Introduction

Yaay is a SaaS product designed to efficiently collect text, video, and audio-based customer testimonials. It empowers businesses to easily gather and share the stories of their satisfied customers, leading to increased trust and higher conversion rates.

As the sole developer, UX designer, and founder, I spearheaded all aspects of the project - from the initial ideation to its execution.

Defining the Problem

While many businesses understand the value of customer testimonials, collecting them remains a challenging task. We needed a streamlined, user-friendly solution that could collect testimonials in multiple formats (text, audio, video) and simplify the testimonial management process. The project also involved integrating two third-party services: Firebase for user authentication and Stripe for subscription payments.

Understanding the Users

The primary user base for Yaay is businesses of various sizes that need a convenient, efficient method to collect and manage customer testimonials. These businesses value ease of use, flexibility, and simplicity in the tools they utilize.

Secondary users include the customers of these businesses who will be sharing their testimonials. They value a straightforward process without unnecessary complexities.

User Flow

Creating an intuitive user flow was key to making Yaay successful. We started with a simple registration and sign-in process using Supabase, followed by the main user flow steps:

Sign in/Register

The user registers or signs in using Supabase Authentication.

Home Dashboard

The user lands on the dashboard which displays an overview of their testimonials and account.

Collect Testimonials

The user invites customers to provide testimonials via a shared link. Customers can submit testimonials in text, video, or audio formats.

Manage Testimonials

The user can view, approve, or reject the collected testimonials.

Subscription

Users choose a subscription plan powered by Stripe to access premium features.

Settings

Users can manage their account settings, including payment information and user profile details.

Design

My aim was to keep the design clean and intuitive, emphasizing ease-of-use. A dashboard-centric design was chosen to give users a complete overview of their testimonials.

Development and Integration

The platform was developed using a modern tech stack. Supabase was integrated for secure, reliable user registration and sign-in, providing a seamless authentication process. Stripe was integrated for subscription management, offering various pricing plans with secure, reliable payment processing.

This was all bought together in a Typescript based React App, for the front-end and an Adonis based back-end providing API endpoints for full-stack development.

Testing and Feedback

Several rounds of user testing were conducted to validate the user flow, interface design, and the overall UX. This helped identify and rectify any usability issues, ultimately leading to an improved product.

Outcome

Yaay successfully addressed the need for a streamlined, efficient, and user-friendly tool for collecting and managing customer testimonials. It successfully integrated Firebase and Stripe, creating an enhanced user experience while maintaining security and reliability.

Lessons Learned and Next Steps

Being the sole developer and UX designer was challenging yet rewarding. It provided insights into how each aspect of a product influences the user experience. For future updates, exploring AI to analyze testimonials for insights and sentiment analysis could be an exciting new feature to add.

This project affirmed the value of user-centered design and iterative testing. Through the development of Yaay, I learned that simplicity, efficiency, and usability are paramount in designing any successful SaaS product.