House2Home
DESIGN SPRINT
Home decor App
5 DAYS
UI/UX Design Sprint
Case Study
Carla Liu
INTRODUCTION
House2Home is a company that aims to make it easier for people to decorate their new homes or apartments. With our app, users can access curated design ideas, find decor that fits their style and budget, and receive personalized recommendations to turn their living spaces into beautiful, functional homes.
PROJECT
OVERVIEW
TIME FRAME
5 Days
TOOLS
Figma
MY ROLE
UI/UX Designer
PLATFORM
Mobile App
Design Process
MAP
TEST
DECIDE
SKETCH
PROTOTYPE
Understand the Problem
User Persona
End-to-end experience
Competitive Analysis
Crazy 8
Solution Sketch
Style Guide
Hi-Fi Mockup
Prototype
Usability Test
Implementing Feedback
Storyboard
Day
1
Day
2
Day
3
Day
4
Day
5
Solution
Personalized Guidance: Tailored decor recommendations based on style preferences and budget.
Visualization Tools: Ability to preview decor items in their space before purchasing.
Budget-Conscious Recommendations: Affordable decor options to achieve desired aesthetics without overspending.
Target Audience
Young adults moving into their first apartments or homes, seeking affordable decor solutions. They are tech-savvy and comfortable using mobile apps for home decoration.
DAY 1 - Map
Problem
Decorating a new apartment can be overwhelming, with challenges like uncertainty, decision paralysis due to too many options, and limited access to affordable professional advice. Young individuals need personalized guidance, visualization tools, and budget-friendly recommendations to furnish their spaces effectively.
Frustrations
Ally knows the “look” she wants-but she doesn't know the right things to buy to achieve that with her apartment.
The photos she saves of inspiration usually have more decorative pieces than she could ever afford. How can she get a similar look, on a budget?
Ally wants to buy some decorative items that will have an impact on her apartment, but she doesn’t want to (or, isn’t allowed to) make big changes like painting, or renovation.
Ally sees lots of small items she likes, but never buys them because she doesn’t know if they will look good together in her space.
Behavior
Ally graduated college one month ago, and has since moved into her first rented apartment - a small studio in Chicago, where she lives by herself.
Before moving in, she was really excited to decorate her apartment, especially since it would be the first time living along, with her “own” space.
Ally browses Pinterest for ideas on how to decorate her apartment, and saves photos of apartments and rooms she likes - mostly, small spaces that felt bright and lively.
Ally puts time aside to shop for decorations for her apartment, but gets overwhelmed quickly and decided to “do it another time”.
Goals
Ally wants to give a quick “facelift” to her apartment, without needing to shop for lots of individual items.
Ally wants to find decorative items in her budget that will give her apartment the look & feel she wants.
I know the “look” I want, and how i want to feel when I walk in... I just don’t really know what products to buy to pull it off.
Ally
23 years old
Chicago, IL
User Persona
HMW
How might we connect users with interior design experts for virtual consultations that are budget-friendly and tailored to their specific needs?
How might we create a tool that allows users to visualize how different decor items will look in their space?
How might we ensure our decor recommendations fit within various budget constraints?
End to end experience
The user, having just moved into their new place, begins their decorating journey with House2home.
New users answer a series of questions to personalize their decor preferences and requirements.
Utilizing advanced 3D features, users visualize products within their own home environment for realistic assessments.
Products chosen are seamlessly added to the cart, and users proceed to a secure checkout process to finalize their selections.
Users have the option to consult with online advisors for personalized guidance and answers to questions.
Detailed product descriptions and comparisons allow users to make informed decisions.
Users explore and adjust their decor options while browsing, refining their choices based on updated preferences.
Upon completing the questionnaire, the homepage displays personalized decor inspirations and recommendations.
Competitor Analysis
DAY 2 - Sketch
Crazy 8
After conducting competitor analysis and a lighting demo, I began my Crazy 8 session focusing on the homepage, which follows the questionnaire. The homepage serves as a place where users can discover ideas and explore products.
I selected one of the Crazy 8 screen sketches for my homepage. Then, I sketched out a solution using a three-panel board consisting of the screen that comes before the critical screen, the critical screen itself, and the screen that comes after the critical screen.
Crazy 8 sketches
3 panel board sketches
Create a solution sketch
Crazy 8
DAY 3 - Decide
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EFE8E1
9D622D
250A00
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Montserrat
Hierarchy
H1
24
Bold
H2
20
Semi Bold
H3
18
Semi Bold
Text 1
16
Medium
Text 2
14
Regular
Text 3
12
Regular
Size
Style
DAY 4 - Prototype
Style Guide
Prototype
PRODUCT DEMO
Usability Test
Tasks
I conducted a moderated usability test with five participants, mixing remote and in-person sessions. They tackled tasks such as completing a preference survey, exploring the app's explore page, saving favorites, visualizing items in their space, and simulating the checkout process. Their feedback gave me valuable insights into how users interact with the app and highlighted areas for improvement.
Open the app and start the preference survey. Complete it, and share your thoughts as you go through each question.
Spend a few minutes exploring the explore page and recommended decor items based on your preferences and budget.
Save a decor item to your favorites list.
If you want to see how the item looks in your space, what will you do?
Simulate the checkout process for one of the decor items.
Feedback
Feedback
Feedback
Based on the feedback from five participants, the overall user experience of the home decor app prototype is very positive, with users finding it easy to use and navigate. Suggestions include adding the room title to images on the questionnaire page to educate users about different styles and incorporating a "Save for later" option in the shopping cart. Changing the color of the explore page filter icon to make it more noticeable and increasing the font size of the questionnaire for better readability were also recommended. Additionally, renaming the "Discover" section to "For You" since it follows the questionnaire page and avoiding placing the sign-up page as the second step to prevent lowering the user onboarding rate were advised. Clarifying whether the budget question pertains to a single room or the entire house was another helpful suggestion. By integrating these valuable insights, the app can further enhance its user experience and functionality.
Carla Liu