Problem

Before decorating a space, users will seek inspiration, but will get overwhelmed because they’re not entirely sure what products to choose from. Users typically know the look and feel they want (style/aesthetic), but are uncertain of how to achieve it within their budget. They’re often hesitant to commit to any sort of purchase(s) before having visualized the potential products in their own home first.

User Research

I was given research that had already been conducted. I started synthesizing the information to grasp a better understanding of the problem space and users’ needs and paint points.

Here are some findings:

1. Users know the look and feel they want, but don’t know how to achieve it

2. Users want to maximize style while staying within their budget (the look for less)

3. Users want to view how decor (multiple items) would look like in their own home before purchasing

4. Users want a quick way to search for products that match their style

5. Users sometimes feel overwhelmed when shopping for decor
   

“I would like someone who knows my taste, find items, and make my style come to life.”

“I know what I like, but I don’t know how items will look in the context of my own home.”

Solution

A feature that would allow users to gather inspiration, collect the items they wish to preview in their own home before purchasing, and enable users to upload an image of their own space to visualize what pieces best compliment their room/home.

Before I came to this solution, I raised some HMW questions to tackle the problem space and identify different angles to design an experience that targets each major pain point.

HMW help users envision products in their own home

HMW help users style their homes with products that give them the look and feel they want within budget

HMW help users prioritize items when considering budget

Sketches

Storyboarding

High Fidelity + Prototyping

Usability Testing

I tested this product with 5 participants, ages ranging from 23-69. (New homeowners are not always limited to younger populations despite the vast majority). From my testing, I was able to gain a robust understanding of specific usability issues.

Distinct Patterns:

Not enough distinction between favorite and add to cart- The second step of the design funnel felt a bit ambiguous to users, which was favoriting items they might like to see in their own home. The previous design had 2 microinteractions side by side (favorite and add to cart), not giving enough direction as to what the user should be doing while on the page. To display visual hierarchy and establish the difference in actions, I moved the “add to cart” button below the image so it aligns with the description and left the “favorite” action in the upper right hand corner of the image. This displays 2 separate actions in different locations so the user can focus on each of them one at a time.

Getting disoriented in the design funnel- Although the design was aimed to be minimalistic and intuitive, labels did not provide enough context for users. Some of the older participants lost their place in the midst of the design funnel. They were unsure of what “step” they were one (1,2, or 3.) I added labels to the remaining steps to add context and allow users to gauge where they are at along the process, as well as add color to the current “step” they’re on. Moreover, in order to keep users engaged and remain in the design funnel, I chose to eliminate some of the tabs in the navigation/menu bar to completely deter users from exploring any other content from the site.

Revising copy and CTAs- Copy is critical and allows users’ expectations to be met essentially. I readjusted copy that might have confused users especially regarding CTAs. “Next” was not contextual enough and did not allow users to fully understand the repercussion of their action if they were to click the button. By relabeling CTA titles, I can ensure users will feel confident and understand the results of their actions.

Takeaways

It was fun putting the design process to work in a different UX methodology/lifecycle. I was pleasantly surprised at how fast I was able to come up with a solution for the problem space. What I’m looking forward to is collaborating with other designers while working through fast, iterative sprints that can drive massive change in a small amount of time.