products.

Product Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)

Goal: Introduce a subscription-based service for regular sustainable product deliveries

Objective: Launch a subscription-based service for regular sustainable product deliveries

• Key Results 1:?Achieve a conversion rate of 10% for customers who sign up for the subscription-based service by the end of the first quarter
• Key results 2: Increase the number of repeat purchases made through the subscription-based service by 30% in the second quarter

Product Requirements

Functional Requirements:

• User Registration and Authentication: The system shall allow users to create an account using email or social media login. The system shall allow users to reset their password through a secure process.
• Product Browsing and Search: The system shall provide a search bar for users to search for products using keywords. The system shall allow users to filter products by categories, certifications, price range, and ratings.
• Subscription Service: The system shall allow users to subscribe to a monthly delivery service for sustainable products. The system shall send email notifications to users about their subscription status and upcoming deliveries.
• Personalized Dashboard: The system shall provide a personalized dashboard that tracks users’ carbon footprint reduction progress. The system shall offer tips and recommendations for reducing environmental impact based on user activities and purchases.
• Product Recommendations: The system shall suggest sustainable product alternatives based on users' past purchases and browsing history.
• Social Media Integration: The system shall allow users to share their carbon offset achievements and product reviews on social media platforms.
• Product Certifications: The system shall display certifications such as ENERGY STAR and USDA Organic on product pages.
• Product Bundles: The system shall offer discounted bundles of sustainable products for various needs (e.g., zero-waste cleaning kit).
• Ratings and Reviews: The system shall allow users to rate and review products they have purchased.

Non-Functional Requirements:

Usability:

• The system shall provide an intuitive and user-friendly interface accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.

User Stories

• User story 1 Carbon offset calculator: As a user, I want to be able to calculate the carbon footprint of my purchases, so that I can offset it and reduce my environmental impact.
• User story 2 Sustainable product delivery subscription: As a user, I want to subscribe to a sustainable product delivery service, so that I can regularly receive eco-friendly products without having to search for them.
• User story 3 Personalized sustainability dashboard: As a user, I want to have a personalized dashboard that tracks my sustainability efforts and shows me my carbon footprint reduction progress, so that I can stay motivated to make sustainable choices.
• User story 4: Sustainable product recommendations: As a user, I want to receive sustainable product recommendations based on my past purchases and interests, so that I can easily find and purchase eco-friendly products without having to spend hours researching.

Features

MoSCoW framework for prioritization

1. Sustainable product delivery subscription - a monthly subscription service that delivers a selection of sustainable home and garden products to customers' doors. (MVP - Must have)
2. Personalized sustainability dashboard - a dashboard that tracks a customer's carbon footprint reduction progress and offers tips for reducing their impact further. (MVP - Should have)
3. Sustainable product recommendations - a feature that suggests sustainable product alternatives to customers for items they frequently purchase that have high carbon footprints. (MVP - Should have)
4. Social media integration - a feature that allows customers to share their carbon offset achievements and sustainable lifestyle tips on their social media platforms. (Should have)
5. Green product certifications - a feature that highlights the green certifications of the products sold on the platform, such as ENERGY STAR and USDA Organic. (Could have)
6. Sustainable product bundles - a feature that offers discounted bundles of sustainable products, such as a zero-waste cleaning kit or a package of reusable kitchen essentials. (Could have)
7. Sustainable product ratings and reviews - a feature that allows customers to rate and review the sustainable products they purchase, helping other customers make informed purchasing decisions. (Could have)

Research and Insights

User Research:

Extensive user research was conducted to understand the needs and pain points of health-conscious urban dwellers. Key findings include:

• Users expressed a strong preference for products with verified sustainability claims. They want assurance that the products they purchase are genuinely eco-friendly and not just marketed as such.
• Many users highlighted the importance of a convenient and seamless shopping experience. They prefer platforms that allow for quick product discovery and easy checkout processes.
• Users are more likely to return to a platform that offers personalized recommendations based on their past purchases and interests.
• Users want to learn more about how their purchases impact the environment and how they can reduce their carbon footprint.
• They expect the products to meet their functional needs while being eco-friendly.
• Users are interested in subscription services that deliver sustainable products regularly.

Solution Ideation

Brainstorming:

The brainstorming phase involved exploring various features and functionalities that could address the identified challenges. Ideas included features such as Sustainable product delivery subscription, Personalized sustainability dashboard, Sustainable product recommendations, Social media integration, Green product certifications, Sustainable product bundles, and Sustainable product ratings and reviews.

Decision-Making:

The decision-making process prioritized features based on their potential impact and feasibility. The MoSCoW prioritization framework was used to identify must-have, should-have, could-have, and won’t-have features for the MVP.

Design and Development

Wireframe:

User Flow Diagram

I developed a user flow diagram that describes the flow a user would take while Searching and purchasing sustainable products from GreenHabitat.co .

Design Process:

Iterative design approach with feedback loops from potential users to refine UI/UX. This involved Wireframing, Prototyping, and designing high-fidelity mockups.

Testing and Validation

Testing Strategy:

The testing strategy aimed to ensure GreenHabitat.co ’s functionality, and usability by conducting Usability Testing.

• Usability Testing: Conducted sessions with potential users to identify and resolve usability issues.

Results:

• Users appreciated the app's convenience, ease of use, and personalized recommendations.

Product Roadmap

I developed a product roadmap that incorporates the product goals and objectives, product bets and features.

Product launch strategy and Implementation

Launch Strategy 1: Alpha / Beta / General Availability releases

The first launch strategy for GreenHabitat.co involves releasing the product in stages, starting with an alpha release where the product will only be available to a limited set of customers to gather feedback. The beta release will follow, where the product or features will be ready for broader customer testing and use. The insights gathered from the beta release will help in making changes to the product in preparation for general availability, which is the stage when a finalized product is made available to the general public.

This strategy is a good fit for GreenHabitat.co because it allows the product team to launch without full features and enables them to build, measure and learn from customer feedback. The alpha and beta releases will also provide an opportunity to engage with early adopters who can provide feedback on the product's features, user experience, and overall value proposition. Additionally, launching in stages allows the team to manage brand impact and ensure that the product is well received by customers before it's available to the general public.

Pre-launch communication plan

Subject: Upcoming Product Launch - GreenHabitat.co

Hey team,

We are excited to announce the launch of our new app, GreenHabitat.co , on Thursday, June 15th, 2023 at 9:00 AM PST.

GreenHabitat.co is an innovative app that offers a range of sustainable lifestyle options to help individuals reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a healthier planet. We believe that this app will make a real difference in people's lives, and we can't wait to share it with the world.

As we approach the launch date, we need everyone on the team to familiarize themselves with the app and its features. We will be providing training sessions and product demonstrations over the next few weeks to ensure everyone is fully prepared.

In addition, we want to make sure that our launch communication plan is effective and reaches our target audience. To that end, we will be sending out a pre-launch email to our mailing list on Monday, June 5th, 2023. The email will include a sneak peek of the app and its features, as well as a call to action to download the app on launch day.

We will also be utilizing social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to generate buzz around the launch. Our social media team will be creating engaging posts, using relevant hashtags, and collaborating with influencers in the sustainable living space to reach a wider audience.

Lastly, we have established a support system to handle any issues that may arise during the launch. Our customer support team will be available to assist users, and we have established a process for reporting and resolving any technical issues.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. We are all in this together, and with your help, we are confident that this launch will be a success!

Best regards, Product Manager at GreenHabitat.co

Outcomes and Impact

AARRR Metrics

Using the AARRR Pirate Metrics framework, I have identified the following metrics that will be used to track and gauge the product’s success.

Acquisition:

• Website traffic: Number of visitors to the website
• Source of traffic: Percentage of traffic from organic search, social media, paid advertising, etc.

Activation:

• New account sign-ups: Number of new users who create an account on the website
• Email newsletter sign-ups: Number of users who sign up to receive email newsletters

Retention:

• Repeat visitors: Percentage of visitors who return to the website
• Customer lifetime value (CLV): Predicted revenue that a customer will generate during their lifetime

Revenue:

• Conversion rate: Percentage of users who make a purchase
• Average order value (AOV): Average amount spent per transaction

Referral:

• Social media shares: Number of times content from the website is shared on social media
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measure of customer satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the website to others.

Lessons Learned:

• Regularly incorporating user feedback is crucial for continuous improvement.
• An iterative design process allows for incremental enhancements based on real-world usage.

Conclusion

Summary:

GreenHabitat.co aims to revolutionize the sustainable home and garden products market by providing a centralized platform for eco-conscious consumers. Through a subscription-based model, personalized recommendations, and robust user engagement features, we strive to make sustainable living accessible and convenient. By adhering to rigorous functional and non-functional requirements, conducting thorough user research, and employing a comprehensive testing strategy, GreenHabitat.co is poised to meet the growing demand for sustainable products while ensuring a high-quality user experience.