TeamLab

Product Management

Team

Mentored by Kotomi Kameda
(Senior PM)

Role

Product Manager Intern

Timeframe

December 2024

Overview

ENOTECA (TeamLab Client)

As a Product Manager Intern at TeamLab, I worked on a client project for ENOTECA, a wine e-commerce service based in Japan to boost sales on the website. Currently, the website is catered towards experienced wine consumers with extensive filters on origin and types of wine. While this is helpful for advanced consumers, it limits the market for beginners who are looking to get into the wine world. 

Research

Market Research

I conducted research by analyzing blogs and recommendation websites that help users choose wine. This allowed me to identify three key types of wine buyers: Veterans, who are highly knowledgeable and search with specificity; Intermediate consumers, who recognize some wine terminology and choose based on past experiences; and Beginners, who have little knowledge and rely on recommendations or rankings. This breakdown helped guide design decisions by tailoring the shopping experience to each group’s needs.

Problem

The Wine World is Difficult to Understand for Beginners

The current interface seems like a general e-commerce store and does not cater to individual's experience. Beginners may like wine, but may have a difficult time contextualizing their preferences in the terminology of the wine industry. Currently, users can only search by specific terminology and only the information about type or origin is provided making it hard for inexperienced individuals to gain an understanding of the taste. This create barriers to purchase. Inexperienced individuals have a hard time searching for their ideal wine, and the provided information is not sufficient or helpful to justify their purchase.

Solution

Helping Users Find Their Perfect Wine While Expanding Their Knowledge

Beginners need a way to contextualize their preferences, and a way to connect that to wine terminology to be able to search for their preferred wine. The wine page must also contextualize the taste of the wine instead of simple origin and type descriptions. The website must contextualize an individual's preferences that simultaneously helps them grow as a wine lover so they can progress into more advanced experiences with wine, resulting in more sales.

Feature #01

Introduction of User’s Wine Profile

  • Wine Experience Notes: Users can log their wine experiences to refine their food palette.

  • Personalized Wine Profile: Like/dislike data builds a wine profile that reflects user preferences.

  • Wine Preference Insights: Users can view their profile to understand the types of wine they enjoy.

  • Gamified Experience: Collect badges and level up by gaining more wine experience.

Feature #02

New Metrics to Describe Wine

  • Simplifies wine taste by breaking down flavors into five easy-to-understand categories instead of complex wine jargon.

    • Sweet vs. Bitter – Is the wine more sugary or does it have a dry, bitter edge?

    • Light vs. Heavy – Does it feel refreshing or rich and full-bodied?

    • Simple vs. Complicated – Is the taste straightforward or layered with different flavors?

    • Bold vs. Subtle – Is the flavor strong and intense or delicate and mild?

    • High vs. Low Alcohol – Does it have a noticeable alcohol warmth or is it lighter in strength?


Feature #03

Restructured Information Layout

  • Match Percentage: Shows how well a wine matches the user's preferences based on their profile.

  • Taste Metrics Display: The wine details page now presents taste using the five binary metrics for easier understanding.

Feature #04

Search by Taste

  • Taste-Based Search: Users can search for wines based on specific taste preferences.

  • Match Percentage Filter: Allows filtering wines by how well they match the desired taste.

  • Wine Comparison: Users can compare two wines side by side to see differences in taste and profile.


Conclusion

Final Thoughts

This was my first time working on a project from start to finish. I was provided with a rough outline of the problem and was given autonomy on the direction of the project. 


I learned the importance of research and analysis of the problem. As a person with more of a design background, I felt that oftentimes my solutions come more from specific functions or app feature ideas rather than as the result of a feasible solution to a fundamental issue. Working on the project from start to finish, including in depth research and analysis really forced me to dig deep into what the underlying issue was and to come up with a true solution that solves the pain point rather than an ‘interesting idea’ that just *might* work. Solutions like “recommendation page using AI” is easy but does not address the fundamental issue of the barrier to entry. 


Additionally, I also learned the importance of communication not just with the team but also with the client and managers. One may have a great idea but if not communicated well or explained clearly, it will only remain an idea. To back up my solution suggestions, I had to explain my research and insights to explain how each feature solved the individual pain points, which was especially difficult as many of the team members did not have specific design or product knowledge. I feel that I was able to gain valuable experience that will help me in working with different departments and individuals with different backgrounds in the future.

Next Project

Shades