House2Home
Project
I conducted a solo modified Google Ventures Design Sprint. I designed a mobile app named House2Home.
My Role
- UX Research
- UI Designer
- Information Architect
- Prototyping
Tools
- Figma
- Google Suite
Methods
- Secondary Research
- Competitive Analysis
- Sketching
- Wireframes
- Prototyping
- Usability Testing
Day One: Mapping
Understanding the Problem
Throughout conducting customer surveys, House2Home discovered that most customers had recently moved into a new house or apartment and were starting fresh in a new space. They wanted to make their new space feel more like a home by decorating it with various items and decor that matched their style. However, they weren’t sure how the items would look in their new space. These individuals had a strict budget and wanted products that would significantly impact functionally or visually. The users did not want to spend a lot of time looking and trying to pull their ideas into their dream decor room, so ultimately, most of the individuals involved in the customer surveys got frustrated with the process and ultimately gave up.
Persona: Ally
Ally
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Location: Chicago, IL
Education: Bachelors Degree, Marketing
Status: Single
Occupation: Marketing Associate
“Results are really important to me - at work and in the garden. I don’t like to waste my time”
🎯 Goals
- Ally wants to give a “facelift” to her apartment without spending a lot of money.
- Ally wants to find decorative items in her budget that will go with the style she is going for.
😣 Frustrations
- Sometimes the seeds I’ve planted don’t turn out like they’re supposed to. what am I doing wrong?
- I usually only have 15 minutes to browse my phone. I want to be able to save and shop later.
Motivation
- Ally knows the “look” she wants but does not know what to buy to achieve her style in her new space.
- She has a tight budget and feels disappointed that the ideas she gets from Pinterest decor tend to be out of her budget.
- Ally has a strict landlord who will not let her make significant changes to the apartment, like painting the walls.
- Ally sees many small items in her budget, but she isn’t sure if the items would look good together in her new apartment.
Behaviors
- Ally browses her Pinterest for ideas and inspiration on decorating her apartment. She saves photos of apartments and decor she likes.
- She gets overwhelmed and decides to shop for decor for her new apartment later. “I’ll do it another time.”
Bio
- Ally Graduated college one month ago and has since moved into her first rented apartment. It is a small studio; she lives by herself.
- She was excited to decorate her apartment.
How Might We… Question!
“How might we help customers find products to decorate their homes that are within their budgets and style, that will achieve the look they are looking for?”
User Map
After completing the user interviews and personas, I created a user map. It was used to help me understand the users' wants and needs when searching for a decorative item for their new space. As I began sketching, I modified the map to make the flow more efficient and user-friendly.
Day Two: Sketch and Ideate
Lightning Demo Sketch and Research
In the user interview, the House2Home customers wanted to narrow down items using specific criteria such as rooms, budget, style, and number of items. The users also wanted to see the products in their own space to get a better feel for what the item may look like in their space. I conducted a Competitive Analysis of similar companies that offered similar features.
1. My inspiration came from these three powerhouse companies. The first is Pinterest. Almost all interviewees mentioned that they get inspiration for their apartment decor from Pinterest.
2. The second major company I got inspiration from is Target. Target has an Augmented Reality feature to view a product in real-time in a user’s living space.
3. The third company I got inspiration from is Amazon. Amazon also has an Augmented Reality feature to view a product in real time. One of the differences in the Amazon AR feature is that it has a feature that lets a user view several products in the user’s apartment. The user can see if they like a print on a wall and choose a lamp or small decor to enhance their space simultaneously.
Sketches
I decided to have my design's critical screen be the “Your Style” screen. This is because those interviewed expressed a desire to have their style formatted on a user-friendly screen that visualizes the user's wants and favorites. This screen helps curate a view like a vision board, where users can finalize their desired colors and products. If the user feels stuck, House2Home offers a recommendations feature to help them get out of their decorating funk.
Crazy 8
With the critical screen in mind, I challenged myself to complete the crazy eight exercises. This required me to design eight variants of the critical screen in eight minutes. Since decorating is such a visual practice, I needed to develop features that help the user visualize what the items could look like together and in their space. Ultimately, I chose to have the critical screen be similar to a mood board, where the user can customize and see exactly what colors and items would create their style in their home.
Day Three: Storyboard
Solution Screen
Using my solution sketches, I developed a storyboard illustrating the user journey from landing on the home page to completing a purchase for their
The user will land here first and see the CTA front and center to begin shopping. Scroll down additional opportunities to start the shopping process.
This screen includes the user's four critical criteria. I included photos where possible. Decorating is a visual experience, so having photos was important. I used a slider for the numerical options for ease of use.
This section provides additional customization options for users to refine their search.
For users seeking specific items, the search functionality allows them to explore options based on colors, texture, and style. This feature can be customized in settings.
Users can zoom in and out, examine product details, and view pricing information when searching for a particular item, such as a lamp.
This section provides additional customization options for users to refine their search.
Once the user adds all of the products they like into their favorites tab, the user can see all of the selected items in their room using the augmented reality feature.
After selecting the "See in Room" CTA button, users will see written directions and a visual example guiding them on how to use this feature.
The user can now see the rug and lamp previously selected from their favorites tab in Augmented reality and can place the products where they would hypothetically be placed if purchased.
When they add something to their cart, a card pops up with the price, item(s), and buttons to view the cart and proceed to checkout. An X option is available to exit the card.
Here, the user can see an itemized list of what is in their cart. There is an option to remove each item. There are also buttons to checkout.
Day Four: Prototype
I wanted to give the users a quick and easy way to find items that pair well together in the style they prefer but with the option to mix and match if they want. I needed the critical screen to be how users visualize their favorites, colors, and Pinterest board inspiration in a user-friendly format.
The time limitations were a challenge for me as I am a perfectionist. However, the time constraint also helped me focus on the priority features a user would need to create their style and fulfill the users’ needs.
Day Five: Test
User Testing
I conducted five usability tests with users in a local coffee shop. I asked individuals from the age range of 20 to 55 years old. These individuals either owned a house or were renting an apartment.
My usability testing goal was to determine if the viewing and purchasing features were easy to find and user-friendly. I also wanted to know if the “My Style” screen that functions as a mood board made their shopping experience less overwhelming.
Insights
- A few users mentioned they were unsure what the CTA buttons for “Current Style” and “Update Style” meant.
- Users liked the option to connect their Pinterest account to their House2Home profile.
- The users felt the “See in My Room” feature was helpful.
Iterations
After reviewing the feedback from the five users, I made some adjustments to the prototype.
- I adjusted the design of the CTA buttons for the “Current Style” and “Update Style” to help improve the users' understanding of the features at a glance.
Prototype
