Overview
Eb Sherloc is a comprehensive financial risk management platform that leverages data aggregation to evaluate potential risks for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to focus on their core business operations. My involvement has spanned various aspects, including marketing, website design, promotional video creation, and social media content marketing. Currently, I am contributing to the UX & UI team, actively participating in the development and enhancement of the platform's user experience and interface.
2020-now
Ongoing
UI & Interaction Designer
UI | Web Design | Marketing
The Problem
Imagine being a woman homeowner faced with home improvement or repair projects. You're often confronted with unclear pricing, unreliable contractors, dismissive attitudes, and a lack of knowledge about fair prices. Plus, there's a lack of accountability in a male-dominated industry.
Male Driven
The home improvement industry remains predominantly male-dominated, perpetuating imbalances in power dynamics.
Unclear Communications
Ambiguity in contractor-homeowner interactions leads to misunderstandings and frustration.
Dismissive Behaviours
Women homeowners often encounter contractors who dismiss their concerns and suggestions.
Lack of Leverages
Homeowners have few mechanisms to ensure contractor accountability.
Lack of Knowledge
Many women homeowners may not have the necessary resources to make informed decisions in the home improvement process.
Hypothesis
I believe that improving communication, expanding access to education, fostering community, and ensuring a secure professional network will transform women's home improvement experiences. I will know I'm on the right track when I see market increases in women's confidence in tackling home projects, satisfaction with professional interactions in home improvement communities.
Secondary Research
To better understand the distinct challenges faced by women homeowners, I conducted targeted secondary research.
In a survey of around 360 women by Lombardo Homes, 65% felt contractors treated them differently than men. 30% don't want to be home alone, and 63% preferred hiring women-owned businesses when possible.
Felt treated differently than men
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Don't want to be alone at home
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Prefer hiring women-owned businesses
Subject A
Married women homeowner in her 40s.
Subject B
Woman homeowner in her 50s.
Subject C
Single women homeowner in her 30s.
Subject D
Woman homeowner in her 40s.
Subject E
Handy woman homeowner is her 40s.
Interviews
Methodology
The study involved video, phone and in-person interviews with five participants to gather insights on home improvement experiences.
Participant Critiria
As the issue primarily concerns women homeowners, participants should own a home and have experience with improvement projects or repairs.
Affinity Mapping
After interviews, I sorted notes into pain points, motivations and behaviours. This helped on identifying patterns, for example, homeowner often find unclear quotes leading to unexpected costs.
*Affinity Mapping & Insight Statements
*Persona & Experience Mapping
Persona
Based on the interviews / user research, I created a persona for Emily Davis, it highlights the concerns, goals, and current channels when looking for hiring home improvement / repair professionals.
I often referred to it throughout the entire product development process to make sure I prioritize the users in my design decisions.
HMW
How might we provide women homeowners with effective tools and resources to hold professionals accountable and ensure transparency, fairness, and quality in the home improvement process in order to empower them and enhance their experience when working with contractors?
Organize Ideas into Direction
At first, my assumptions are focused on gender-specific challenges encountered by women homeowners in the problem space. Nevertheless, after conducting several rounds of interviews, a common and broader issue became evident: the necessity for fair pricing and transparent payments.
Core Epic
- Access a Supportive Community of Homeowners
- Ensuring Fair Pricing & Payment Transparency
- Find and Hire Skilled & Trustworthy Contractors
- Empowering Decision-Making & Knowledge
- Convenient & Safe Home Improvement Experience
Focused User Story
- As a woman homeowner, I want to easily access verified reviews and ratings of contractors, so that I can make informed decisions about hiring reliable professionals.
- As a woman homeowner, I want to have a platform that promotes transparency in contractor pricing, so that I can avoid unexpected costs and feel confident in the payment process.
Task Flow
I mapped out one task flow to illustrate the critical paths users will follow when using the app based on the focused user story.
Sketching & Wireframing
After setting up the information architecture, I sketched my ideas and created the initial wireframes, focusing on essential app features: project management, professional search, and quote comparison. The design is created based on the model iPhone 14 Pro Max.
*Sketches
*Wireframing
User Testing
Two rounds of usability tests were conducted remotely with 10 participants total. The primary objectives were to assess challenges navigating the app and uncover any usability issues after iterations.
User testing revealed two issues: unclear labeling of the attachment icon in the message panel, potentially causing confusion, and a suggestion to include room shape in project specifications.
Message section | BEFORE
Message section | AFTER
Project detail | BEFORE
Project detail | AFTER
High Fidelity Mockups
Prototype
Marketing Website
The marketing website aims to promote the hubee app and increase its exposure. I structured the website using a 12-column layout, and all the images were generated with Cinema 4D using Octane Render. Please scroll down to explore the full page.
The phone version was taken into consideration for a responsive layout.
Final Thoughts
Next Step
As homeowners, it's often challenging to estimate the costs of home improvement projects and repairs. Hubee bridges this gap, offering peace of mind and comprehensive support throughout homeowner's journey. It provides transparent, itemized quotes, connect homeowners with certified professionals, foster a vibrant community, and offer a supportive resolution center.
In future development, I plan to introduce a project management system that further streamlines the homeowner's journey. Additionally, exploring partnerships with financial institutions to provide loans and financing options, enhancing homeowners' ability to achieve their home improvement goals while ensuring secure payment transactions between homeowners and professionals.
