DUration
4 weeks | Fall 2022
Team
Solo Project
Class
Interaction Design at Cal Poly SLO
Tools
Figma
Design Prompt
How might we increase the quality of living for less cost, & how might we recycle better?
Initial project discovery
Why is furniture so expensive?
Buying a piece of furniture can be a big commitment since furniture items often stay with people for years and years. The cost of being a student and the cost of living on your own for the first time is already challenging, and the furniture expenses are something that adolescents often forget to budget.
If you're not careful…you might end up making your own furniture.
College students want their furniture shopping to be convenient and easy.
I interviewed 10 college students to discover their behaviors, attitudes, and needs about furniture shopping. I synthesized their needs in an empathy map.
The Problem
College students & post-grad students are struggling to find good quality furniture pieces at reasonable prices.
Solutions
Aimed to increase the quality of living at a much lower cost, Furnish is a mobile application that allows users to buy second-hand furniture.
Seller and Product Verification
Eliminate the hassle of meet-ups
Eliminate unsafe meet-ups
Utilize different filters based on yor likeness
Swipeable Cards
Browse through a whole network of furniture pieces quickly
Users engage one at a time
Minimizes user information overload
Seller and Product Verification
Purchase items without fear of scamming
Ensures seller legitimacy through intensive information requirements for sellers and their products
In-App Messaging
and Purchasing
Keep personal information private
In-application processes to streamline purchasing
Message sellers anonymously in incognito mode
understanding my users & the Competitive set
College students often use Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to buy furniture, but they spend a lot of time searching for the right product.
College students face security concerns with scammers and often experience cognitive overload due to the abundance of options.
Ideation
Prioritized features through an impact / effort matrix, and refined ideas by solution sketching.
Task Flow
The main goal of this project was to streamline the furniture purchasing process, helping users quickly find affordable, quality furniture, especially when they're using makeshift solutions like cardboard boxes as dining tables or placing TVs and routers on the floor.
Design system
Created a sense of trust and security through psychological principles and color theory.
Blue, symbolizing stability and dependability, was chosen as the primary color, with gradients applied to various elements like typography, icons, and the logo. The logo, designed with a minimalist approach, used shapes such as rectangles for stability and curves for community, reinforcing the app's focus on fostering a supportive user experience.
User testing
3 Main Improvements
Inclusion of maximum weight filter
Those with limited lift capacity, furniture weight is a key consideration.
Can help determine if furniture could be picked up or should be shipped.
Messaging sellers anonymously
Incognito mode
Protect privacy when just inquiring
Prioritizing price tag
In the wishlist
The like button was initially placed before the price tag.
Users, however, prioritize price first, making it more important to display before the like button.
Future iterations
For future iterations, it would be great to develop more screens and create a streamlined process for users selling furniture. Additionally, if given more time, I would explore the possibility of incorporating an augmented reality feature that allows users to visualize furniture in their own homes. This could help reduce the need for in-person meetups, enhancing safety for users.
LEARNINGS
Time management: This was the first time that I was originating and designing a new application on my own, and it was a test of time management of balancing other classes, clubs, and projects with this application piece.
Understanding personal limitations: It can be easy to be ambitious about adding amazing features and designing every screen needed for the application, but given the time constraints and because this was a solo project, I had to be proactive in prioritizing essential features and staying rooted in my problem scope.
Collaboration: Even though this was a solo project, it is still important to receive input from other designers and potential users for the application. What I think is best may not be the best solution for other individuals.
Let's get in touch!
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