UX DESIGNER
House 2 Home - Bitesize UX Design Challenge
Social App Concept Design
Winter 2019
ROleS
UX Designer
TEAM
Solo Design Challenge
TIMELINE
12 hours
METHODS
Stakeholder Review, User Interview, Persona, Competitive Analysis, Feature Prioritization,
High-Fidelity Mockups, Prototype
Tools
Sketch, InVision
summary
For this rapid design challenge hosted by BitesizeUX, I designed a feature integration for House2Home, a conceptual interior decorating start-up interested in developing a "starter kit" to help young renters decorate their first apartment without feeling overwhelmed or blowing their budget.
Because of the significant time constraint on this challenge, I managed my time by prioritizing which research and design methods I would utilize based on what was most achievable and would have the most impact. The time constraint also provided a growth opportunity to focus on "progress over perfection", as I had only 12 hours to complete a high-fidelity concept design from entirely blank art boards.
TRYING TO Understand
the USER
EVALUATING EXISTING DATA
To gain a clear understanding of the needs and pain points of the House2Home user,
I listened to a recorded user interview and reviewed pre-existing research notes to develop insights and a persona, Mack.
Many customers find moving into a new home or apartment is overwhelming
They want to buy multiple small accessories to help
personalize their space
They aren't
confident making decisions on what to buy on their own
User interviews are one of the most valuable research methods a business can invest in before designing, because they can provide direct feedback on what users actually need, which reduces guesswork and overall risk.
Meet MACK
"When it comes down to putting it all together, I never know if it's going to work."
Pain Points:
- moving + choosing new decor is overwhelming
- isn't sure how to get the look she wants
- unsure what pieces will work together
- limited budget
Needs:
- help creating a cohesive look that fits her style
- high impact / low cost
- a range of smaller items
- a quick and easy way to get it done
WHAT IS THE COMPETITION DOING?
Not only did studying competitors' features and services provide insight on specific elements that could be most helpful to our users, it also provided a way to look for opportunities for House2Home to differentiate for a younger users working with a smaller budget by offering smaller packages at a lower price point.
DESIGNing A SOLUTION
Feature PRIORITIZATION
Insights from interviews and competitive analysis helped prioritize the features that would be most valuable to users in my design solution.
Together, they provide a short, convenient, and fun path for users to find and purchase a Starter Kit.
3
SHOP BY ROOM
STYLE QUIZ & progress bar
2
1
HOMEPAGE with ONBOARDING
HIGH-FIDELITY MOCKUPS
HOMEPAGE with ONBOARDING
1
1
2
1
2
A clear hero image, UVP, and CTA (1), and high-level onboarding specific to the Starter Kits (2) helps direct users and provides a "scent" - they know what to expect as they progress on the site.
2
STYLE QUIZ & PROGRESS BAR
1
2
2
To help users find a Starter Kit that matches their style and decrease "decision fatigue",
I designed a 3-step Starter Kit Quiz (1). Understanding from user interviews that users often felt overwhelmed, the quiz simplifies the path to purchasing by breaking it down into concrete, manageable parts, using a progress bar and clear titles (2).
3
SHOP BY ROOM
1
Using simple, fun iconography and one-word titles (1), I added a page within the style quiz for users to quickly choose the room they wanted to focus on decorating, ensuring that the resulting Kit recommendations are not only the right style, but will also include appropriate items.
By explaining the process through Onboarding, and narrowing down the scope of the decision-making process through the Style Quiz, the user feels more in control, less overwhelmed, and confident in their purchasing decision, which ultimately leads to higher conversion rates for the brand.
PROTOTYPE
Watch how simple it is to decorate quickly and easily with a House 2 Home Starter Kit in this video, or try it yourself in InVision.
NExt STEps
How do we continue building out
a satisfying customer experience?
Test and iterate on the current protoype
-
Test onboarding with users to find out what screen flow sequence / order works best for them.
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Bring the Kit Recommendation screen to higher fidelity by adding imagery to show what is included in each kit.
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Provide more visual delight to the Kit Recommendation screen overall, so users are excited and incentivized to complete a purchase.
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Testimonials - boost users’ confidence by reading success stories of other buyers
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Color Palette - integrate a filter for color palette selection into the style quiz to further customize user kits
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Kit Customization - provide customers with a way to customize items in their kit while still staying in the package price range
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Hook / Retention - Incentivize users to come back with add-ons to previously purchased kits and credit for referring new customers
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Favorites & Saved Rooms - provide a place for users to save inspiration photos and previously matched styles for specific rooms and come back to them later. Good for younger customers who are living on their own for the first time and who may not be able to buy for several rooms all at once!