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House2Home
Empowering first-time movers with curated "Starter-Kits" to make decor shopping fun and boost conversion rates
- eCommerce
- UI/ UX Design
- Web Design
- Prototype
- Google Design Sprint
Empowering first-time movers with curated "Starter-Kits" to make decor shopping fun and boost conversion rates
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SCHEDULE A CALLMy role
UX UI Designer
Team
Solo GV Design Sprint
Timeline
5 days - Feb 2024
Tools
Figma, Illustrator, Miro
Deliverables
Research Analysis
Prototype,
Usability Testing
How might we help users discover starter kits that perfectly match their design style and budget?
How might we increase conversion rates for the House2Home e-commerce website?
In February 2024, as a UX researcher and UI designer, I joined the team to analyze user interviews and identify the key issues. My task included refining our starter kit to streamline home decoration for customers, to increase sales and revenue.
In just five days, I utilized the GV design sprint method to analyze research, map solutions, sketch eight designs, select the best option, create a prototype, test with five participants, and iterate to the final design you'll see.
Facing the startup’s limited resources, I implemented the Google Ventures Design Sprint method. This expedited, five-day process is designed to resolve vital business questions through design, prototyping, and testing with customers. Since I was the sole contributor to this project, I modified the process to fit my solo workflow, assuming all responsibilities and concentrating on rapid iterations and usability testing to polish the end product.
On day 1, before diving into solutions, it was crucial to understand the target audience: our most important customer and their critical moments during the user experience. House2Home's lead researcher conducted ten interviews. Here's the breakdown of the methodologies used in this step:
The user interviews provided valuable insights into the users' state of mind while shopping for decor items online. From the qualitative data analysis, common behaviors emerged. Here are key testimonials that revealed how lost and overwhelmed young shoppers felt:
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.
I don't want to decorate my place with a bunch of tiny, cheap items...but I also don't want to spend all my money on one big thing. How can I get the look I want within my budget?
After gathering all the user information, we created a persona to represent our typical user: Meet Ally.
On the afternoon of the first day of the design sprint, I focused on mapping the most critical user flow for our product—helping young shoppers easily find starter kits that can be customized based on their personal preferences. Even though I designed several different options, I selected the path that best addressed user needs. The deliverables of day 1 were:
The first exercise is to walk through the extreme scenarios: What would be the perfect future for House2Home? After that, look at it from a pessimist point of view: What are all the assumptions that could prevent us from reaching our goal?
After working on the ideal future and things we should watch for, I developed an end-to-end user experience map. It outlines the website’s flow for purchasing a starter kit, depicted through a sequence of descriptive sketches that clearly illustrate each stage.
How might we help users discover starter kits that perfectly match their design style and budget?
On the second day of the design sprint, I focused on three key activities:
First, I conducted a lightning demo to review solutions that competitors have developed for challenges similar to ours. I also explored how competitors in other sectors tackle identical issues. The similar competitors were Decorilla, Houzz, and Decocrated. Amazon solved a similar problem when creating the Prime Wardrobe services, allowing users to try up to 6 items at a time before committing to buying them.
1. Intuitive style quiz
2. Clear quiz steps
3. Easy match between ID and user
1. Robust filter system
2. User-friendly filter tags
3. Cognitive overload issue
1. Easy box subscription process
2. Comparable item quantity
3. Initial quiz disappeared suddenly
1. Free "try before you buy"
2. Different industry, yet relevant
3. Next launch suggestion
Prime Wardrobe lets customers order up to 6 items, have them delivered, and try them on at home within 7 days for free, only charging for what the customers keep . Although this feature is from a different industry and not included in our MVP to avoid scope creep, it could help users feel more confident with their purchases.
To kick off the Crazy 8s exercise, I identified the "starter kit" results page as the most critical and complex screen. I aimed to create a unique display for the starter kits, appealing to our target audience. Drawing from user behavior insights, such as their preference for social media inspiration, I quickly sketched eight different iterations of the results page.
After reviewing my sketches, I combined the best elements, taking the filter system from the Houzz style and the results display from Pinterest, to craft a better solution.
Using elements from screen sketches #5 and #8, I designed the most critical screen: the starter kit results. I then created a three-panel storyboard focusing on this screen. The storyboard included the screen before the critical screen, the quiz screen/modal, the critical screen, starter kit results, and the screen after, the starter kit screen.
On Day 3, I created an 11-panel storyboard to outline the key interactions for my prototype. This lightweight, sketched wireframe served as a guide for building the prototype on Day 4. I focused on designing screens that enable users to complete the essential task of finding their perfect “Starter Kit.”
My prototype focused on the main map defined on Day 1 and improved on Day 3: The process of helping users find their perfect starter kit based on their budget, style and preferences.
My key screens were focused on the predetermined user map defined on day 1. Based on the lightning demo I was able to create my own quiz, with 5 simple questions and an initial screen explaining the process to help users know what to expect.
On Day 1, I identified and contacted users fitting the target audience: budget-conscious individuals decorating their first homes. Four users participated in a moderated usability test via Google Meets, while one provided a video of their unmoderated test. Below is a short description of each main activities and objectives of the day 5:
After screening several users and selecting five. It was time to define what was our main goal for testing this prototype. I also created the tasks, the script and the scenario, following the 5 Act Interview structured developed at Google Ventures as part of their Design Sprint workshop methodology.
Understand the ease of following the proposed flow. Identify the most intuitive routes users take to find and purchase the starter kit. Determine if there’s a better and easier way to achieve the same results.
You’ve just moved into your first place and want to decorate within a $250 budget. Find and purchase a suitable starter kit for your small bedroom on the House2Home website.
Overall, the five users enjoyed the process of finding their “starter kit.” Some of them had never participated in a usability test before and were disappointed that the starter kits were not actually for sale yet. Here are the top insights from my interviewees:
This was so easy, and cute!... Can I actually buy this?!
My girlfriend usually helps me put items together [...] Now I can do it too!
I love how I can see items for the same room but with different quantities.
Even though the five users were able to accomplish the task, one user had a concern (valid one) about how to back up an answer from the quiz:
How can I get back to the previous screen to change my answer?
Listening firsthand to users' feelings and needs when shopping online for decorative items was rewarding. I discovered that they appreciated having assistance in selecting a group of items curated for them. Even though all participants were pleased with the overall flow and thought the process was easy to understand, there were a couple of design spots that could be improved:
In the initial version of the prototype, users needed to click outside of the modal screen to exit the quiz. Two testers didn't feel that this action was clear. They also didn't find a way to go back to change a previous answer.
Before - Without back and close options
After - With back and close options
The five users liked the idea of selecting from different pictures the design style they liked the most. However, two users weren’t sure if they were supposed to choose only images of the prospective rooms they would like to decorate or if they were supposed to select pictures of the style, independent of the room type.
Before - Without clear instructions
After - With clear instructions
When providing the answer about the budget, one tester tried typing the value (under the slide bar) rather than dragging the bar. She successfully finished the task and said that she saw both options on different websites. She said she always prefers typing her information to ensure she got the correct value.
Before - Without clear instructions
After - With clear instructions
Despite the short, intense week, focusing on user-centric design and testing yielded great results. Positive feedback and successful task completion boosted user confidence and provided a seamless experience, potentially increasing future conversion rates and customer loyalty for House2Home.
The HEART framework, developed by Google, helps measure the impact of user experience across five key areas: Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, and Task Success. Based o House2Home original project goal and and the feedback gather, below are the top three metrics for this project:
Overwhelmingly positive feedback on ease of use and enjoyment.
All users completed the tasks successfully.
Product screen abandonment reduced to 0%.
By creating a new inviting user interface that mirrors familiar sites and offering highly curated results based on personal tastes, we believe our young shoppers will feel more confident in their choices, as indicated by the positive test results.
By simplifying and gamifying the final screen, and celebrating the addition of a complete and affordable starter kit to the cart, I anticipate an increase in the conversion rate.
Turbulent Protagonist personality (ENFJ-T)
The structured nature of the GV design sprint was incredibly beneficial for focusing my analytical mind. Embracing my Turbulent Protagonist personality (ENFJ-T), I found the sprint's constraints helped me channel my energy and creativity effectively. Throughout the productive week, I navigated challenges with ease, thanks to the sprint's framework. By adhering to the process, I honed my skills in iterating efficiently and delivering innovative solutions to the design challenges at House2Home.
Moving forward, I’m excited to leverage the principles and methodologies learned during this sprint to drive success in future projects.
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