Key findings from contextual inquiry
Digital Invisibility
Generational Tension
Physical Friction
Users don’t know what they want
Existential Threat
The market is difficult to find and understand online, suffering from "Low Discoverability on Google Maps" and a lack of basic "Shop and Product Info."
Traditional business, represented by "Shopkeeper legacies," is clashing with "Generational shifts" and heavy reliance on "WhatsApp based online commerce."
Once there, poor "Navigation" and "spaces being too cramped up" create a disconnected and difficult experience.
Most first time tourists come there not knowing what to expect and they don’t have anything in mind and even if they do they don’t where and how to find it.
The market's physical footprint is shrinking due to "Space being taken up by redevelopment," threatening its long-term survival. Tourism appeal are currently being undermined by these challenges.
चोर
bazaar
UXR and Web service design project for one of India’s oldest markets.
चोरबाज़ार
चोरबाज़ार, located in South Mumbai near Grant Road, is one of India’s oldest and most iconic flea markets, renowned for its unique blend of history and culture. The market's origins date back to the 19th century during British colonial rule. Initially known as शोरबाज़ार (noisy market) due to its bustling atmosphere and lively vendors, its name was famously mispronounced by the British as “Chor Bazaar,” which means “thieves’ market” in Hindi.
Aim
To observe and identify challenges faced by the stakeholders of Chor Bazaar and propose solutions aiming to solve the problem and add value to The Chor Bazaar experience.
3 weeks
History
Contextual enquiry
Primary research
Brainstorming
Personas
Ecosystem Map
Problem Statement
HMWs
Creating scenarios
Goal Statement
Wireframing and user flows
Information architecture
System flows
System thinking
Research & discovery
Research Synthesis
Proposed Solution
Ideation & Planning
Final Solution
Process
Research Synthesis
Brainstorming
2.1
15+ shops assessed
10+ interviews
3 field visits
Contextual Enquiry
To observe the actual behaviors, unspoken frustrations, and real-time interactions between buyers, tourists, and sellers.
Interview Insights
Market Area
Back Entry
Entrance
Problem Statement
To positively change the user experience of Chor Bazaar to address poor discoverability, mistrust, and disengagement, so that both buyers, tourists, and sellers can easily explore, connect, and transact around authentic stories and products in a trustworthy, and vibrant marketplace?
Personas
Shahid Akhtar
Junaid Afsar
Rekha Mehta
Name Surname
पहले जैसा कुछ नहीं है, पुराने चीज़ों का शौक चला गया है!
PRIMARY Shopowner
Secondary Personas
Age
42
Education
Till 10th grade
Family
One Son
Values
Proud of heritage
Laid Back
Proud of shop collection
Devices
Smart Phone, Television
Wants their children to continue their shop legacy
To have a respectful and comfortable business experience.
Certain part of consumer base has shifted to online modes such as Meesho and OLX
Loss of market relevance in recent times
Lack of interest by general public
SHOP DETAILS
Frustrations / Pain Points
Son of shop owner
Tourist
Antiques Dealer
Aspirations
Mode of Acquirement
Old Cameras
• Thrifted Jewelry • Radios • Posters
Misc. Collected Junk
Random acquirement
SHOP
Misc. Showpieces •
• Old Comics
Market still stuck in older times
Wants to work in Chorbazaar but is having doubts
Exploring cultural hotspots she's seen on Instagram
Has difficulty finding and building relationships with new, reliable shopkeepers.
Finds the market's reputation and disorganized layout intimidating.
An independent dealer who acquires antiques and vintage items from estate sales, house clearances, and smaller auctions across Maharashtra.
Ecosystem Map
sellers
reliable word of mouth connection
new reliable connections required
need motivation to continue store
next generation
shopkeepers
casual tourists
people looking for repairs
antique enthusiasts
online buyers
How might we create seamless interactions and convenient transactions between tourists, sellers, and shopkeepers, improving engagement ?
How might we help shopkeepers and sellers build trust and communicate their authentic stories and offerings to new audiences?
How might we make it easier for buyers and tourists to discover and navigate Chor Bazaar’s unique shops and products, both online and in person?
HMWs
Our website and app will help the buyers, tourists, sellers, shopkeepers engage more deeply through seamless discovery, storytelling, and streamlined interactions that convert interest into visits or purchases.
Proposed Solutions
Goal Statement
Selected
Digital Solution
Physical Experience & Signage
Digital & Social Media Presence
Defining Chor Bazaar’s Identity
Service Overview
Mobile Application
Onboarding
Create & manage shop profile
Dashboard to view inquiries:
From Sellers (product offers)
From Buyers/Tourists (appointments, WhatsApp/video requests)
Upload product images
Browse/search shops by category
View shop profiles
Explore map with shop locators
Browsing Shopkeepers
Selling products
Shopkeeper
Tourist/Buyer/Renter
Seller
Website
Website Dashboard
Website
AI auto-tags products and routes them to relevant shopkeeper
Receive notifis (via email/WhatsApp) if shopkeepers show interest
shop profile browsing
product listing matching
Explore map with shop locators and filters
View shop profiles
Browse/search shops by category
Mantel clocks
Wall clocks
Vintage watches
Pendulum
चोर
bazaar
चोर
bazaar
चोरबाज़ार
चोरबाज़ार
Yatra one
Anek Devanagari
Devnagari text in app and body content
Devnagari text in logo
Chorbazaar
Darker Grotesk
चोर
bazaar
#274578
Chorbazaar
Indigo
#202938
#202938
#79301F
#DDAE90
Lal Mitti
Haldi Gold
Mahogany
Clay Beige
The Website Interface
Initial wireframes and building information architecture
The primary interface of the website is used by the tourist to discover, plan and execute their trip to Chor Bazaar.
About
Landing Page
Info about chor bazar
About shop keepers
Map
Product listing
Product listing
Filters
Price
Product Page
Product Page
contact details
shop name
Description/Key words
Products
contact details
Seller details
Seller details
You may also like
Location
You may also like
See more products from the seller
How to reach
How to reach
See more products from the seller
Suggestions
Search
Collections
Eg. Bollywood/Vintage fruniture
Product listing
Filters
Explore
Tourist/Buyer
Key findings from contextual inquiry
Digital Invisibility
Generational Tension
Physical Friction
Users don’t know what they want
Existential Threat
The market is difficult to find and understand online, suffering from "Low Discoverability on Google Maps" and a lack of basic "Shop and Product Info."
Traditional business, represented by "Shopkeeper legacies," is clashing with "Generational shifts" and heavy reliance on "WhatsApp based online commerce."
Once there, poor "Navigation" and "spaces being too cramped up" create a disconnected and difficult experience.
Most first time tourists come there not knowing what to expect and they don’t have anything in mind and even if they do they don’t where and how to find it.
The market's physical footprint is shrinking due to "Space being taken up by redevelopment," threatening its long-term survival. Tourism appeal are currently being undermined by these challenges.
चोर
bazaar
UXR and Web service design project for one of India’s oldest markets.
चोरबाज़ार
चोरबाज़ार, located in South Mumbai near Grant Road, is one of India’s oldest and most iconic flea markets, renowned for its unique blend of history and culture. The market's origins date back to the 19th century during British colonial rule. Initially known as शोरबाज़ार (noisy market) due to its bustling atmosphere and lively vendors, its name was famously mispronounced by the British as “Chor Bazaar,” which means “thieves’ market” in Hindi.
Aim
To observe and identify challenges faced by the stakeholders of Chor Bazaar and propose solutions aiming to solve the problem and add value to The Chor Bazaar experience.
3 weeks
History
Contextual enquiry
Primary research
Brainstorming
Personas
Ecosystem Map
Problem Statement
HMWs
Creating scenarios
Goal Statement
Wireframing and user flows
Information architecture
System flows
System thinking
Research & discovery
Research Synthesis
Proposed Solution
Ideation & Planning
Final Solution
Process
Research Synthesis
Brainstorming
2.1
15+ shops assessed
10+ interviews
3 field visits
Contextual Enquiry
To observe the actual behaviors, unspoken frustrations, and real-time interactions between buyers, tourists, and sellers.
Interview Insights
Market Area
Back Entry
Entrance
Problem Statement
To positively change the user experience of Chor Bazaar to address poor discoverability, mistrust, and disengagement, so that both buyers, tourists, and sellers can easily explore, connect, and transact around authentic stories and products in a trustworthy, and vibrant marketplace?
Personas
Shahid Akhtar
Junaid Afsar
Rekha Mehta
Name Surname
पहले जैसा कुछ नहीं है, पुराने चीज़ों का शौक चला गया है!
PRIMARY Shopowner
Secondary Personas
Age
42
Education
Till 10th grade
Family
One Son
Values
Proud of heritage
Laid Back
Proud of shop collection
Devices
Smart Phone, Television
Wants their children to continue their shop legacy
To have a respectful and comfortable business experience.
Certain part of consumer base has shifted to online modes such as Meesho and OLX
Loss of market relevance in recent times
Lack of interest by general public
SHOP DETAILS
Frustrations / Pain Points
Son of shop owner
Tourist
Antiques Dealer
Aspirations
Mode of Acquirement
Old Cameras
• Thrifted Jewelry • Radios • Posters
Misc. Collected Junk
Random acquirement
SHOP
Misc. Showpieces •
• Old Comics
Market still stuck in older times
Wants to work in Chorbazaar but is having doubts
Exploring cultural hotspots she's seen on Instagram
Has difficulty finding and building relationships with new, reliable shopkeepers.
Finds the market's reputation and disorganized layout intimidating.
An independent dealer who acquires antiques and vintage items from estate sales, house clearances, and smaller auctions across Maharashtra.
Ecosystem Map
sellers
reliable word of mouth connection
new reliable connections required
need motivation to continue store
next generation
shopkeepers
casual tourists
people looking for repairs
antique enthusiasts
online buyers
How might we create seamless interactions and convenient transactions between tourists, sellers, and shopkeepers, improving engagement ?
How might we help shopkeepers and sellers build trust and communicate their authentic stories and offerings to new audiences?
How might we make it easier for buyers and tourists to discover and navigate Chor Bazaar’s unique shops and products, both online and in person?
HMWs
Our website and app will help the buyers, tourists, sellers, shopkeepers engage more deeply through seamless discovery, storytelling, and streamlined interactions that convert interest into visits or purchases.
Proposed Solutions
Goal Statement
Selected
Digital Solution
Physical Experience & Signage
Digital & Social Media Presence
Defining Chor Bazaar’s Identity
Service Overview
Mobile Application
Onboarding
Create & manage shop profile
Dashboard to view inquiries:
From Sellers (product offers)
From Buyers/Tourists (appointments, WhatsApp/video requests)
Upload product images
Browse/search shops by category
View shop profiles
Explore map with shop locators
Browsing Shopkeepers
Selling products
Shopkeeper
Tourist/Buyer/Renter
Seller
Website
Website Dashboard
Website
AI auto-tags products and routes them to relevant shopkeeper
Receive notifis (via email/WhatsApp) if shopkeepers show interest
shop profile browsing
product listing matching
Explore map with shop locators and filters
View shop profiles
Browse/search shops by category
Mantel clocks
Wall clocks
Vintage watches
Pendulum
चोर
bazaar
चोर
bazaar
चोरबाज़ार
चोरबाज़ार
Yatra one
Anek Devanagari
Devnagari text in app and body content
Devnagari text in logo
Chorbazaar
Darker Grotesk
चोर
bazaar
#274578
Chorbazaar
Indigo
#202938
#202938
#79301F
#DDAE90
Lal Mitti
Haldi Gold
Mahogany
Clay Beige
The Website Interface
Initial wireframes and building information architecture
The primary interface of the website is used by the tourist to discover, plan and execute their trip to Chor Bazaar.
About
Landing Page
Info about chor bazar
About shop keepers
Map
Product listing
Product listing
Filters
Price
Product Page
Product Page
contact details
shop name
Description/Key words
Products
contact details
Seller details
Seller details
You may also like
Location
You may also like
See more products from the seller
How to reach
How to reach
See more products from the seller
Suggestions
Search
Collections
Eg. Bollywood/Vintage fruniture
Product listing
Filters
Explore
Tourist/Buyer
Key findings from contextual inquiry
Digital Invisibility
Generational Tension
Physical Friction
Users don’t know what they want
Existential Threat
The market is difficult to find and understand online, suffering from "Low Discoverability on Google Maps" and a lack of basic "Shop and Product Info."
Traditional business, represented by "Shopkeeper legacies," is clashing with "Generational shifts" and heavy reliance on "WhatsApp based online commerce."
Once there, poor "Navigation" and "spaces being too cramped up" create a disconnected and difficult experience.
Most first time tourists come there not knowing what to expect and they don’t have anything in mind and even if they do they don’t where and how to find it.
The market's physical footprint is shrinking due to "Space being taken up by redevelopment," threatening its long-term survival. Tourism appeal are currently being undermined by these challenges.
चोर
bazaar
UXR and Web service design project for one of India’s oldest markets.
चोरबाज़ार
चोरबाज़ार, located in South Mumbai near Grant Road, is one of India’s oldest and most iconic flea markets, renowned for its unique blend of history and culture. The market's origins date back to the 19th century during British colonial rule. Initially known as शोरबाज़ार (noisy market) due to its bustling atmosphere and lively vendors, its name was famously mispronounced by the British as “Chor Bazaar,” which means “thieves’ market” in Hindi.
Aim
To observe and identify challenges faced by the stakeholders of Chor Bazaar and propose solutions aiming to solve the problem and add value to The Chor Bazaar experience.
3 weeks
History
Contextual enquiry
Primary research
Brainstorming
Personas
Ecosystem Map
Problem Statement
HMWs
Creating scenarios
Goal Statement
Wireframing and user flows
Information architecture
System flows
System thinking
Research & discovery
Research Synthesis
Proposed Solution
Ideation & Planning
Final Solution
Process
Research Synthesis
Brainstorming
2.1
15+ shops assessed
10+ interviews
3 field visits
Contextual Enquiry
To observe the actual behaviors, unspoken frustrations, and real-time interactions between buyers, tourists, and sellers.
Interview Insights
Market Area
Back Entry
Entrance
Problem Statement
To positively change the user experience of Chor Bazaar to address poor discoverability, mistrust, and disengagement, so that both buyers, tourists, and sellers can easily explore, connect, and transact around authentic stories and products in a trustworthy, and vibrant marketplace?
Personas
Shahid Akhtar
Junaid Afsar
Rekha Mehta
Name Surname
पहले जैसा कुछ नहीं है, पुराने चीज़ों का शौक चला गया है!
PRIMARY Shopowner
Secondary Personas
Age
42
Education
Till 10th grade
Family
One Son
Values
Proud of heritage
Laid Back
Proud of shop collection
Devices
Smart Phone, Television
Wants their children to continue their shop legacy
To have a respectful and comfortable business experience.
Certain part of consumer base has shifted to online modes such as Meesho and OLX
Loss of market relevance in recent times
Lack of interest by general public
SHOP DETAILS
Frustrations / Pain Points
Son of shop owner
Tourist
Antiques Dealer
Aspirations
Mode of Acquirement
Old Cameras
• Thrifted Jewelry • Radios • Posters
Misc. Collected Junk
Random acquirement
SHOP
Misc. Showpieces •
• Old Comics
Market still stuck in older times
Wants to work in Chorbazaar but is having doubts
Exploring cultural hotspots she's seen on Instagram
Has difficulty finding and building relationships with new, reliable shopkeepers.
Finds the market's reputation and disorganized layout intimidating.
An independent dealer who acquires antiques and vintage items from estate sales, house clearances, and smaller auctions across Maharashtra.
Ecosystem Map
sellers
reliable word of mouth connection
new reliable connections required
need motivation to continue store
next generation
shopkeepers
casual tourists
people looking for repairs
antique enthusiasts
online buyers
How might we create seamless interactions and convenient transactions between tourists, sellers, and shopkeepers, improving engagement ?
How might we help shopkeepers and sellers build trust and communicate their authentic stories and offerings to new audiences?
How might we make it easier for buyers and tourists to discover and navigate Chor Bazaar’s unique shops and products, both online and in person?
HMWs
Our website and app will help the buyers, tourists, sellers, shopkeepers engage more deeply through seamless discovery, storytelling, and streamlined interactions that convert interest into visits or purchases.
Proposed Solutions
Goal Statement
Selected
Digital Solution
Physical Experience & Signage
Digital & Social Media Presence
Defining Chor Bazaar’s Identity
Service Overview
Mobile Application
Onboarding
Create & manage shop profile
Dashboard to view inquiries:
From Sellers (product offers)
From Buyers/Tourists (appointments, WhatsApp/video requests)
Upload product images
Browse/search shops by category
View shop profiles
Explore map with shop locators
Browsing Shopkeepers
Selling products
Shopkeeper
Tourist/Buyer/Renter
Seller
Website
Website Dashboard
Website
AI auto-tags products and routes them to relevant shopkeeper
Receive notifis (via email/WhatsApp) if shopkeepers show interest
shop profile browsing
product listing matching
Explore map with shop locators and filters
View shop profiles
Browse/search shops by category
Mantel clocks
Wall clocks
Vintage watches
Pendulum
चोर
bazaar
चोर
bazaar
चोरबाज़ार
चोरबाज़ार
Yatra one
Anek Devanagari
Devnagari text in app and body content
Devnagari text in logo
Chorbazaar
Darker Grotesk
चोर
bazaar
#274578
Chorbazaar
Indigo
#202938
#202938
#79301F
#DDAE90
Lal Mitti
Haldi Gold
Mahogany
Clay Beige
The Website Interface
Initial wireframes and building information architecture
The primary interface of the website is used by the tourist to discover, plan and execute their trip to Chor Bazaar.
About
Landing Page
Info about chor bazar
About shop keepers
Map
Product listing
Product listing
Filters
Price
Product Page
Product Page
contact details
shop name
Description/Key words
Products
contact details
Seller details
Seller details
You may also like
Location
You may also like
See more products from the seller
How to reach
How to reach
See more products from the seller
Suggestions
Search
Collections
Eg. Bollywood/Vintage fruniture
Product listing
Filters
Explore
Tourist/Buyer