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Project Overview
Role: UX Designer
Scope: 8 weeks
Project Type: Graduate Project (Individual)
Skills Utilized: User Research, Statistics and Data Analytics, User Empathy, Visual Communication, Interaction Design, UX Writing, and Business Strategy
Toolbox: Sketch, inVision, Balsamiq, Miro, Zoom
My Design Process
Problem Statement
The home selling process can be confusing & burdensome and often forces users to utilize real estate agents to sell their homes, ultimately causing the seller to forgo additional profit from the home sale.
Goals
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Improve overall user experience for users when selling a home.
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Provide sellers more knowledge and visibility into the selling process.
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Save home sellers money by not using a real estate agent.
Proposed Solution
A user-friendly app that guides users through the home selling process. The intuitive design would offer an easy, step-by-step guide that streamlines the process with the seller in the driver’s seat and pocketing more profit.
Empathize
User Research
I kicked off the project by diving into market research of the home selling process - current and historical user data of For Sale By Owner (FSBO) homes. I also analyzed the differences between utilizing a realtor and not, user pain points of the process and more.
According to the National Association of Realtors, FSBO home sales only made up 9% of total home sales in the US in 2018. When surveyed, users stated a variety of tasks that made selling a home by themselves difficult.
Eliminating the use of a realtor can save a seller as much as 6% of a home’s sale price.
- Consumer Reports
Insights
Another key insight that I discovered during the research phase was where buyers typically found the homes they purchased. After reviewing several sites and articles, I learned that most people found their homes via the Internet. This meant that real estate agents were taking a backseat when compared to the internet. With this, I proposed that users might be more inclined to use the internet (or even an app) to perform other tasks - like selling their home.
Competitive Analysis
In order to develop an app that met users' goals and filled existing market gaps, I performed a Competitive Analysis. During the process, I identified my existing competitors and evaluated their brand and strategies to determine their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to my product. My goal was simple - offer unique services that were identified as pain points by users.
User Interviews
After wrapping up the research phase, I conducted user interviews in order to get a better understanding of the problem. I wanted to hear the experiences of actual (and potential) people who sold a home without the use of a realtor. I interviewed 5 participants for 30 - 45 minutes each session.
My User Interview Script
Key Findings:
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All 5 participants listed cost saving benefits as main factor for wanting to sell their homes.
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4 of 5 used Zillow as one of their listing sites.
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Knowing the correct value of your home prior to listing was stated frequently as being one of the most important aspects of the home selling process.
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“…so much information to consume from a plethora of sites; we didn’t know where to start.”
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“We had to search across a lot of different sites so it was tricky trying to find just one site to use and to know what data was actually accurate and up to date.”
Define
Personas
Based on the user research and the findings from my interviews, I established two user personas - David and Candice. I referred to them throughout the entire product development process.
David represents users that may already possess some knowledge of real estate or the home buying process but would like a more easy-to-follow guide to assist them throughout the process.
Candice represents users that understands the money savings aspect of FSBO but would like more insight on what the process entails before making a final decision.
Target User
As I gained more insights through discovery, I began to empathize more with the users and understand exactly who they were and what they wanted from an app. With this, I crafted my target user for the app.
I defined the user as someone 28 - 55 years old who is:
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Seeking cost savings benefits
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Independent, ambitious, and driven
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Has the dedicated time and availability for the process
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Comfortable with technology and as some knowledge of real estate
Design
Sketches
I began brainstorming ideas and sketched out my vision for the app. During sketching, my key goal was to make each screen as easy to understand as possible. I wanted to bring a 'TurboTax® style' of UI into the app (i.e. screens that take you step-by-step through a complex process in the most simplistic way).
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Following sketching, I began prioritizing the content and developing a clearer visualization for some of the functionalities and intended behaviors that my app would offer. I jumped into Balsamiq and created wireframes.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype
After developing the wireframes, I began to populate the screens with category names, field titles, and other information based off of the user research and competitive analysis that I conducted. Below are some of the screens from the prototype that I utilized for my 1st round of usability tests.
MyOwnRealty
MyOwnRealty
MyOwnRealty
Test
Usability Testing
After fleshing out the screens of my prototype to a comprehensible level, I did a round of testing in order to reveal possible usability problems via in-person tests as well as virtual testing using Zoom.
6
usability tests
30
minute sessions
5
key discoveries
Usability Issues
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A way to revisit a specific step or section in the process without just hitting the 'Back' button numerous times
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An estimate of how long it will take to go through the process or how many screens are remaining
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An option to view the steps to sell a home without having to sign-in or create an account
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Section names in the progress bar to inform users what section they're currently in
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Ability to be able to reach out to a person for help if needed (possibly an agent that works specifically with the app)
Users identified the app lacked the following features:
Final Prototype
Once I incorporated the user feedback and wrapped up my final design iteration, I now had the final prototype. While listening and empathizing with the users, I met my goal of creating an app that was both simple and intuitive, as well as fulfilled their needs.
Next Steps
At the end of my project, I pitched my app to a panel of industry professionals. I received accolades for my app idea, research and analysis, business strategy, and visual design. Additionally, the panelist suggested a couple of improvements that would enhance the usability of my app.
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"I would encourage you to push more on your visual hierarchy on the UI. There is a lot of text on some of the pages. It might be helpful to include colors or bold text."
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"I love how TurboTax was your inspiration for the UI. I would like to see a bit more of that implemented. For instance, asking the user at the beginning if they would like a informative walk-through of everything (for newbies) or minus all the help (for experienced sellers)."
In future iterations of my app, I would incorporate more 'TurboTax'-style simplicity as well as reducing the amount of text on some of the pages for faster reading and better understanding.
