1. Overview, Problem & User Segmentation

0. Project Identity

Project Title (Draft)

Local Community Marketplace for Australian Suburbs

My Role

ICT Business Analyst (end-to-end case study)

In Scope – Business & System Design

Analyse Australian local communities and thier challenges
Define requirements (Funtional and non-functional)
Design user flows
Create UML and ERD Diagrams
Design data structures and analyse them from a business perspectives

Out of Scope – Technical Implementation

Develop production application
Implement frontend and backend code
Release, operation, and maintenance

Project Overview

This project is an end-to-end ICT Business Analyst case study that explores the concept of a mobile application designed to activate local communities in Australia. The app aims to support direct second-hand trades between neighbours within the same area, while also enabling users to create and join hobby-based activity/community groups.

Beyond facilitating local second-hand marketplace activities, the project focuses on encouraging in-person interactions that have declined since the pandemic. By allowing users to form and participate in both recurring and short-term activity groups within their suburb, the platform seeks to create opportunities for people of similar ages or interests to connect. Ultimately, the application is envisioned not only as a second-hand marketplace, but as a digital space, similar to a public library community, that supports meaningful neighbourhood engagement.

1. Problem & User Segmentation

1.1 Problem Statement

Current Situation

Existing platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree dominate the Australian second-hand market.
These platforms are primarily transaction-focused and lack strong suburb-level community engagement

Key Problem Identified

Transactions often occur across distant locations, creating accessibility issues for:
- Individuals without cars
- Users unable to drive long distances
- Residents in areas with limited public transport
International students and recent migrants face difficulties in:
- Building local social connections
- Finding community-based, in-person interaction opportunities
Popular platforms do not support:
- Hobby-based or interest-driven local groups
- Short-term or recurring community meetups

Impact

Reduced trust and convenience in local transactions
Limited opportunities for neighbourhood-level social interaction
Weak sense of community, particularly in high-density areas such as Melbourne CBD

Problem Gap

There is no dedicated platform in Australia that combines:
- Suburb-focused second-hand trading
- Local, interest-based community building
- Support for in-person interaction within the same neighbourhood

1.2 User Segmentation

Grouping users based on geographic, behavioural, psychographic and technographic factors to clarify who the platform serves and inform subsequent system requirements.

[1] Geographic Segmentation (Primary)

Geographic proximity is the primary driver of interaction and trust

Suburb based residents
High-density areas (e.g. Melbourne CBD)
Limited transprot accessibility regions

[2] Behavioural Segmentation (Primary)

User behaviour determines feature usage and engagement patterns

Active traders (frequent sellers/buyers)
Casual users (occasional transactions)
Community-driven users (group-focused, low transaction activity)

[3] Psychographic Segmentation (Secondary)

User motivations influence adoption and retention

Community-oriented users (value local connection)
Convenience-driven users (focus on efficiency)
Trust-sensitive users (risk-averse, verification-focused)

[4] Technographic Segmentation (Supporting)

Technology usage impacts usability and onboarding design

Mobile first users
Notification-reliant users
Low tolerance users for complex onboarding

1.3 User Flows with Personas

Persona	Region	Core Value
Persona A (Primary)	Low-density suburb / regional area	Person-to-person trading with strong local accessbility
Persona B (Secondary)	High-density area (e.g. Melbourne CBD)	Establishing social connections within the community

1.3.1 Primary Persona

Regional Local Seller / Buyer

Name: Sarah Wilson

User Type: Primary User – Local Buyer & Seller

Context

Lives in a low-density suburb or regional town
Limited public transport and long distances between suburbs
Relies on private arragements for second-hand transactions
Uses online marketplaces out of necessity rather than convenience

Goals

Buy and sell items without travelling trains/public transportations
Reduces dependency on major city-based marketplaces
Connect with nearby residents within the same town or suburb

Pain Points

Existing platforms show listing from distant locations
Long travel time for simple transactions
Limited local visibility of available items

Key Needs

Automatic suburb- or town-level listing boundaries based on user location without requiring manual configuration
Clear distance and location indicators
Local-first discory rather than popularity-based ranking

This persona represents users in low-density areas where geographic proximity is critical to transaction feasibility.

User Flow: Buyer (Low-density suburb)

Scenario: A user living in a low-density suburb wants to buy a second-hand item locally

User Flow Steps

Access the App
Search for an item (product name, brand, or category)
System displays listing posted by sellers within a predefined local radius (up to 30km) based on the buyer’s location
- Sort filter: newest, distance, price etc.
Select a listing and contact the seller or enable to save the item
- use in-app chat
Buyer and seller coordinate pickup location and time via in-app chat
Transaction is completed through in-person exchange and payment
(Optional)Buyer and seller leave mutual feedback to support local trust

1.3.2 Secondary Persona

CBD-based Community Seeker (International Student)

Name: Jisoo Kim

User Type: Secondary User – Community focused