FEB 2022
HomeSift
UX DESIGN
UX RESEARCH
MOBILE APP DESIGN
PERSONAL WORK
Introduction
"HomeSift" is a concept for a property-searching app that helps users find a house that suits their needs and supports their day-to-day life, with an emphasis on enhancing the home-searching experience and making it more seamless and personalized.
The target users of "HomeSift" are people in their productive age who are looking for or planning to purchase a house, either through offline or online channels.
Went through the challenges
I interviewed some people who might be a potential user of the app. I need to understand how they do house-searching, then navigating challenges and opportunities.
Motivation
The search for an ideal new place to live is motivated by several factors, primarily the desire for independence and an investment. The goal is to find a home that meets all needs.
A comfortable and peaceful living space is sought, with location being a key consideration.
The aim is to achieve more independence and the freedom to do things without disturbances.
The search is for a home that supports the needs of a new workplace.
Ultimately, the aim is to own a property as a future asset.
Each participant has specific criteria when looking for a house. Location is vital, including factors like proximity to the office, traffic, and nearby public facility, which are often more important than the house features alone. Mortgage options are also taken into account.
Current Conditions
Their dissatisfaction with the online house-hunting experience stems from the difficulty in finding listings that match their preferences due to suboptimal classifications.
They primarily use the platform to get a rough idea of property prices in the area, but for more detailed information, they have to rely on Google Maps and social media.
The KPR (mortgage loan) calculations are not user-friendly, and some listings appear suspicious. The housing listings are not well-organized.
Although there is a chat feature, property managers/owners are slow to respond.
They face issues with lagging while using the platform.
Pain Points
The main issues faced are due to the limited and scattered information provided online.
The listings' quality does not meet expectations.
The property listings do not accurately depict the actual condition of the properties.
Additional information is required, such as security, area size, and access to public places, which goes beyond what the owner/manager has written.
Finding suitable properties in densely populated areas is challenging.
Nice-to-have
The process of buying a house is not fully understood, and it requires comprehensive information and unbiased assistance.
Guidance is essential, start from the selection of the location up to the process of moving in.
Assistance is sought from impartial third-party experts who can provide objective support.
Simulations for both cash and mortgage options for the house would be beneficial.
Two-way communication is desired to ensure better understanding and clarity.
Detailed and comprehensive information about the surrounding area is also desired.
Finding the Solutions
The current online property-searching experience lacks the engaging and personal touch of an in-person viewing.
This becomes particularly crucial for individuals with limited time or facing challenges in accessing the location. It allows exploration of numerous options without the need to travel physically, making it a more efficient and accessible way to find and assess potential homes.
How might we help users get all information they need about the house and the location so that they can find their ideal house?
Neighborhood Info
When doing searches based on specific areas, users can access various information such as the security rating of the area, population density, transportation access, nearby public facilities, and more.
Housing Preferences
During the onboarding process, users are asked to fill out a brief questionnaire to understand their preferences regarding their ideal home. Housing recommendations will be tailored based on the results of this questionnaire.
How might we make the online house-searching experience as clear and satisfying as visiting the location directly, while maintaining efficiency?
Consultation with Experts
Users can contact experts to inquire about things they don't understand and consult about the difficulties they are facing.
Enhanced Chat with Property Managers
Users can directly inquire with property managers or homeowners. This feature is equipped with statistics on their response performance to incoming chats.
How might we help users increase their knowledge about the house-buying process and payments so that they understand their financial capacity and know what to do next?
Mortgage (KPR) Simulation
A feature to determine the property’s mortgage installments over a specific period.
Financial Capability Profile
Users can assess their ability to finance a home by answering a few questions.
Guides and Articles
Provided guides and supporting articles on purchasing or renting a home and current trends.
Result
Afterward, all the ideas are grouped together to determine which ones need to be prioritized. High-impact also means that these ideas have the potential to set HomeSift apart from similar apps.
Starting Screen
Basic Question
Customization Question
Housing Preferences
After signing up, HomeSift will guide users to fill out their preferences through the HomeSift profile.
For those who do not have specific preferences, they have the option to skip this step and go directly to the Homepage.
The questions start with basic property-related inquiries and then delve deeper into what the user desires in a property.
On each question page, there will be a progress bar to indicate the number of questions answered and the remaining questions.
After completing all the questions, the answers will be saved, and property recommendations will be displayed based on the answers.
Search bar and shortcuts
Property Recommendation
Guides and Articles
Homepage
The Homepage is designed as a checkpoint, specifically focusing on essential features to assist users effectively.
At the top, there is a search bar for quick access to explore available properties on HomeSift.
Below the search bar, there is a shortcut bar to access Financial Capability Profile, Mortgage (KPR) Simulation, and Housing Preferences.
The Property Recommendations section displays properties that best match the answers from the Housing Preferences.
Explore
Neighborhood Info Banner
Thematic Map
Neighborhood Statistics
Neighborhood Info
The Neighborhood Info feature helps users to get better acquainted with the selected areas. This feature can be accessed from the search bar, Explore section, or by clicking on the location of a property on the product page.
In the Explore, there are several recommendations for popular areas or those related to previous searches.
If the Neighborhood Info is available for a specific area, the "Neighborhood Info" CTA will appear above the search results.
Thematic map provides interesting and useful information, such as the location of nearby public facilities and traffic, allowing users to consider transportation accessibility in that area.
Neighborhood Statistics consists statistical data such as security rating, population density, number of residences and apartment buildings, and more.
Starting Screen
Personal Info Q's
Property Related Q's
Result Screen
Financial Capability Profile
This feature is beneficial for assessing financial capability before buying a house, providing users with a clearer picture and helping them find a suitable place to live.
The questions are divided into three sections, and there are options to switch between each section by clicking the step index or the back button at the top of the screen.
Using the responses provided in the personal data section, the system will generate information about the suggested maximum property price and the highest possible KPR (mortgage) installment that can be applied for.
If the desired property price falls within the range of the maximum KPR installment, users will receive information about the KPR installment for the property.
Validation
I returned to previous participants and invited a few others to briefly test the prototype. This process helps me collect feedback and identify areas for future improvements.
Outro
Learnings
Asking the right questions is crucial in user research. Properly framed questions can elicit highly valuable and unexpected insights from participants. Of course, I still have much to learn and practice to become more adept at engaging in discussions with participants.
The most helpful aspect for me during this design process has been the information architecture. I often refer back to the information architecture while designing the UI. It serves as a reminder of the significance of information architecture in the design process, especially for new applications/features.
What's Next
I would love to conduct design iterations based on the findings from user testing—or even conduct more structured user testing first before exploring and finding design solutions again.
Apart from that, I am eager to explore more about the Financial Capability Profile, especially in the results section, to make it visually appealing while providing comprehensive and useful information for selecting an ideal property to buy.
Thank you for reading this far, kudos to you! Let’s together take a deep breath 🍃—and maybe a sip of water 🧊. But hold on, did you say you want more? Lucky you, there's another one below. See you on the next page!
Other Projects
FEB 2022
HomeSift
UX DESIGN
UX RESEARCH
MOBILE APP DESIGN
PERSONAL WORK
Introduction
"HomeSift" is a concept for a property-searching app that helps users find a house that suits their needs and supports their day-to-day life, with an emphasis on enhancing the home-searching experience and making it more seamless and personalized.
The target users of "HomeSift" are people in their productive age who are looking for or planning to purchase a house, either through offline or online channels.
Went through the challenges
I interviewed some people who might be a potential user of the app. I need to understand how they do house-searching, then navigating challenges and opportunities.
Motivation
The search for an ideal new place to live is motivated by several factors, primarily the desire for independence and an investment. The goal is to find a home that meets all needs.
A comfortable and peaceful living space is sought, with location being a key consideration.
The aim is to achieve more independence and the freedom to do things without disturbances.
The search is for a home that supports the needs of a new workplace.
Ultimately, the aim is to own a property as a future asset.
Each participant has specific criteria when looking for a house. Location is vital, including factors like proximity to the office, traffic, and nearby public facility, which are often more important than the house features alone. Mortgage options are also taken into account.
Current Conditions
Their dissatisfaction with the online house-hunting experience stems from the difficulty in finding listings that match their preferences due to suboptimal classifications.
They primarily use the platform to get a rough idea of property prices in the area, but for more detailed information, they have to rely on Google Maps and social media.
The KPR (mortgage loan) calculations are not user-friendly, and some listings appear suspicious. The housing listings are not well-organized.
Although there is a chat feature, property managers/owners are slow to respond.
They face issues with lagging while using the platform.
Pain Points
The main issues faced are due to the limited and scattered information provided online.
The listings' quality does not meet expectations.
The property listings do not accurately depict the actual condition of the properties.
Additional information is required, such as security, area size, and access to public places, which goes beyond what the owner/manager has written.
Finding suitable properties in densely populated areas is challenging.
Nice-to-have
The process of buying a house is not fully understood, and it requires comprehensive information and unbiased assistance.
Guidance is essential, start from the selection of the location up to the process of moving in.
Assistance is sought from impartial third-party experts who can provide objective support.
Simulations for both cash and mortgage options for the house would be beneficial.
Two-way communication is desired to ensure better understanding and clarity.
Detailed and comprehensive information about the surrounding area is also desired.
Finding the Solutions
The current online property-searching experience lacks the engaging and personal touch of an in-person viewing.
This becomes particularly crucial for individuals with limited time or facing challenges in accessing the location. It allows exploration of numerous options without the need to travel physically, making it a more efficient and accessible way to find and assess potential homes.
How might we help users get all information they need about the house and the location so that they can find their ideal house?
Neighborhood Info
When doing searches based on specific areas, users can access various information such as the security rating of the area, population density, transportation access, nearby public facilities, and more.
Housing Preferences
During the onboarding process, users are asked to fill out a brief questionnaire to understand their preferences regarding their ideal home. Housing recommendations will be tailored based on the results of this questionnaire.
How might we make the online house-searching experience as clear and satisfying as visiting the location directly, while maintaining efficiency?
Consultation with Experts
Users can contact experts to inquire about things they don't understand and consult about the difficulties they are facing.
Enhanced Chat with Property Managers
Users can directly inquire with property managers or homeowners. This feature is equipped with statistics on their response performance to incoming chats.
How might we help users increase their knowledge about the house-buying process and payments so that they understand their financial capacity and know what to do next?
Mortgage (KPR) Simulation
A feature to determine the property’s mortgage installments over a specific period.
Financial Capability Profile
Users can assess their ability to finance a home by answering a few questions.
Guides and Articles
Provided guides and supporting articles on purchasing or renting a home and current trends.
Result
Afterward, all the ideas are grouped together to determine which ones need to be prioritized. High-impact also means that these ideas have the potential to set HomeSift apart from similar apps.
Starting Screen
Basic Question
Customization Question
Housing Preferences
After signing up, HomeSift will guide users to fill out their preferences through the HomeSift profile.
For those who do not have specific preferences, they have the option to skip this step and go directly to the Homepage.
The questions start with basic property-related inquiries and then delve deeper into what the user desires in a property.
On each question page, there will be a progress bar to indicate the number of questions answered and the remaining questions.
After completing all the questions, the answers will be saved, and property recommendations will be displayed based on the answers.
Search bar and shortcuts
Property Recommendation
Guides and Articles
Homepage
The Homepage is designed as a checkpoint, specifically focusing on essential features to assist users effectively.
At the top, there is a search bar for quick access to explore available properties on HomeSift.
Below the search bar, there is a shortcut bar to access Financial Capability Profile, Mortgage (KPR) Simulation, and Housing Preferences.
The Property Recommendations section displays properties that best match the answers from the Housing Preferences.
Explore
Neighborhood Info Banner
Thematic Map
Neighborhood Statistics
Neighborhood Info
The Neighborhood Info feature helps users to get better acquainted with the selected areas. This feature can be accessed from the search bar, Explore section, or by clicking on the location of a property on the product page.
In the Explore, there are several recommendations for popular areas or those related to previous searches.
If the Neighborhood Info is available for a specific area, the "Neighborhood Info" CTA will appear above the search results.
Thematic map provides interesting and useful information, such as the location of nearby public facilities and traffic, allowing users to consider transportation accessibility in that area.
Neighborhood Statistics consists statistical data such as security rating, population density, number of residences and apartment buildings, and more.
Starting Screen
Personal Info Q's
Property Related Q's
Result Screen
Financial Capability Profile
This feature is beneficial for assessing financial capability before buying a house, providing users with a clearer picture and helping them find a suitable place to live.
The questions are divided into three sections, and there are options to switch between each section by clicking the step index or the back button at the top of the screen.
Using the responses provided in the personal data section, the system will generate information about the suggested maximum property price and the highest possible KPR (mortgage) installment that can be applied for.
If the desired property price falls within the range of the maximum KPR installment, users will receive information about the KPR installment for the property.
Validation
I returned to previous participants and invited a few others to briefly test the prototype. This process helps me collect feedback and identify areas for future improvements.
Outro
Learnings
Asking the right questions is crucial in user research. Properly framed questions can elicit highly valuable and unexpected insights from participants. Of course, I still have much to learn and practice to become more adept at engaging in discussions with participants.
The most helpful aspect for me during this design process has been the information architecture. I often refer back to the information architecture while designing the UI. It serves as a reminder of the significance of information architecture in the design process, especially for new applications/features.
What's Next
I would love to conduct design iterations based on the findings from user testing—or even conduct more structured user testing first before exploring and finding design solutions again.
Apart from that, I am eager to explore more about the Financial Capability Profile, especially in the results section, to make it visually appealing while providing comprehensive and useful information for selecting an ideal property to buy.
Thank you for reading this far, kudos to you! Let’s together take a deep breath 🍃—and maybe a sip of water 🧊. But hold on, did you say you want more? Lucky you, there's another one below. See you on the next page!
Other Projects
FEB 2022
HomeSift
UX DESIGN
UX RESEARCH
MOBILE APP DESIGN
PERSONAL WORK
Introduction
"HomeSift" is a concept for a property-searching app that helps users find a house that suits their needs and supports their day-to-day life, with an emphasis on enhancing the home-searching experience and making it more seamless and personalized.
The target users of "HomeSift" are people in their productive age who are looking for or planning to purchase a house, either through offline or online channels.
Went through the challenges
I interviewed some people who might be a potential user of the app. I need to understand how they do house-searching, then navigating challenges and opportunities.
Motivation
The search for an ideal new place to live is motivated by several factors, primarily the desire for independence and an investment. The goal is to find a home that meets all needs.
A comfortable and peaceful living space is sought, with location being a key consideration.
The aim is to achieve more independence and the freedom to do things without disturbances.
The search is for a home that supports the needs of a new workplace.
Ultimately, the aim is to own a property as a future asset.
Each participant has specific criteria when looking for a house. Location is vital, including factors like proximity to the office, traffic, and nearby public facility, which are often more important than the house features alone. Mortgage options are also taken into account.
Current Conditions
Their dissatisfaction with the online house-hunting experience stems from the difficulty in finding listings that match their preferences due to suboptimal classifications.
They primarily use the platform to get a rough idea of property prices in the area, but for more detailed information, they have to rely on Google Maps and social media.
The KPR (mortgage loan) calculations are not user-friendly, and some listings appear suspicious. The housing listings are not well-organized.
Although there is a chat feature, property managers/owners are slow to respond.
They face issues with lagging while using the platform.
Pain Points
The main issues faced are due to the limited and scattered information provided online.
The listings' quality does not meet expectations.
The property listings do not accurately depict the actual condition of the properties.
Additional information is required, such as security, area size, and access to public places, which goes beyond what the owner/manager has written.
Finding suitable properties in densely populated areas is challenging.
Nice-to-have
The process of buying a house is not fully understood, and it requires comprehensive information and unbiased assistance.
Guidance is essential, start from the selection of the location up to the process of moving in.
Assistance is sought from impartial third-party experts who can provide objective support.
Simulations for both cash and mortgage options for the house would be beneficial.
Two-way communication is desired to ensure better understanding and clarity.
Detailed and comprehensive information about the surrounding area is also desired.
Finding the Solutions
The current online property-searching experience lacks the engaging and personal touch of an in-person viewing.
This becomes particularly crucial for individuals with limited time or facing challenges in accessing the location. It allows exploration of numerous options without the need to travel physically, making it a more efficient and accessible way to find and assess potential homes.
How might we help users get all information they need about the house and the location so that they can find their ideal house?
Neighborhood Info
When doing searches based on specific areas, users can access various information such as the security rating of the area, population density, transportation access, nearby public facilities, and more.
Housing Preferences
During the onboarding process, users are asked to fill out a brief questionnaire to understand their preferences regarding their ideal home. Housing recommendations will be tailored based on the results of this questionnaire.
How might we make the online house-searching experience as clear and satisfying as visiting the location directly, while maintaining efficiency?
Consultation with Experts
Users can contact experts to inquire about things they don't understand and consult about the difficulties they are facing.
Enhanced Chat with Property Managers
Users can directly inquire with property managers or homeowners. This feature is equipped with statistics on their response performance to incoming chats.
How might we help users increase their knowledge about the house-buying process and payments so that they understand their financial capacity and know what to do next?
Mortgage (KPR) Simulation
A feature to determine the property’s mortgage installments over a specific period.
Financial Capability Profile
Users can assess their ability to finance a home by answering a few questions.
Guides and Articles
Provided guides and supporting articles on purchasing or renting a home and current trends.
Result
Afterward, all the ideas are grouped together to determine which ones need to be prioritized. High-impact also means that these ideas have the potential to set HomeSift apart from similar apps.
Starting Screen
Basic Question
Customization Question
Housing Preferences
After signing up, HomeSift will guide users to fill out their preferences through the HomeSift profile.
For those who do not have specific preferences, they have the option to skip this step and go directly to the Homepage.
The questions start with basic property-related inquiries and then delve deeper into what the user desires in a property.
On each question page, there will be a progress bar to indicate the number of questions answered and the remaining questions.
After completing all the questions, the answers will be saved, and property recommendations will be displayed based on the answers.
Search bar and shortcuts
Property Recommendation
Guides and Articles
Homepage
The Homepage is designed as a checkpoint, specifically focusing on essential features to assist users effectively.
At the top, there is a search bar for quick access to explore available properties on HomeSift.
Below the search bar, there is a shortcut bar to access Financial Capability Profile, Mortgage (KPR) Simulation, and Housing Preferences.
The Property Recommendations section displays properties that best match the answers from the Housing Preferences.
Explore
Neighborhood Info Banner
Thematic Map
Neighborhood Statistics
Neighborhood Info
The Neighborhood Info feature helps users to get better acquainted with the selected areas. This feature can be accessed from the search bar, Explore section, or by clicking on the location of a property on the product page.
In the Explore, there are several recommendations for popular areas or those related to previous searches.
If the Neighborhood Info is available for a specific area, the "Neighborhood Info" CTA will appear above the search results.
Thematic map provides interesting and useful information, such as the location of nearby public facilities and traffic, allowing users to consider transportation accessibility in that area.
Neighborhood Statistics consists statistical data such as security rating, population density, number of residences and apartment buildings, and more.
Starting Screen
Personal Info Q's
Property Related Q's
Result Screen
Financial Capability Profile
This feature is beneficial for assessing financial capability before buying a house, providing users with a clearer picture and helping them find a suitable place to live.
The questions are divided into three sections, and there are options to switch between each section by clicking the step index or the back button at the top of the screen.
Using the responses provided in the personal data section, the system will generate information about the suggested maximum property price and the highest possible KPR (mortgage) installment that can be applied for.
If the desired property price falls within the range of the maximum KPR installment, users will receive information about the KPR installment for the property.
Validation
I returned to previous participants and invited a few others to briefly test the prototype. This process helps me collect feedback and identify areas for future improvements.
Outro
Learnings
Asking the right questions is crucial in user research. Properly framed questions can elicit highly valuable and unexpected insights from participants. Of course, I still have much to learn and practice to become more adept at engaging in discussions with participants.
The most helpful aspect for me during this design process has been the information architecture. I often refer back to the information architecture while designing the UI. It serves as a reminder of the significance of information architecture in the design process, especially for new applications/features.
What's Next
I would love to conduct design iterations based on the findings from user testing—or even conduct more structured user testing first before exploring and finding design solutions again.
Apart from that, I am eager to explore more about the Financial Capability Profile, especially in the results section, to make it visually appealing while providing comprehensive and useful information for selecting an ideal property to buy.
Thank you for reading this far, kudos to you! Let’s together take a deep breath 🍃—and maybe a sip of water 🧊. But hold on, did you say you want more? Lucky you, there's another one below. See you on the next page!
Other Projects