Prototype
Prototypes make the designs come to life. They should feel real and respond in the expected or intended ways. The prototype stage helps to find flaws with the experience or communicate exactly what is expected. It's also the best way to test out the app designs with user testing.
App Rationale
Name: Habitat Design
Mission Statement: To connect people with sustainable modern & contemporary furniture options, spreading the power of what great functional design can do in the home.
Manifestation & Intentions: This idea manifested from a previous website design I did. I decided I wanted to put more focus on the customers’ desire for great design that is also comfortable, functional, eco-conscious and makes the home an inviting respite from a crazy outer world.
Values: Joyful, practical and serene home living. Supporting furniture craftsmen and fair trade workers. It offers more moderate prices which still reflect quality, and competes with the likes of West Elm. Also values easy streamlined app ordering and tracking.
Promises: Transparency about sourcing and materials, stylish design and quality at a higher price point than Ikea, and lower than Pottery Barn, in order to help sustain the planet. Offers sustainable materials and modular options, additionally it caters to the smaller spaces.
User Stories
Short, simple descriptions of a feature told from the perspective of the person who desires a capability or goal. I wrote these user stories to determine a scope of work for development as well as defining what the users’ goals are and how I would incorporate those goals into my designs.
As a user, I want to look at a lot of product and compare designs and trends.
As user, I want a nice new sofa but cannot spend too much, I want to compare my options and then view the pieces at the store.
As a user, I am looking for a streamlined ordering & checkout process.
As dual users, we want to each peruse on our own time as it fits and then compare our favorites so that we can order online and just pick up at the store.
As a user, I want something that will help me with dimensions and visualization so I know how a sofa or table will fit in my room.
As a user, I am just looking for style guidance, which I can then take with me to the local budget furniture store and show the sales associate the type of pieces I want.
As a user, I want quality and something that will stand the test of time, nothing too trendy, and stain-resistant materials.
As a user, I want to see quick location & availability of items and to track everything I am ordering for clients. I am also looking for rewards and coupons.
Target Audience
Here I identify that specific market in order to please them and keep them coming back. This is who would use the app the most. The brand may reach a wide range of users however.
Gender: female
Age: 40-70
Careers/Income: varied careers, college graduate professionals, or retired, 50-75k
Life styles: good work life balance, city dwellers, but gets outdoors. Single or married
Value drivers: good quality and comfort/ergonomics, sustainability, easy online shopping, ecclectic design (modern
and contemporary mix), modular pieces, but not too trend-focused
Habits: appreciates indie organic coffee shops or a nice glass of wine, yoga/running/ pilates/pelaton, cook at home often, readers and tv streaming enthusiasts, entertaining friends/family. Has graduated from shopping at Ikea, and now hunts for items at estate sales and new pieces from the likes of West Elm or Joss & Main. Instagram & Pinterest users.
Personas
The target audience was then used to create 2-3 personas, the most loyal customers (fictional). They should be definable and paint a picture for us, like characters of a story. “Everyone” is not the end goal. Personas are your most loyal customers. They should be definable and paint a picture for us, like characters of a story.
User Flows
Userflows were created as a road map to show how users will navigate through the app. More importantly to show other team members how users get from one screen to the next. Userflows are specific tasks that are called out screen by screen to accomplish a user story. This time I listed a focused flow in sentence format.
Wireframes
I planned out the layout of the screen to screen in order to get a feel for the users’ interactions and experience in my sketchbook. This also sets up understanding from team members. With such small real estate, it requires more attention to detail on micro interactions. Wireframes allow easy creation without wasting time on screens that may be altered or removed.
Mockups were then created in order to get final buy-in from stakeholders and development. They inform the team what is to be expected for the final project. Utilizing all my research—brand summary pieces, accessibility grid, and my design system components—I created working mockup files.
User Interviews
User interviews were completed to force me to step out of my own head and allow someone else outside of the project to weigh in. I found users based on my target audience and created a script of simple questions.
Takeaways:
One likes modular furniture, the others don’t care and have their own eclectic taste
2 out of 3 value sustainable materials, the third values the lower price point more
All are influenced by Pottery Barn
Wayfair seems to be most popular to use among the masses, but their quality is generally middle of road
All place high priority on comfort when it comes to sofas/chairs
None would order sofas & chairs online unless they could experience the model in a showroom first. Also they would expect to see fabric sample swatch book at store. They would order other furniture pieces and accessories online however.
None are motivated by the rewards system. But they are motivated to spend more with their Visas credit cards, for cash back rewards.
Cost is a barrier for all of them, in decorating or buying what they would like
Time is an issue for 2 out of 3, as a barrier for hunting down the pieces they would like
All expect free shipping and a great return policy & customer service for ordering online
All seem to buy home furnishings not more than 3 times a year. 2 out of 3 will buy consignment or estate sale.
There are people with higher income that buy more often and in the West Elm/Crate & Barrel-type demographic, I just didn’t have access to interview these customers
Design System
Utilizing the Assets panel in Adobe Xd, I created a robust asset library to rely on within my document for mockups. Design assets were created for:
colors
type styles
common components
- buttons
- bottom navigation
- top navigation
- lists
- text fields
- other groups of repeatable elements
different component states
Shopping
Selection
Brand Summary