A unique user-friendly alternative
Well, as any other project, this one started with competition analysis. I observed the most famous apps of the segment in the country where I am based had a very dated design that could compromise navigation and usability. Apart from that, I also noticed there were two separated apps: one for users who were looking for a professional, and another one to someone who wanted to offer their services. Why not combining both in one unique platform? Wouldn’t that be easier?
Problems hypothesis and interviews
THE CHALLENGE
How to be sure that professionals are reliable? This could sink the reputation of the app.
What if a user doesn’t speak that language? I couldn’t find in my competitors a way to change the language of the app. Especially in Berlin and other big cities, it could be that a professional would advise in several languages.
How can someone older use the app without any problems? The solution should be simple and straight to the point. Users are not all tech-savvy.
I followed with some interviews to confirm whether my hypothesis were true or not.
THE OBSERVATIONS
Many users reported they had a problem to describe their domestic problems, they wanted a solution to show their problems.
They do have a problem with technical language, especially when it is not their mother tongue.
They trust the community to see if a professional is reliable or not
THE GOAL
To build a customer-centered digital platform which seamlessly connects people with a domestic problem with experts in that field. An easy to use app which connects professional freelance workers with users in need of specific help is what I was looking for. By keeping the communication, booking, and details within one place on their mobile-phone, users spend less time struggling to explain and finding someone to fix their problems.
User Personas
Ideation
After thinking about the possible users for Handxpert, the following questions:
How can I help…
María who is tech savvy, to find reliable people to fix problems without needing to be present in the appointment?
María to save time in explaining before to the professional what the problems are?
Valeria, who is not familiar with apps, to use it and find someone who speaks her language?
Valeria to gain time and trust that professionals will actually answer her quickly?
Every user to actually leave reviews and ratings, so then we attract even more users?
Sitemap app
Initial prototype
Since the beginning, the idea was always to have a minimalist and simple approach. I kept this identity, although some changes in the color of the app were made to make the identity more lively and fun to interact with.
In some screens the segmented navigation makes more sense, as in “Appointments” or “My Account”. The Open Sans font family as a choice makes it legible and clean, so younger and elderly users can read and interact without any problems.
Initially, I thought it would be better that the user would message the professional, and then schedule an appointment, if necessary. But I was proven wrong. From the point of view of the user-flow and as well the from a design perspective. Some users could not find the agenda of the professional, as they didn’t understand they had to scroll down the same screen to find it.
Usability tests
Adjustment & Polishing
Signing up as a User
In terms of UX, I decided to segment both screens (book now and message), so users would not get confused anymore. Now they know exactly how to send a message to the professional, or book an appointment directly, if they want to. I also realized it was important to include a possibility for the user to contact professionals they booked an in-person appointment with. This is crucial if they have to communicate with each other in case of an emergency, or to exchange addresses, or even to let each other know about an eventual delay, for example.
In terms of UI, the color blue suits a lot this kind of app, and the use of labels makes it more harmonious and fun as well.
Signing up as a Professional
The tab bar from the professional account is slightly different than a regular user navigation. Icons don’t have names together, and a home button was also included. The reason for that, is because the home will be a notification center, in which the professional can have a quick access to most important updates.
Prototype
What I learned
As this is my first UX Design project, I can say I learned a lot. One of my biggest challenges was the UI, that changed drastically. realized some features and details should be present from the very first version. But I learned as well there is always room to keep testing and improving.
Apart from that, I take as a lesson to double-check if my recording mechanisms are actually working during usability tests, since I lost a lot of time talking to participants and even find new ones for my usability tests due to technical reasons.
Next Steps & Mission
If Handxpert was a true business, the next steps in terms of UX Design would be to test which tab bar makes more sense. The hypothesis is that a “home” button could be more user-friendly in both sides of the app, but it would be needed to be done a Usability Test and see what users have to say about it, if they miss the home button or not. The same concept would be tested in the professional side of the platform.
