Industry
E-Commerce
Service
Responsive
Duration
2 Weeks
Date
Spring 2025
Problem
Young renters face challenges decorating first apartments due to budget constraints and overwhelming options.
Solution
House2Home tablet app offers budget-friendly room visualization with AR, mood boards, and furniture packages.
My Role
As UX/UI designer in a sprint, I analyzed research, created journey maps, conducted competitive analysis, developed sketches, and built prototypes validated through user testing.
01 Map
Overview
Young renters struggle with decorating their first apartments, balancing aesthetic goals and budget constraints ($10-50 /item).
User Interviews
Users struggle with budget limits and visualization when decorating. They prefer quick solutions and portable decor items that work in different spaces.
"Will they look good in my living room?"
~ Anna
"Will they all good together?"
~ Dan
"How can I get the look I want?"
~ Lauren
"I moved into a new apartment…"
~ Maria
"I want my place to look good..."
~ Ron
"I don't have a huge budget to spend..."
~ Silvia
User Persona
Ally, 23, recent graduate living in Chicago studio apartment who uses Pinterest but finds shopping overwhelming. Seeks budget-friendly cohesive decor without excessive shopping time.
User Research Insights
User research reveals our main opportunity: help users select coordinating items that match their aesthetic and budget.
Visualization
Users struggle to visualize how items will fit together in their space.
Budget
Budget anxiety affects purchasing decisions.
Starter Kits
Users desire budget-friendly decor packages that simplify decision-making.
Inspirations
Users struggle to translate room inspiration photos into specific product purchases.
User Stories Minimum Viable Product
The fourth user story addresses key challenges with a streamlined browse-to-purchase flow, integrating AR tablet features and balancing guided assistance with user autonomy.
02 Sketching
Create Screen Sketches: Crazy 8's
Research shows young adults face budget challenges when decorating. I created sketches allowing users to design spaces while monitoring costs.
Solution Screens
I created detailed Create screen sketches with supporting Mood Board and Room Themed screens to guide decoration planning within style and budget constraints.
03 Decide
Story Board
The storyboard follows users from theme exploration to room design in 3D with budget tracking, mood board generation, and furniture ordering.
Site Map
The site map includes six main sections (Mood Board, Gallery, Shopping, Create, About, Profile) guiding users through the inspiration-to-purchase journey, starting with a Style Quiz.
04 Visual Design
Mood Board
House2Home's design blends nature-inspired aesthetics with modern elements, using forest greens and sage accents on light backgrounds for a calming yet professional feel.
Visual Style Guide
05 Implementation
Usability Testing Highlights
Users praised the interface design and mood board feature, while suggesting improvements for visualization features, customizable layouts, and budget filtering.
Final Prototypes
Incorporated all critical user feedback with improved task completion rates across all main pages.
Last Thoughts and Next Steps
Impacts & Results
Successful user testing with 5 diverse participants provided comprehensive feedback.
Positive reception of core features like mood boards and budget filtering.
Users found the interface professional and trustworthy.
Strong validation of the app's value proposition for young renters.
Lessons Learned
Clear pricing information is crucial for target audience.
Users strongly desire both 2D and 3D visualization options.
Customization features are highly valued by users.
Continue personalizing early on experience to prevent choice overload.
Future Opportunities
Implement AR visualization features.
Add style quiz for a greater personalized experience and recommendations.
Develop more robust filtering options.
Create interactive room layout tools.
Personal Growth
First time designing an e-commerce platform.
Learned key lessons about pricing and product displays.
Developed skills to quickly prototype iterations based on feedback.
Increased ability to recognize and synthesize patterns.