Nice Move: Advisor App

THE ADVISOR MOVING APP THAT CONSIDERS YOUR LOCATION, TIMELINE AND PARTICULAR SITUATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL MOVE.

My role: User Research, Sketching, Paper Prototyping, Wireframing, Visual Design System, Clickable Prototype

Overview

ROUGHLY 35.5 MILLION AMERICANS MOVE EACH YEAR USING EVERYTHING FROM PROFESSIONAL MOVERS TO OLD STATION WAGONS.

The Task:

Creating an application that made the process of moving easier for the user. My research showed that users are overwhelmed with all the complexities and time sensitive tasks needed for a successful move. My response to the research I collected was:

• Create a personalized task calendar
• Advise the user on the tasks at hand
• Evaluate user’s stress and revise advice based on feedback
• Create supportive features for organizing and labeling user’s possessions.

My Role:

I was responsible for the Research, Sketching, Navigation, Digital Wireframing, Design System, and Digital Prototype for this project. Collaboration is essential for feedback and user testing was used throughout the process.

• Duration: 4 Weeks
• Platform: Responsive
• Best Tools Used: Pen and Paper
• Other Tools: Google Forms, Google Sheets, Marvel, Adobe XD

User Research

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND THE SUBJECT OF MOVING?

After conducting four user interviews, results revealed that moving is a complex stressful process involving many disconnected moving parts that have to be considered over months, weeks or just days.

What surprised me most about this research was the number of emotional data points. Based on this finding I was careful to pay attention to the users emotional state and adjust the tone and advice given.

Competitive Research

Competitive research revealed fringe competition, namely moving companies and truck rentals along with two strong competitors who had databases with good advice on moving.

In order to set my application apart I wanted it to have more of a personal connection with my user, I decided to focus on the following attributes:

• Role of an advisor guiding the user
• Personal timeline based on user’s unique needs
• Visual aids on best practices

IA Navigation

I conducted in-person open card sorting with five users of various ages in order to help define navigation and label categories. This research revealed the flow a user would take to complete their primary task. The primary user flows are:

• Task calendar
• Organizing
• Labeling and tracking

I decided to disperse the Expenses and Advice through the other features being developed since they can be part of the ongoing dialog with the calendar feature. Having only three main features to the app will make for a clearer flow and less confusion for the user.

Personas

 developed two personas that highlight the variety of moving issues. Users will have different time frames, different volumes of items to move, and different distances for their move.

The primary persona, Anxious Ann is thinking ahead but has a big downsizing project ahead of her by moving across the country. Late Larry will be moving from his small apartment across town but with serious time restrictions.

Feature Prioritization

To help prioritize my features I used the formula (Value ÷ Effort) x Confidence = Priority which basically says this: I want to prioritize work that offers large value while taking a small amount of effort.,This V_ExC research tool helped me prioritize the task calendar as the first feature to be built, due to the user’s immediate need for a reliable time table at relatively low cost.

The app will anticipate what the user will need to do next as well as keep track of what has been done to date with an itemized list function. Users will be notified via email or text messages what is the current hot task they need to take care of or what can be put off next month.

Visual Design System

I develop a system of icons based on simple shapes being gathered, packed, and boxed, to avoid confusion with the the organizing feature which will have a library of icons to help the user list and organize items.

Helvetica Neue was chosen for its clean confident look and weight variations. The color pallet is simple and bright, keeping to just two colors and grey scale.

Usability Testing

Participants were given a narrative where they are anxious about planning their family’s move and needed help, then were given these tasks.

1. Set a move date for May 31, 2020,
2. View calendar
3. Check off the task for May 19, 2020
4. Take a stress test and exit the app

Feedback was favorable for the idea of the main calendar feature but negative feedback on the unnecessary steps to input the user’s move date. A better user experience resulted when copy was kept to a minimum, less screens are involved, and the tone became an advisor to the user.

I was also given negative feedback on my choice of wording for the “Stress Test”. A better solution would be to continue with the theme of an “Advisor” to the user

Visual Design & Clickable Prototype

I built out on-boarding screens and completed the digital wireframes combining them into a clickable mid-fidelity prototype in greyscale.

The visual design system was applied to key frames so I could see the visual tone intended for the app. The interface was now more inline with the “approachable assistant” app I was going for.

Need To:

• Refine on-boarding screens to be more exacting when asking for volume of items and distance of move
• Build Catalog, Label, and Calendar, features so user feels confident app is capable of helping with this and future moves
• Create a full color clickable HiFI prototype

What Was learned:

• Adjust the tone of the app to build trust and loyalty
• Drawing wire frame iterations is a more efficient problem solving method
• Plan ahead for user testing, it always took more time than expected.

Longterm Engagement:

Future advice on how to prepare a home for selling on today’s market. Is it really cost effective to do a kitchen makeover?

Further engage the user with useful articles on de-cluttering and diy house projects, inviting business opportunities for service providers and home improvement retail.