MRKT (Market) is a shopping platform with social network elements, where start-up brands, artists, and individual sellers gather. At MRKT, the biggest focus is on the customer, and the functionality is tailored to them. As the data grows, the application becomes smarter with the help of artificial intelligence, and consequently, the user receives the feed generated for his/her interests.
The MRKT is a digital world full of surprises, where you have the opportunity to discover interesting items and sellers quickly.
Women manage the creative, technological, and visual parts of the application:
Anano Bakradze – Head of Creative
Keti Bosikiashvili – Head of Technology
Nino Lazarishvili – Head of Design
You will find these women’s hard work in every detail of MRKT, which enables you to say it loud and proud – The future is female.
What sort of innovation will MRKT bring to the local market?
Anano Bakradze: MRKT is a new initiative in the local and global market. The main challenge nowadays for the user of similar application remains to be the design and interface of the application and, more importantly, the content posted by another user and feeds tailored to their interests. If today’s users know exactly which product they want to purchase, we change this particular experience. MRKT is for new discoveries of the most unthinkable items. MRKT works following the core principle of platforms like Pinterest, for instance. If you spend hours browsing, scrolling through, and discovering interesting items on Pinterest -MRKT works the same way. With the aforementioned function’s help, the process is as easy, simple, and enjoyable as possible.
Where did the idea of creating MRKT emerge from?
Anano Bakradze: At the initial stage, the application had a different concept. It was intended only for small businesses and brands. The initial source of inspiration was the local brands and shops discovered while travelling and the pleasure gained by the process. We wanted to make that process faster and more tailored to everyday life. In terms of functionality and concept and market demand, we made major changes to the app last year, and today we have a fast, up-to-date, and maximally customized/personalized app for each consumer.
What was the creation process like?
Anano Bakradze: We have come a long way to get here. We encountered many obstacles and problems while working on the previous concept; however, we could not have learned much without this experience. After changing the concept, we started working on a new application much more prepared. From the beginning, I watched how a fairly large system was built, then the visuals of that system were already being formed. Eventually, as a result of many changes, we got a product that the whole team is happy with.
What are the challenges facing the local technology market today?
Keti Bosikashvili: The most difficult part of the application-building is to integrate logistics. Existing local courier services do not have API services compatible with modern technologies, so it is not easy to obtain qualified human resources in this particular field.
Who can use this app, and what are the rules for using it?
Anano Bakradze: Much attention is paid to aesthetics through self-expression. The MRKT “community” consists of individuals, creators, and brands who love aesthetics. In general – MRKT is for everyone interested in fashion, design, art, collecting items, or just discovering special items. The use of the application is maximized and customized to the user. There is no difference between Sellers and Buyer Ends. Anyone who registers on the app can buy, sell, donate, or discover people who share common interests with it.
Aesthetics, design, and style – why are these concepts cornerstones of MRKT?
Anano Bakradze: As a customer, I think the form of presentation of the item is important. I think attaching great importance to aesthetics and design will maximize the experience of both the “seller” and the customer. By using this practice, we expect a significant increase in sales. Although the app is not just for commerce, MRKT, to some extent, is a social network where customers have the opportunity to express themselves through individual style and aesthetics.
What is the significance of the design and aesthetics of any product in today’s world? What messages does MRKT convey in this direction?
Nino Lazarishvili: Visual communication is the fastest way to transmit/receive information. Most often, it is under the influence of visuals that a choice is made. We can consider anything to be a product. Our goal was to create a direct character who is friendly and does not bother the customer too much by talking about itself. The app itself visually carries the following messages: friendly, insightful, modern, independent, self-confident, and far-sighted.
What was your main challenge as a Technology Director working on this project?
Keti Bosikashvili: This field is like chess – you have to calculate all the moves very well in advance. Even before winning, it is a difficult and long process to go through. Perhaps most importantly, each user becomes part of a unified system, while the app explores their every interest and action. This is the main detail that allows me to state that the project is a success boldly.
What was the main creative challenge?
Anano Bakradze: While developing the concept, I felt the greatest responsibility in selecting the right categories and giving the right direction for the application. I wanted to establish art as one of the main directions, but I did not know how artists and “Gallery Shops” would fit into a similar commerce model. However, today, many artists register on our platform, which makes me most happy. We developed guidelines for what style of photos should have been placed in our application during the planning process, and we provided the sellers with these guidelines. This issue remains one of the greatest difficulties, but we are actively working on adding new, innovative functionality, thus maximizing the photo’s quality and placing the aesthetic content.
What about the main design challenge?
Nino Lazarishvili: The inspiration for MRKT’s visual direction was old-fashioned newspaper-style statements. However, we did not want to go for a very retro or classic style as a technology company. Therefore, we took the late 90s as a landmark where the technological revolution was taking place. Green is the colour of that period, the well-known highlighter, the colour used to mark interesting sections in magazines and newspapers. We believe that in this way, we have awakened our childhood spirit in the app. A major contribution to the completion of this task is Studio Impulse, which worked on the app’s final branding and UI design based on the above concept.
When will it be possible to download and use MRKT? What should consumers expect from MRKT?
Mrkt can now be downloaded from both the apple store and the play store, which means the app is available on both iPhone and Android. The company is focused on continuous development and constant refinement/updating of functionality. At this stage, the company-based “R&D” group is working on introducing various new functionalities and technologies.