A logistics company that didn’t speak the entrepreneur’s language
Chilexpress is Chile’s main logistics operator. Its traditional clients are companies with high volumes and established contracts. But the growth of e-commerce brought a new profile: the small entrepreneur who ships from home, without a contract, without a corporate account, and with very different needs.
No digital tool existed for that profile. The process was cumbersome, unclear and not adapted to the reality of someone who sells on Instagram or WhatsApp and needs to ship today.
What was holding entrepreneurs back
”I don’t know how much it will cost until I get to the branch. I need to know beforehand.”
E-commerce entrepreneur, Santiago
”My customers ask me where their package is and I have no way to answer them in real time.”
Social media seller, Valparaíso
”The quoting process is the same as for a large company. For me shipping 10 packages a week, it makes no sense.”
Artisan products entrepreneur
The double diamond model
The project followed the double diamond model: first expand to understand the real problem, then converge on a clear definition; then expand into possible solutions and converge on the MVP to launch.
Discover — What is really happening?
Exploratory research: competitor benchmarking, desk research on the SME shipping market and interviews with real entrepreneurs. The goal was to understand the problem from the inside, not from assumptions.
Define — What is the right problem?
Synthesis of findings, building entrepreneur archetypes and mapping journeys. We identified that the problem was not just about the interface, it was about mental models: entrepreneurs did not identify with the flows designed for corporations.
Develop — How could it work?
Definition of the High Level Flow, solution architecture with stakeholder vision, screen and flow exploration. Iterative prototyping with continuous guerrilla testing.
Deliver — The MVP
Launch of the MVP web app for entrepreneurs: online quoting, shipment tracking and dispatch management from any device.
Getting to know Chilexpress entrepreneurs
We conducted in-depth interviews with entrepreneurs from different industries and shipping volumes. The focus was not on validating hypotheses, it was on understanding their real routines, their workarounds and their concrete frustrations with the shipping process.
The research also included an exhaustive benchmark of competitors and SME logistics platforms, which helped identify expected design patterns and gaps that Chilexpress could solve in a differentiated way.
The entrepreneur is not a small corporate client. It is a completely different profile.
They ship from home, operate alone or with family help, and make decisions in real time from their phone. The product had to speak their language.
Archetypes: different journeys, same destination
The research revealed distinct entrepreneur profiles based on their volume, industry and level of digitalization. Each one has a different journey to reach the same point: shipping their product reliably and on time.
We built archetypes based on real behavioral patterns, not fictional personas, to keep design decisions anchored to concrete needs.
Sells on Instagram or WhatsApp. Low volume, high frequency of customer questions. Needs shipment status visibility to answer in real time.
Has a website or marketplace store. Medium volume, needs fast quoting and an agile label generation process.
Growing fast, wants to consolidate their logistics operation. Needs history, reports and greater control over their shipments.
From flow to screens
Before designing screens, we defined the High Level Flow and worked on the stakeholder vision to ensure the solution was viable for both the entrepreneur and Chilexpress’s internal operations.
The design followed an iterative prototyping process with continuous guerrilla testing: quick versions, validation with real users, adjustment and a new iteration. Without waiting for everything to be perfect before testing.
Guerrilla testing: fast, continuous and iterative. Instead of waiting for a complete prototype, we tested each key flow separately, quoting, tracking, label generation, with real entrepreneurs in their natural context.
The MVP shipped
Online quoting
Entrepreneurs can know the exact cost of their shipment before going to the branch, from any device.
Real-time tracking
Shipment status visibility for both the entrepreneur and their end customers.
Simplified flow
Dispatch process designed for the entrepreneur’s pace, not for a company with a procurement team.
Mobile-first
Designed to operate from a phone, because that is how most of the entrepreneurs we interviewed work.