localist
Creating a seamless experience for users to find their dream homes.
Overview
Timeline
July-September 2023
Deliverable
User Research
Persona
User FLows
Task Flows
Sitemap
Low-fidelity Wireframes
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Iterations
Roles
User Experience (UX) Designer
User Experience (UX) Researcher
User Interface (UI) Designer
Brand Designer
bACKGROUND
Moving to a new place can be an exciting journey, marking the beginning of a new milestone in life. However, it can also be a daunting decision. For the prospective movers, there are millions of decisions to make. Yet, for many of them, the movers simply may not have the answer as they are unfamiliar with the new places. One of the most difficult decisions would be finding the ‘right’ home.
To help alleviate some of the new movers' frustration, the platform aims to help users find their perfect homes based on the users’ preferences and priorities.
About Localist
According to a 2023 survey by Architectural Digest, roughly 29% of Americans plan to move and 26% aspire to move but do not yet have specific plans to do so. One of the primary deterrents of their desire to move was primarily based on concerns surrounding the moving cost and also how emotionally and physically stressful moving can be. Such concerns make individuals restless even before they have the opportunity to move and have a chance to seek new possibilities for themselves.
Localist is based on one clear motive: provide users with all the necessary tools in one platform, to save time, minimize unnecessary stress, and enhance overall satisfaction of moving.
picture of Localist screens with device outline
problem
Overwhelming options & features
Movers commonly experienced overwhelming frustration leading to rushing to find homes and at times settle with housing that may not satisfy their needs and preferences.
Lack of security
With an increased number of housing frauds and a lack of a personal support system, users often held worries regarding potential frauds and had doubts about their decisions.
Lack of general information
As movers planning to move to new places lack understanding about their new community, users often faced delays in making decisions.
proposed solutions
Advanced filter options
Create more filter options based on identified users’ needs.
Neighbourhood guide
Provide detailed information about the community of the potential homes including proximity to nearby facilities as well as detailed transportation information for their trips.
connect with an agent
Provide the feature for users to connect with an agent both for specific homes that they are interested in as well as agents who can help movers with the entire process of finding a home.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH GOALS
To understand what values and preferences influence the users' decision when choosing a house so that we understand how to customize/categorize data and identify what type of services the users need to make their decisions.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Understand users' motivation to move.
Identify key features that the movers prioritize when finding housing.
Determine the timeline for the move.
Understand the needs and pinpoints of the users.
Understand what other services/resources the users look for when choosing a platform that will assist their moving process.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
User Interviews - Interview 4 different participants about their experiences of moving to a new place
Competitive Analysis - Identify 4 main competitors and assess their strengths and weaknesses to identify gaps in the market.
PERSONA
Based on findings from user interviews,I have identified two target audience, their needs, preferences, and pain points. Identifying two personas that are experiencing two very distinct trajectories in life, helped me to better contextualize ways to create a design that would satisfy and support both type of users.
USER FLOW
I have created a user flow based on a hypothetical scenario where Maria, a univeristy student planning to go abroad on student exchange program does not want to live in the dormitory and thus needs to find a housing on her own.
TASK FLOW
I have created a task flow based on a hypothetical scenario where a user wishes to find a house in a neighbourhood she is planning to move to.
SITEAMP
Based on card sort and competitive analysis, I have created a sitemap that is simple yet simultaneously responds to users’ needs and expectations.
Low-Fidelity WIREFRAMEs
I have sketched screens for three different features of Localist. Although overtime, with the user tests and research, the below screens have gone through a number of changes, they have served as an important starting point for the platform.
usability test
Test Objectives
Determine whether the users are able to easily sign-up for an account.
Assess if the users are able to filter their options based on a majority of their preferences.
Assess if the users can easily use the distance calculator to find their commute time.
Assess if the users are able to easily find an agent that they would like to hire by using the search engine. (Assess if the users are satisfied with their search results)
TEST METHODOLOGY
Hybrid format - a mix of in-person and remote testing.
5 participants with varying experiences of moving completed the test.
Participants were asked to complete the following tasks:
Create an account.
Filter the rent listing results using the filter option
Use the distance calculator to find the distance to their ex. school and work from home that they are interested in.
Find a real estate agent
Iterations
[1] Modified ‘find an agent’ icon
60% of the participants have either had difficulty in locating and understanding the purpose of the icon and/or indicated the need to modify the icon.
[2] improved order of the input text filed
All of the participants successfully completed the task of using 'Distance Calculator.’However, as 40% of the participants experienced delays in completing the task due to the order of the input text fields, the structure was modified to enhance the overall user experience.
[3] Included ‘Ask about the property’ feature
As many users expressed a lack of trust and understanding about the property as a key concern when looking for housing, the feature has been added to enhance positive user experience.
[4] enhanced onboarding experience with illustrations
As many users expressed a lack of trust and understanding about the property as a key concern when looking for housing, the feature has been added to enhance positive user experience.
UI KIT
I have focused on creating a simple and minimalistic platform which allows users to look for housing without becoming distracted by other design elements. Simultaneously, I have implemented different shades of blue and purple to leave the users with the feeling of loyalty and freedom.
high-fidelity wireframes
Based on the usability tests of high-fidelity wireframes, the design has gone through various changes to ensure that the design is not only easy for users to navigate but also serves to satisfy the purpose of the app - to create a seamless experience for users to minimize unnecessary stress, and enhance the satisfaction of moving.
Lessons from the Case Study
Going into the project, I had assumed that users would believe that the more features and services a platform offers, the better. However, after the first user interview, it was not hard to discover that users actually would prefer a more straightforward platform that highlights one specific service as there are many other platforms that can be used for other services if needed.
People do not search for housing in a singular way using search bars. Some may actually prefer to use maps or other options available.