ROLE + PROJECT TYPE

  • Solo designer for a Google Design Sprint

PROCESS

TIMELINE

  • ~ 5-7 days


OVERVIEW

CONTEXT + PROBLEM

House2Home is a fictional e-commerce website that specializes in home decor and accessories. The company aims to develop a tool that enables customers who have recently moved into new homes to personalize their spaces quickly and affordably based on their unique requirements.

HMW enable customers to decorate their homes confidently, in a time-efficient and effortless manner?

CONSTRAINTS

  1. Focus on users seeking a 'starter kit' of multiple products for decorating a new residence.

  2. Focuses on decorative products and accessories priced between $10 and $50.


DAY 1

Task Performed :

  1. Understand the research and set up business and user goals

  2. Affinity mapping

  3. Conceptual flow

On the first day of the Google Venture Design Sprint, I delved into the problem space and conducted thorough research to gather vital information about both the business objectives and user goals.

The client provided me with previous research in the form of interviews and personas. They asked users about their methods for purchasing items to decorate their new home or apartment. I organized these valuable insights into an affinity map, helping to identify the most common sentiments and propose potential solutions based on the users' preferences and needs.

Business Goals

  • Design starter kit.

  • Target customers who have recently moved to a new residence.

  • Create a desktop version of the website.

Users Goals

In scenario 1, the user is uncertain about their preferences :

DAY 2

  • Decorate their new home quickly.

  • Stay within their set budget.

  • Create a home that reflects their distinct preferences.

Keeping the common themes in mind, I have designed a flow allowing users to browse and filter items by budget and style while providing personalized recommendations.

In scenario 2, the user has a clear idea of what they want :


Task performed :

  1. Competitive analysis

  2. Crazy 8s

  3. Selection of critical screens

  4. Solution sketch

The following day, I conducted a lightning demos exercise to identify:

  • Best practices followed.

  • User expectations.

  • Design improvement opportunities for existing similar products.

  • Design trends.

Homary (https://www.homary.com/)

Crazy 8’s


DAY 3

Task performed :

  • Storyboarding

After reviewing competitors' websites , I sketched out 8 screens to have a visual for the navigation and layouts.

The product display page is the most crucial screen for the starter kit concept. This page will display various options to users, providing them with relevant information and pictures to help them make informed decisions. After selecting the critical screen, I designed a three-panel storyboard to visualize a logical and intuitive user flow, as shown below:


DAY 4

Task Performed :

  • Prototyping

I created a "realistic façade" prototype to assess and validate the design, focusing on meeting the users' requirements, achieving the company's objectives, and prioritizing a smooth shopping experience. I implemented the following strategies while creating the mock-ups:

  • Used high-quality images with ample spacing on the product page for easy visual absorption.

  • Included only crucial information to avoid overwhelming users.

  • Users can click on products for detailed information to make informed decisions.

  • Positioned theme options at the top with matching thumbnails for a quick visual overview.

Final screens :

Home Page

Product Details Page

DAY 5

Task performed :

  • Prototype Testing

List of tasks:

NestSet (https://www.nestset.com/)

Target (https://www.target.com/)

Product Display Page

Checkout Page


I conducted five moderated tests using a prototype that solely includes the task components designated for user testing.

Below is the task list that I requested to be performed, along with its corresponding results:

  1. Browse curated collections for creative inspiration.

  2. Toggle between displayed product images.

  3. Ability to locate + comprehend the intent behind the "Starter Kit" CTA.

  4. Ability to apply sort and filter features and add products of their liking to the cart.

  5. Completing the checkout process.

THINGS I LEARNT & NEXT STEPS

WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY

Action outcome :

  1. When designing, it is essential to keep the business and users' goals in mind. Striking this equilibrium is necessary for a product's release and overall success.

  2. Conducting user tests as early as possible to maximize feedback and efficiency. We can ensure a more refined and effective final product by identifying potential issues and making necessary improvements at an early stage of development.

    Constraints:

  3. This project had a tight timeframe, completed in just five days, which imposed time constraints. As a result, I had to make significant compromises, primarily in usability testing.

    Use What's Working

  4. Embracing the technology age, I leveraged the abundance of online resources to research successful landing page design patterns and navigation. This approach not only saved time but also enabled me to stay within the project's constraints.

  1. If I had more time, I would have conducted A/B testing for the cards I designed on the product page to gain insights into users' collective preferences. This approach would have allowed me to understand which design elements resonate better with the users and make data-driven decisions to enhance the user experience.

  2. I would have conducted guerrilla testing before designing the high-fidelity mock-ups. This approach would have helped identify potential issues and refine the designs iteratively for better user satisfaction.