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House2Home
House2Home is an exceptional e-commerce platform specializing in a wide array of small home decor items and accessories. This unique week long design sprint, a modified version of GV's approach, was a pivotal component of springboard's UX career track, offering a practical learning experience in agile methodologies.
What Did This Sprint Comprise?
Map
Identified Problem Statement
On the first day of this assignment, I was tasked with selecting a prompt from the options provided by BitesizeUX. I opted for House2Home, and my initial objective was to identify a specific problem statement and create a user flow tailored to a persona representing the target audience. Additionally, I recruited five participants to interview on day five and get their feedback on the prototype.
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The problem statement was derived from BitesizeUX's research on the platform, which also yielded valuable insights essential for developing the user personas.
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Problem Statement: Users want an online platform to purchase budget-friendly home accessories and enhance the aesthetics of their living spaces. Additionally, they require a feature that suggests complementary sets of accessories to make decorating a breeze.
Research Insights That Led To Excavating Problem Statement
User Persona
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Mapped Out User Flows
The next step was to map out user flow for the primary function that users would engage with on this platform — purchasing decor items for their selected living spaces.
User Flow
Sketch
Explored Inspiring Products, Interfaces, And Screens
The second day of this design sprint was dedicated to sketching and spending some time looking at competitors' products or related products for inspiration.
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The first part entailed of completing a solo-version of lightning demos, a process where I examined solutions created by competitors to address problems akin to House2Home. Additionally, I explored products that tackled similar issues but were oriented towards different aspects of engagement.​
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Two of the lightning demos I finished were incredibly helpful:
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Houzz
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Going through this lightning demo was incredibly straightforward. Houzz strives to provide the best experience for home renovation and design, connecting homeowners and home professionals with the best tools, resources and vendors.
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I particularly appreciated the 'Get Ideas' section, which offered a vast collection of captivating images showcasing various types of rooms. What impressed me the most was the ability to filter these results based on room type, style, size, and color.
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This comprehensive feature greatly enhances the browsing experience and enables users to narrow down their search according to their specific preferences. I decided that I would most definitely like to incorporate that in my interface.
‘Get Ideas’ Page On The Website
Example Of An Inspirational Kitchen Design
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Shoplook is a website that assists users in curating their preferred products and seamlessly styling them with other items.
It offers a unique feature where users can explore various combinations of the selected product with other items, depending on their desired look, preferred style, or desired colors. Shoplook provides the price information for each product displayed in the set as seen in the second screenshot.
Additionally, the interface incorporates additional suggestions, as showcased in the second screenshot. I was extremely inclined to integrate these aspects into my own interface.
A Product That Users Can Style Other Products With
Additional Styling Suggestions For The Selected Product
Sketched Solutions Using The Crazy 8s Method
For the second part of day two, I utilized the Crazy 8 exercise to design how the most critical screen of the application would look. Crazy 8's is a fast sketching exercise that challenges individuals to sketch eight distinct ideas in eight minutes.
After that, I selected one screen that I thought looked the best. I then proceeded to create a three-panel board of the screen that came before my critical screen, the critical screen itself, and the screen that came after my critical screen.
Crazy 8 Exercise Sketches
Solution Sketch
I chose this solution because it makes product customization easy for users. It includes all the options a user might need to personalize their selection, improving the website experience.
Unlike other designs, it shows starter kits on the screen, reducing the steps to find items. It displays product combinations, individual prices, suggests add-ons, and allows easy item removal.
The 'Add to Cart' and 'Checkout' buttons are conveniently placed for a seamless process. The dropdown menu for different kits enhances exploration. Overall, it offers a user-friendly experience with lots of customization options.
Storyboard
Created A Storyboard To Illustrate Solution Screens
On day three, the focus was on crafting a concise yet comprehensive 5 to 15-panel storyboard, incorporating the solution sketch devised on day two. This storyboard served as a lightweight, sketched wireframe that was used to build the prototype scheduled for day four of the sprint.
Storyboard
The storyboard highlights two user-friendly paths for decorating spaces. Users can either customize pre-designed looks from the homepage or upload images for personalized suggestions, ensuring recommendations align with individual styles and visions.
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Both options provide an intuitive experience, catering to diverse users aiming to beautify their spaces effortlessly.
Prototype
Built A Prototype To Test With Users
On day four of the design sprint, I built a prototype to test with users. The key was to build out the bare essentials needed to test the functionality of the design.
Home Screen
Chosen Look Screen
Personalize Your Room Screen
My Cart Screen
Order Confirmation Screen
Validate
Interviewed 5 People and Debriefed The Findings
The last day of the design sprint was dedicated to getting feedback from users. I interviewed five people that I had recruited on day one of the sprint, analyzed their interactions with the prototype, and debriefed the findings.
Insights Gained
Things That Worked
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Users appreciated the customization features for starter kits, spacious layout, and overall theme of the prototype
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Positive feedback was received on removing/replacing items in kits and selecting them based on budget.
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Interviews confirmed design choices and motivated refinement for an exceptional user experience.
Areas For Improvement
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Suggestions for improvement: view similar items, show estimated shipping costs, features like zoom-in and fit-to-room for better product visualization
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Desire for plus/minus buttons in 'my cart' for quantity adjustments and a dedicated page for modifying payment, shipping, and order details was expressed
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Users wanted clarity on the 'remove' button's functionality.
Final Thoughts
This design sprint was great learning experience. It provided a valuable introduction to agile methodologies, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing critical product functions before diving into details.
I gained essential skills in conducting effective interviews and analyzing feedback for continuous product improvement. The experience also honed my ability to identify what works well in a product and areas for enhancement, fostering a mindset of iterative improvement.
Overall, it was a comprehensive learning experience that will undoubtedly shape my approach to future product development endeavors.