Case 05 · Marketplace · 2022–2023
merXu
On merXu, B2B deals get negotiated in the chat. Once we watched negotiations stall there, the brief changed from “add AI” to “add structure”.
- Role
- UX Lead at merXu, a pan-European B2B marketplace, in charge of the buyer–seller chat across two iterations
- Team
- Cross-functional product squad at merXu · Figma, Miro
- chat iterations, 1.0 to 2.0
- 2
- the brief, reframed from “add AI”
- Add structure
- orders and translation built into the chat
- On-platform
01
The deal lives in the chat
B2B purchases are rarely standardised. Instead of add-to-cart, they get negotiated in the chat. We shipped Chat 1.0 first, a plain message box. “Let’s not overcomplicate it,” we said. “People just need a way to message each other.”
All from the later design: a sign-in pitch, a notifications prompt and an empty inbox with two next steps.
02
Then it met real deals
We watched people use it and ran community interviews. Buyers forgot to ask about quantities, certificates and specs, and sellers typed the same answers thread after thread. Negotiations stalled. The moment a buyer wrote “Let’s move this to email”, the deal went where merXu couldn’t protect it.
From the later design: one inbox, threads from companies in several countries.
03
People wanted structure
The 2.0 brief said “add AI”. What we saw made it “add structure”: people didn’t want another messenger next to WhatsApp, Teams and email. The rule: the user drives, AI assists. On first contact I let sellers send a product from the catalogue, tap an opener or type.
04
A nudge only you can see
We added a merXu bot card for stalled threads: set a reminder or send a product detail. Elsewhere in a thread, AI could suggest a next step, such as confirming payment terms. Like a good GPS, it doesn’t drive the car but makes sure you don’t miss your exit.
05
Sellers put the order together
We let sellers attach products from their catalogue and build the order: items, quantities, VAT. Buyers could send files and photos. When a deal crossed languages, a toggle translated the thread. The aim was to give the deal no reason to leave for email.
The order opens on its own page, with an Edit order button.