HomeMaker - Showroom
HomeMaker is a digital store for designing your new apartment, ex, what fridge, stove or shower I want in my new place before moving in. The project started as a need for the company to redesign the product and at the same time, make flow changes for the users. It ended up that I'm currently a product designer and working closely with user support and understanding needs of the users before going into redesigning the whole concept. Working this close with different disciplines to make the product and experience better and validated for many different user groups, clients and companies. As a designer, this way of working makes me happy and validates my thoughts of design is not made in space; it's always in a flux of other's views and opinions.
The product also grew during the time to include more than just new-build apartment such as renovations, CRM/Leeds-generating platform and issue handling. and it's growing every day and for every feedback from users.
The problem(s) you had to solve or the hypothesis you came up with for solving it
The problem was that the application is self had an old design that was designed by developers. So much information was missing, you didn't know what the system was doing or how it would respond to your actions. Based on meetings with clients, input from customer success, sales and product owner. The design was built on this to reflect new needs and wants from both business and users.
Your specific role in the project and how you collaborated with others
I was the first designer ever in the company. On an agile team with three developers and the product owner.
I was responsible for determining the overall design direction of the project, talk with users, while collaborating with the rest of the team. But also quality control and in-house tester.
How you came to your proposed solution(s)
In interviews and by using productboard, it showed that admins have trouble finding specific issues. Therefore we put a lot of effort into understanding what they were searching on and how to make it easier.
How your proposed solution(s) solved the problem
I introduced solutions by referring to what we should focus on the product owner. Validating claims and suggestions with and user-cases as the reason why. After that, I made designs and much-ups and/or user-stories furthermore handed it to development.
Challenges you faced, including design concepts that were ultimately not pursued
The biggest challenge was that working with a designer and user feedback was new for the whole company. It was not easy trying to implement all the good and useful tools you have it the organization and team are not ready for it. I have to take things to step by step.
One unexpected challenge is that I have to leave the company before the product hit the end-users. I will, therefore, never know how my work will be handle in the future.
How the project affected the users and the business
It's hard to tell because it's still in the early development phase. But the main goal is to make the application more straightforward to use.
What you learned
I realize how difficult user feedback is to communicate with a team that not used to it. Also, when they're used to develop, external test and then move to the next thing. No real feedback loop and to implement it takes energy and hard work. It would be best if you always answered why you have come to a particular conclusion.
It's challenging to design for a future your not part of, where the parameters of the design and user adoption might have changed.