DesignedbyYou
An aggregator website provides revolutionized design solutions for busy individuals with limited time and expertise.
Overview
DesignedbyYou is an aggregator website that makes it easy for busy professionals to find the information they need to design or renovate their homes. DesignedbyYou also takes into account your budget, timing, and design style. So you can easily find the perfect solutions tailored to your needs.
Specializes in
UI/UX Design l Website l Interior Design Services l
Course Project
Role
Sole UI/UX Designer
Duration
6 months
Tools
Figma, Miro, Google Forms
The Problem
When customers want to design their home, they face many hassles, such as:
1
A frustrating research process
2
Having to gather information from many sources
3
Manually comparing all the options
4
Lack of interior design knowledge and expertise
5
Being overwhelmed with the gathered information
6
Not being aware of the latest design trends
The Solution
An aggregator website that provides:
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Access to a wide range of design resources from different retailers;
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Design articles and get inspiration for your project;
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Expert advice from interior designers without having to hire them.
It also takes into account your budget, timing, and design style. So you can easily find the perfect solutions tailored to your needs.
The Process
1
2
DEFINE
3
IDEATE
4
PROTOTYPE
5
TEST
EMPATHIZE
Empathize
Understand the user
I recruited 4 professionals who live in metro cities for a 30-minute in-depth interview to learn about their home design experiences.
Findings:
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Participants had to consult various sources to gather the necessary information;
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They had to manually compare all the options themselves;
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They seek a platform where they can stay updated on the latest design trends, find available design services, and effortlessly compare options.
Define
User Persona
Ryan, 28, is a busy tech entrepreneur in San Francisco who needs a convenient and stylish living space without the hassle of doing all the work himself.
How Might We
These questions influenced my design decisions:
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Color: A simple scheme (black, white, orange) keeps the website uncluttered and easy to navigate.
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Search: Style quiz allows users to customize search and make their experience more engaging.
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Text: Simplified text and white space let key features shine.
Ideate
User Flows
Due to the time constraints of this project, I designed user flows for three critical red routes, which are expected to be used most frequently by website visitors.
User flow 1: Customize
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First-time user wants to find out their design style and personalize their account
User flow 2: Contact designers
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A returning user wants to get expert advice from online designers.
User flow 3: Save design tips
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A returning user wants to search for design tips based on their design preferences.
Below is an example of the user flow of the new user:
Wireframes
Wireframes were rapidly sketched to test design decisions and overall flow, gathering early feedback on ideas and designs.
Mood Board
Solution idea:
Create a design space for everyone with an approachable, modern, fun, and engaging website.
Design decisions:
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Accent color: Orange, a bright and cheerful color to draw attention to important elements.
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Color scheme: Simple three-color scheme (black, white, orange) for visual interest, professionalism, and ease of navigation.
Style Guide
Color scheme:
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Consistently used throughout the website, including the different stages of the button, to create a visual hierarchy and make the button's purpose clear.
Font:
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Poppins was chosen for its modern look, readability, and spacious feel. Provides a variety of font styles for different purposes.
Test
Usability Testing - Round 1
1st Usability Testing:
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Conducted with 3 working professionals
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To get feedback that helped improve user flows and make important elements more noticeable.
Design changes:
Here are some of the critical changes I made to the prototype:
1st Iteration
Final Iteration
Homepage
Label
not clear enough to guide users to navigate to the next page.
Label
clearer labels helped users navigate easier
Button
not eye-catching enough.
Button
changed button color to orange to catch users' attention
1st Iteration
Final Iteration
Filters
Filters
Users hardly noticed the Filter button
Quiz Results page
Adding Filter icon helped users identify the button easier
Filter options
Showing applied filters helped users know where they are at
1st Iteration
Final Iteration
Card Design
Explore Designers page
Card Design
Users misunderstood this section for furniture due to the card design
Including a designer's headshot and a brief description helped users get the card's purpose.
1st Iteration
Final Iteration
Section placement
Design Tips
page
Section placement
The Design Tips section was placed near the bottom of the page.
The Design Tips section was moved to the top as it was the highlight of the page.
Usability Testing - Round 2
2nd Usability Test:
-
Conducted with 3 participants with the same criteria as Round 1
Findings:
100%
Task Success Rate
100%
were able to contact a designer without help.
100%
identified the Filter button without prompt.
Hi-Fidelity Prototype
Here is the final hi-fi prototype of the DesignedbyYou website:
Next Steps
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Enhance the user experience of the DesignbyYou website by adding critical features such as chat and booking with designers, as well as links to external third-party resources (furniture retailers and rentals, design magazines).
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Conduct an accessibility audit to ensure the website meets industry standards and guidelines for disabled users.
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Perform usability testing on the fully developed prototype to identify and fix any usability issues.
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Collect user feedback through feedback forms and user research studies. Regularly review and analyze user feedback to identify recurring patterns, address pain points, and prioritize future feature development based on user needs.