MoveWise
A mobile-first website teaching young adults how to move to new places, stress-free and efficiently.
(This is a personal project)
Project Timeline: June - July 2022 (7 weeks)
My Role: End-to-End UX/UI Designer
My Tools: Figma, Otter.Ai, Optimal Workshop, Miro, Whimsical, Notability, Zoom, Google Suite
01.
OVERVIEW
Project Background
People move for a variety of reasons, whether for career, family, or just a new change of pace. Moving looks different for different people - whether they are moving to a new state or moving within the city they live in. Moving isn’t something that happens every day, nor does it happen overnight. There are a lot of logistics that need to be considered beforehand and it leads people to react in a number of ways. The most common reaction to moving is stress... why is there an inevitable groan when faced with a move (or when people ask us to help them move)?
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The Problem
Adults between the ages of 18 - 40 feel stressed and overwhelmed during the moving out process due to the amount of tasks and logistics they need to manage and address in order to move out without issues.
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The Challenge
To validate or disrupt any assumptions I have about what causes people stress to discover the actual felt sources of frustration throughout the entire moving process. I want to minimize those instances of negative emotions, but also maximize the excitement and positive emotions that comes with moving to a new place.
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The Solution
To build a mobile-first website that builds a foundation of education to equip "young movers" with lessons on how to move with ease, along with tools and resources to aid in the process, such as an interactive checklist and notes in an all-in-one, accessible location.
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02.
RESEARCH
Assumptions
First, I listed out my assumptions about this problem - what did I implicitly believe was already true? How could I get out of my own personal bias? I needed to validate those claims or disrupt them with data.
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I assumed that people had an inherent problem with moving due to stress or confusion during the moving process, generally with more bad experiences than good experiences.
I also assumed there is a more methodical way to move out, rather than assuming the best in how other people already move out or move into a new place. This indicates a risk that people may not need additional support when moving and therefore don’t need products to help.
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Research Plan
Before gathering data, I wrote up a research plan that was informed by a Competitive Analysis of
the market, dictating my research objectives to remain focused on what we're trying to find.
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Learn how people feel about the moving process.
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Determine what tasks within the moving process are challenging for people.
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Understand why those tasks are challenging for people.
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Determine what resources are used.
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Understand why people chose those resources.
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User Interviews
User Interviews
I started by getting in touch with people who had recently moved in the last year to hear about their moving experience while it was still fresh in their minds. I conducted remote interviews over Zoom, with live transcripts being generated by Otter.Ai for later analysis.
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Number of Participants: 3 males & 3 females
Ages: 25-34 (Gen Z to Millenial)
Regions: West Coast & Midwest
Education Level: Bachelors - Masters Degrees
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From these interviews, I began to get see their rollercoaster of emotions from their collective experience, which I charted in a journey map where I began to synthesize my observations.
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Keywords
I asked participants to list off a few words that come to mind when I mention "the moving process".
These adjectives were the common denominator across most responses.
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Time-Consuming. Stressful. Nostalgia. Purging. Daunting. Change. Expensive. Procrastinating. Exciting. Nightmare. Fast-Paced. No Shortcuts. Hidden Stuff. Organization. Hot.
Affinity Mapping
A method I used to sift through all the participants' remarks was through the process of affinity mapping - identifying major themes, sentiment, and pain points across the user interviews. I realized most of the comments could be grouped around practical words like Organization, Time Management, Communication, Learning, and Moving Strategies.
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Once sorted, I diagnosed what I saw to be the larger problem with the following insights:
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Insights
Insight #1 - Time Management
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Most of them wish they had more time to prepare for moving, however in the real world, there are often deadlines with consequences. Common reasons for delays were procrastination, poor estimations of task completion, unexpected speed bumps of nostalgia, and decision fatigue.
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“It's a cumbersome process that often times doesn't have many shortcuts.”
- Jake
Insight #2 - Organization
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Everyone said that organization was a fundamentally important aspect of moving, yet most of the participants were lacking in this area. People wanted to be better at organization, but getting all the logistics straight eluded most - their stress levels were lower when they had more organized preparation for all the logistics, and the inverse if not.
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“There's not really an all-in-one place that has all of the pieces there…”
- Ryan
Insight #3 - Learning Experiences
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I discovered that most people were self-taught on how to move. Often times, the first time they moved was for college (with a new move each year). Some people received occasional parental advice on moving strategies, but by and large, it appears there is a lack of training or resources in this area to reduce stress. Some never moved growing up, because their parents either didn't like moving or they were "too settled", which often translates to having too many things to pack up and move.
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“I learned to move through trial-and-error honestly.”
- Megan
03.
IDEATE
Reframing the Problem
After analysis of the User Interviews’ quantitative data, I was able to synthesize the deeper problem behind the process of moving.
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Gen Z & Millennial adults become frustrated in their moving process because no one is effectively teaching them how to move. They struggle to teach themselves through trial and error, which results in stressful experiences.
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I framed the above statement into as a “How Might We” statement to give myself a better ideation scope for possible solutions.
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How might we educate and encourage Gen Z & Millennial adults with little or no prior moving experiences to be self-sufficient and confident when they move to avoid stressful experiences?
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This became the new design trajectory, guided by insights that went beyond surface stress indicators.
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User Personas
In order to firmly root the user in the rest of my design process, I created two distinct user personas based on the qualitative data gathered in my interviews that I could circle back to remind myself of their goals, motivations, and main pain points that I should be addressing with my design.​
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Prioritization
I generated a Features Roadmap list, then ranked each desired feature based on the feasibility that was needed to make the cut for the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the user to immediately use. I proceeded to create other documentation to aid the ideation process and maximize discernment about how users could best navigate the website on their mobile devices.
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Sitemap
Following the card sorting activity users performed remotely over Optimal Workshop, I was able to get a better sense of our users' mental models and built out the sitemap according to how the majority interpret categories within the moving process.
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User Flows & Task Flows
I made a user flows to get a better sense of how users would actually move through the digital environment to complete two key tasks, whether through the ideal path or alternative paths, as well as how they might move along error paths.
1. Create an Account
(to retain progress)
2. Adding a Checklist to Account
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In an effort to explore new websites and see what other tools were available to me, I decided to try out Whimsical for these flows.
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04.
DESIGN
Wireframes
I had enough intel to bring these conceptual ideas of features, mental models, navigation, and paths that I drafted a few wireframes on Notability on my iPad to visualize everything in my head. You'll be able to track the design evolution from rough low fidelity sketches to mid fidelity below.
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Brand Identity
I was asked to create an overall brand identity for MoveWise, so I created a logomark, and selected a color palette and typeface set that were aligned with their core brand values.​
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UI Component
Library
My design approach aims for simple, streamlined, & economical design - for me that starts with the UI Components.
It was essential for me to be organized with these elements before I got too deep into designing the prototype, but knowing I may have to adjust a button or form field, these components are lifesavers! Having an iterative mindset, it was important to be agile with my design components and leverage Figma's efficiency.
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To the right, you'll find several variants for the form fields that live on the sign up page.
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05.
PROTOTYPE
Prototype Preview
Once high fidelity wireframes were finished, I connected the screens together to simulate a living breathing website experience that could quickly be adjusted later on. I applied animations and interactions - try out the Figma Prototype with the button below or watch a walkthrough of it!
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06.
TEST & ITERATE
Usability Testing
Now that my prototype was built, I had to validate my product - was it useful, usable, and helpful? I arranged usability tests to measure its success and gather feedback for further iteration.
I had two success criteria that I wanted to measure in my usability tests:
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Ease of Use. Moving is stressful, so I wanted to keep the product from becoming an obstacle itself to the moving process, but rather that the website would serve the users to streamline their moves.
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Short Intervals of Use. I wanted to ensure their tasks would be easy and quick to complete. The intent is that the website would have many active users that frequently return to continue and update their progress.
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Number of Participants: 6
Ages: 25-30 (Gen Z to Millenial)
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Task Flows to Complete:
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Sign Up for an Account
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Add a Checklist to your Account
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Complete a Task on your Checklist
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Analysis & Prioritization
Below was my process for organizing & sorting through all the user feedback I received from the various task flows that were virtually tested. This method of analysis through affinity mapping and grid prioritization gave me essential first steps in iterating my prototype toward greater usability. This method pushed my design further, beyond what I (the designer) am able to detect initially.
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For an in-depth view of my thought process, click on the link below!
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User Feedback
Clustering of Themes
Prioritization Grid
1. Clarifying the Add Button
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Problem​
When faced with the task of adding a new checklist, users weren't sure what the Add Button did without experimentation.
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Solution
I expanded the Add Button with a label and placed it a new space above their existing lists, suggesting the action by similar form to the other checklists they can click on.
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Improvements
Based on the aggregated data, I set out to implement the improvements in Figma that delivered the most value at a low amount of effort. These were most necessary to improve the user experience, based on frequency and severity of the issue reported by participants.
For each improvement, I state the problem and present a possible solution (there could be many)!
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2. Finding Active Lists
Problem​
Participants often sought out the page named "Checklists" when looking to jump into, which makes complete sense. I had previously tied the Active Lists to each user's Account Page.
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Solution
I separated the Active Lists from the Account Page, which had Account Details, Settings, etc. I set the Active Lists as the top level in the Checklist Page, to keep in step with my participant's mental models. The visual for example #1 illustrates the change as well.
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3. Wanting Distinction Between Pre-made & Personal Lists
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Problem​
There was mild confusion over the difference between each checklist - did users have to create it or was it a template?​
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Solution
I re-organized and grouped the buttons with copy explaining their options to help users clearly see what best works for them.
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07.
SHOWCASE
08.
REFLECT
Takeaways
I learned an incredible amount while working on this project - from different tools, procedures, and approaches due to actively working throughout each stage of the UX process. This project allowed me to practice my skills as a UX Designer and cultivate a "design thinking mentality".
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One of the biggest takeaways for me was always take your assumptions captive. Challenge your own instinctive bias when it comes to "what a user wants" and re-evaluate those reactions once you encounter a breadth of data to analyze. I was surprised to address a deeper problem, which was only discovered when I set aside those assumptions and found patterns among the qualitative data.
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If you are ever moving, consider how you learned how to move. Best of luck!
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This was a personal project - MoveWise is a fictional brand.
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