Overview
Create a user-friendly website designed to assist individuals who have recently moved into a new apartment or home with decorating their space. The site will focus on smaller, budget-friendly items that can help users achieve their desired aesthetic without feeling overwhelmed.
House2Home
Role
Product Design
Duration
5 days
Goals
1. Personalized Style Quiz: Users can take a quick quiz to determine their décor style (e.g., modern, bohemian, minimalist) and receive tailored recommendations.
2. Curated Product Listings: A selection of budget-friendly décor items categorized by style, color, and function, with direct links to purchase.
3. Room-by-Room Guides: Step-by-step decorating tips and ideas for different spaces (living room, bedroom, kitchen, etc.), focusing on small-scale items.
4. User-Friendly Search Filters: Simple filters to help users narrow down options based on price, style, and room type, making the shopping experience more efficient.
5. Community Inspiration Gallery: A space for users to share photos of their decorated spaces, fostering a sense of community and providing real-life inspiration.
6. Budget Planning Tools: Features that help users set budgets and track spending, ensuring they can create their ideal space without financial strain.
The Challenge
When shopping for décor to furnish a new home or apartment, individuals often encounter several challenges. Budget constraints make it hard to find stylish options without overspending, and it can also be challenging to create a cohesive look when you have a specific style in mind.
Many users want a quick and efficient shopping experience, without the frustration of sifting through endless options that can lead to decision fatigue. Balancing quality with the need for affordable, versatile items is also challenging, especially for those who move frequently. Ultimately, users seek a streamlined process that makes decorating easier, helping them create a stylish home without the stress of endless searching and indecision.
Research
We can summarize the responses of multiple interviewees when provided this question:
"Tell us about a time you shopped for items to decorate your new home or apartment?"
1. Affordable Décor: Offer a range of stylish décor items at different price points to fit various budgets.
2. Themed Collections: Provide curated collections and style guides that help users easily find complementary items for a cohesive look.
3. User-Friendly Shopping: Design a simple interface with easy navigation and search filters, making it quick for users to find what they need.
4. Inspiration and Tips: Include design ideas and user-shared content to help users visualize how to combine different items, reducing the stress of decision-making.
5. Quality Products: Ensure all items meet high quality standards, focusing on durability and style, especially for smaller, movable pieces.
6. Practical Decor: Curate versatile items that are both stylish and functional for those who move frequently.
E-Commerce Site Analysis
Wayfair
Wayfair excels in offering detailed product overviews, shipping information, and comparison options for similar items, making it easy for users to find everything they need for their homes. This thorough approach boosts user confidence in their purchasing decisions and streamlines the shopping process, leading to higher customer satisfaction and retention.
Amazon
Amazon Inspire allows users to explore products through an interactive 3D interface, helping them visualize items in their own spaces. This innovative feature boosts user engagement, encourages style exploration, and ultimately increases conversion rates.
Aliexpress
AliExpress offers a straightforward shopping experience with product images, pricing, sales data, and customer reviews, enhancing user confidence. The "You May Also Like" section promotes additional purchases by suggesting complementary items, fostering trust and driving conversions.
Instagram leverages visually appealing thumbnails and high-quality imagery to effectively showcase products and resonate with its audience. Shoppable posts facilitate seamless purchases directly from the app, utilizing social proof and influencer marketing to help users discover and buy trending items.
Pinterest's theme-oriented approach allows users to shop based on aesthetics and curated looks, providing personalized recommendations that enhance visual cohesion. This focus on lifestyle inspiration attracts users seeking specific decor styles, effectively driving traffic to partner retailers.
Each of these e-commerce platforms employs unique strategies tailored to their target audiences. By leveraging innovative visual tools, thematic recommendations, and user-friendly features, they create engaging shopping experiences that not only drive sales but also foster customer loyalty.
Persona
Early Sketches
User Flow
Storyboard
Low- Fidelity Prototype
The low-fidelity prototype was developed to evaluate the fundamental structure and functionality. Its primary purpose is to identify areas requiring enhancement before finalizing the design.
Zoom In - Homepage/ sidebar
This is the landing page with the sidebar pulled out to showcase the different categories and the subcategories falling within them. In this case, the wall decor being the overarching category for the wall mirrors, art, shelves, and accents.
Zoom In - Product listing/ scroll down
This is the product overview page, which includes an option to explore additional aesthetics that may appeal to the buyer. This feature also highlights how an item fits within a specific aesthetic category.
Design
Color palette
Neutral tones: provide clean and calm background to highlight products.
High- Fidelity Prototype
Finalized design of the product, which will now allow us to further test and refine the functionality, appearance, and user experience before production.
Zoom In - Homepage
Users land on the homepage, where they can see featured products, categories, and promotions.
Zoom In - Product listing
Upon finding a product, users can click on it to view detailed information, including images, descriptions, prices, and shipping options.
Usability Testing ( 5 participants)
From the gathered feedback, we can note some improvements to consider in the future such as having multiple filter options that could assist users in narrowing down their choices quickly. Examples include color and style to name a few. Having a price range slider to indicate the budget the user would like to fall within would be a great feature to include. The product reviews is a key factor which would help some users to make a decision as they make a purchase. These are some great follow up suggestions in the development of the website.
Reflection
This product is designed to assist users who have recently moved into a new apartment or home with decorating. From those with varying levels of design background, the experience is made easy to effectively assist users to find items within their budget and style. With the gathered feedback, these key features can help elevate the product in the near future.
