HomeSet

“Transform your space with affordable elegance and expert organization."

Responsive Website

Timeline: September - October 2022 Role: UX/UI Designer | Solo | Designlab Bootcamp

Overview

When polled about the clutter in their homes, 54% of Americans said that they felt overwhelmed with clutter filling up their homes. 12% of Americans have admitted that whenever they have guests, they worry about how cluttered their homes look and that can be a huge issue when wanting to socialize at home. 3 out of 10 women have said that having an organized closet resulted in their mornings being overall less stressful. Approximately 57% of women have said that they have issues organizing their closets. This has added to their overall stress levels when trying to find things they need from their closets in a hurry.

A study monitored by the CDC found that approximately 80% of most medical spending is stress-related compared to other issues.

Despite all these staggering statistics, other data shows that not many people hire professional organizers. When further researched here are a few key reasons for not hiring home organizers:

• Cost: Hiring a professional organizer can be expensive depending on where you live. This has been a huge factor for people to avoid hiring help in organizing their homes.

• Fear: People think that professional organizers make you throw everything away or not put it where they’re usually habitual to find things.

• Doubt: People doubt that they can stay the course.  What if I pile things up again?  Will the organizer be mad at me for needing their services again?

• The Unknown: People don’t enjoy the unknown.  Even if what they know is clutter.  They would rather have chaos than order because it is what they know.

Cost of professional organizing services: The expense associated with hiring a professional organizer is a significant deterrent for many people, preventing them from seeking assistance in organizing their homes.

Health and financial implications of stress: A study monitored by the CDC reveals that about 80% of medical spending is stress-related, emphasizing the need to address clutter and organization issues to improve overall well-being and potentially reduce healthcare costs.

Stressful mornings: 3 out of 10 women experience increased stress in the mornings due to disorganized closets, highlighting the negative impact of clutter on daily routines and well-being.

Overwhelming clutter: 54% of Americans feel overwhelmed by clutter in their homes, indicating a significant challenge in managing and organizing their living spaces.

These challenges and concerns highlight the need for affordable home organization services like HomeSet to address these pain points and provide effective solutions to help individuals overcome clutter and achieve a more organized and stress-free living environment.

The Challenge

The Solution

Gathering Data / User Research

User research for a home organization involves gathering insights and understanding the needs, preferences, and pain points of individuals when it comes to organizing their living spaces. This research often includes surveys, interviews, and observations to gain a deep understanding of users' experiences with clutter, organization methods, and the challenges they face.

By examining statistics on clutter overwhelm, social anxiety, and stress-related health implications, researchers can identify the key problems users encounter. Additionally, investigating reasons behind not hiring professional organizers, such as cost concerns and fear of change, helps uncover barriers to seeking assistance. The findings from user research play a crucial role in informing the development of effective and affordable home organization services that address users' specific needs and alleviate their pain points, ultimately promoting a more organized and stress-free lifestyle.

Research methods

Competitor Analysis - Neat Method is a high-end professional organizing company that focuses on luxury home organization services. They excel in creating visually appealing and functional spaces but may have limited accessibility due to their higher price range.

Clutterbusters specializes in decluttering and offers personalized solutions. They have a hands-on approach and emphasize practical strategies, but their geographical reach might be limited.

TaskRabbit is an online platform connecting customers with various home services, including home organization. While it offers a wide range of services, the quality of individual taskers may vary.

Thumbtack is another online marketplace that connects customers with local professionals, providing a broad network of options. However, evaluating quotes and profiles can be time-consuming. Understanding these competitors' strengths and weaknesses can help customers choose the most suitable service based on their specific needs and preferences.

Survey - To create the home organization survey, I followed a systematic process. First, I identified the key areas of interest related to home organization, such as clutter, stress levels, and organizing habits. Then, I developed a set of relevant and concise questions that would gather valuable insights from participants. These questions were designed to explore participants' experiences with clutter, their challenges in organizing their homes, and their perceptions of professional organizing services. I also incorporated specific questions to understand their motivations for seeking or not seeking professional help and their concerns or barriers related to home organization.

Once the survey questions were finalized, I reviewed and refined them to ensure clarity and eliminate any biases. Finally, I used an online survey platform to distribute the survey to a diverse group of respondents, ensuring a broad range of perspectives. By following this process, I aimed to gather meaningful data and insights that would inform the understanding of users' needs and preferences in the context of home organization.

The process of designing user interviews for home organization research involved careful planning and consideration. Firstly, I defined clear objectives and research goals to ensure the interviews would provide valuable insights. Then, I crafted a set of open-ended questions that covered various aspects of home organization, aiming to capture participants' experiences, challenges, and preferences. I also prepared probing questions to encourage participants to provide detailed responses and explore specific topics further. To ensure diversity, I identified a range of potential interview participants, considering factors like age, household size, and lifestyle. During the interviews, I created a welcoming and non-judgmental atmosphere to foster honest and open discussions. This approach enabled me to gather in-depth qualitative data that deepened our understanding of users' needs and helped shape effective home organization solutions.

One-on-One Interviews

Research Findings - Summary

Personas - After conducting thorough home organization research, I developed user personas by carefully analyzing the gathered data. This involved reviewing the insights, identifying common patterns, and extracting key characteristics and behaviors observed among the participants. By synthesizing the research findings, I created fictional profiles that represented different types of users based on their needs, preferences, and pain points related to home organization. These personas provided a human-centered understanding of the target audience, allowing for a more empathetic and tailored approach in designing solutions.

INTRODUCING HomeSet

HomeSet provides affordable home organization services to individuals with hectic schedules or physical limitations, assisting them in streamlining their living spaces. Matching them with perfect solution that meets their needs and fits their budget.

Storyboarding for HomeSet

To storyboard for HomeSet, I visualized a relatable scenario featuring a person who juggles hybrid work and a disorganized home. The storyboard begins with the protagonist exhausted after a long day of remote work and heading to bed. The next morning, they wake up late for work and face the chaos of a messy environment. Frantically searching for their car keys, they realize the disorganization is hindering their productivity and causing unnecessary stress. At this point, the protagonist wonders if there's a solution and considers seeking help from someone who can organize their space more effectively. This storyboard sets the stage for HomeSet to step in as the solution, offering professional home organization services to transform cluttered spaces into functional and stress-free environments.

The storyboard helped me develop a deeper understanding of users' needs and motivated me to create effective and tailored solutions that address their pain points and improve their overall quality of life.

Creating user flows and task flows for HomeSet involved mapping out the journey and interactions of users as they engage with the website. User flows captured the overall path a user takes, from landing on the homepage to completing specific actions or tasks, such as exploring services, booking appointments, or contacting support. Task flows, on the other hand, focused on the step-by-step process of completing individual tasks within the user journey. This included identifying the user's goal, breaking it down into smaller actions, and defining the expected outcomes. By creating these flows, I gained a comprehensive understanding of how users would navigate the website, enabling me to identify potential pain points, optimize user experience, and ensure a seamless and intuitive interaction with HomeSet's services.

Branding HomeSet

When creating the Homeset logo and making branding choices, I embarked on a creative journey to establish a distinctive and impactful brand identity. I started by conducting research on the target audience, competitors, and industry trends to inform my design decisions. Taking into consideration the values and essence of Homeset, I explored various logo concepts, typography styles, color palettes, and visual elements that would align with the brand's mission of providing quality and affordable home organization services. Through a process of iterations and feedback, I crafted a logo that encapsulated the essence of Homeset, incorporating elements that conveyed organization, elegance, and a sense of calm. The branding choices extended beyond the logo, encompassing the selection of fonts, color schemes, and design elements that harmoniously reflected the brand's personality and resonated with the target audience. The result was a cohesive and visually appealing brand identity that effectively communicated the core values of Homeset.

Sketching &Wireframing HomeSet

Designing sketches for the HomeSet website involved the initial ideation and conceptualization of the site's layout and visual elements. I began by sketching rough drafts on paper, exploring different design concepts, page structures, and content placements. These sketches allowed me to quickly iterate and visualize potential design ideas. Once the sketches were refined, I moved on to creating digital wireframes. Using design software, I transformed the sketches into digital representations, focusing on the website's structure, navigation, and overall user experience. The wireframes provided a clear blueprint of the website's functionality and layout, allowing for feedback and adjustments before moving forward with the visual design phase. This process ensured a well-thought-out and user-centric design approach for the HomeSet website.

Hi Fidelity Wireframes

Creating high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes for Homeset involved transforming the digital wireframes into visually polished and detailed representations of the website. Using design software, I refined the wireframes by adding visual elements such as colors, images, typography, and UI components. This process focused on ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing user interface that aligned with the brand's identity and aesthetics. The high-fidelity wireframes captured the final design choices and provided a clear blueprint for the website's layout and functionality. Additionally, I leveraged prototyping tools to bring the wireframes to life, creating interactive prototypes that allowed users to navigate through the website and experience its features and functionalities. This step enabled me to test the user experience, gather feedback, and make necessary refinements before moving forward with the development phase of the Homeset website.

Usability Test Plan

Creating a usability test plan for HomeSet involved careful planning and consideration to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the website's user experience. I began by identifying the key objectives and research goals, defining what aspects of the website I wanted to assess and improve. Next, I selected a diverse group of participants who represented the target audience, considering factors such as age, occupation, and familiarity with home organization services. I designed specific tasks and scenarios for participants to complete while using the website, aiming to replicate real-world scenarios and capture authentic user interactions. I also developed a set of usability metrics and criteria to measure the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction of user interactions. To ensure consistency, I created a standardized test script and a questionnaire to gather qualitative and quantitative feedback from participants. By following this plan, I aimed to identify usability issues, understand user pain points, and gather valuable insights that would guide the refinement and improvement of the HomeSet website.

The usability test conducted for Homeset with three remote participants using their own devices yielded valuable insights into the user experience. During the test, participants navigated through the website, performed specific tasks, and provided feedback on their interactions. The results highlighted both positive aspects and areas for improvement. Participants praised the website's clean and intuitive layout, finding it easy to understand the services offered and navigate through the pages. However, they also encountered challenges related to unclear call-to-action buttons and difficulties in finding specific information. The feedback provided by the participants shed light on usability issues and helped identify opportunities for enhancing the user interface and optimizing the website's functionality. These results serve as a crucial foundation for making iterative improvements to enhance the overall user experience of Homeset and ensure it meets the needs and expectations of its target audience.

Usability Test Results

What’s Next

Moving forward, Homeset has an exciting roadmap ahead with several key future steps. Firstly, based on the insights gathered from user research and usability testing, Homeset will prioritize implementing user-driven improvements to enhance the website's functionality, navigation, and overall user experience. This iterative approach will ensure that the website remains intuitive, efficient, and visually appealing for users.

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