general assembly ux design class assignment

Prepared by: Rob AriasRevision Date: Thu Jan 22 2015

An app to quickly help you catalog, prioritize and get rid of your stuff

Home Inventory App“Know the stuff you love, Get rid of the stuff you don’t.”

UNhoarder Home Inventory App Case Study2 / 23

Project Brief

The Problem:Americans have too much stuff and are woefully prepared in the event of a disaster (Only one in four according to Forbes.com). But where do we start? The barrier to entry is the massive task that lies before us. When (not if) something does happen to you, you’ll need to prove to your insurance that you in fact own the things you claim to. How much are they worth? We all want to get rid of some stuff and live simply but proactively selling on eBay and Craigslist is a hassle and even dangerous.

The Solution:The advent of the smartphone has equipped everyone with a device that has the capability of helping them visually catalog, organize, value and sell their stuff. Social Networks have helped connect buyers & sellers and showcase collections. There are existing solutions for Home Inventory Apps, but none of them has the elegance and simplicity that today’s users demand.

What this Solves:UnHoarder will kickstart something everyone should have a grip on: Their Stuff! UnHoarder will help you prioritize important possessions, identify things you’re not using and passively sell things of value to others that you want to get rid of.

UnHoarder Home Inventory App Case Study3 / 23

Competitive Analysis

App Name

Login Options

UI/Navigation:

Export/Print/Desktop

Cost:

Inventory’d

Email, Facebook, Twitter

Bottom AnchoredExplore Collections,

Search, List

Export CVS

Free

Know Your StuffEmail

Matrix/GridAdd, View, Add Room, Add

Photo, Search, Settings

Through Website Database

Free

MyStuff2

Email

Tabbed NavigationExplore Collections, Search,

List

Export and Backup Data

Free (15 item limit), $8.99 for Pro (Unlimited)

Inventory Buddy

None

List NavigationAdd Items, Location Filter

and Output

Email & Print Capabilities.

Free (Ad Supported) and $1.99 Premium

Sortly

None

List NavigationHome, Work, Collections, Storage, Move and Travel

Dropbox, Evernote, CVS, PDF and Cloud Storage

Free

The most evolved, feature-rich with the best social

features but very unstable (crashed several times).

Desktop integration for editing outside of app gives

this an advantage.

Ability to track and list borrowed items. Passcode

lock for securityThe crudest of the apps. No

Clear advantages.Pleasure/Pain

Points:Most elegant, intuitive

interface.

Create a platform that leverages the clean UI of Sortly, the features and social integration of Inventory’d and the Desktop Browser integration of KYS.Opportunity:


Persona Overviews

Archetype

Goals:

The Worry Wart

Security, Peace of mind.

The Collector

Wants to share and connect.

The Minimalist

Wants to reduce clutter

Obsessive Compulsive

Driven to organize

The Hoarder

Summary

A mother that always feels a sense that

something is going to happen and wants to be

prepared for any situation.

Likes to collect things and has a desire to catalog, share and connect with other

likeminded collectors.

Feels stressed and overwhelmed by having

too many things and wants to liquidate

unused possessions frequently.

Owns a labelmaker & places “property of”

labels on their things. The user that’s going to demand more granular

features.

Disorganized and scattered. They have too many things to catalog

individually so may need a “bulk” way of

cataloging their things.

Quote:“I’d feel more prepared and in control if I could get a hold of my stuff”

“I get enjoyment from browsing my stuff and

commenting on others”“Less is more” “Organizing gives me

satisfaction”“Oh God … Where do I

even start!”

Just needs a starting point.

Worries about the next “big one” or other disasters.

Can’t find that final collection piece.

Too complicated. Doesn’t need all the “bells & whistles”.

Very particular about features. Demands

customization.Pain Points:

Prioritizing important things from junk. Thinks

everything is “important”.

The Gypsy

Moves frequently thus more opportunity to lose

things but also more opportunities to catalog their stuff. Much of his

stuff might be in storage.

“Where was that thing again?”

Keep track of where things are.

Having to climb into the attic or drive across town

to find his stuff.

MVP

LIVING ENVIRONMENT & SAFETY

Homeowners Insurance? Yes

Have you ever filed a Claim? Yes

Types of Disasters susceptible to: Earthquakes, Flooding, Fire

Neighborhood Safety

Level of Personal Clutter:

LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS:AVG. HHI: $120KNet Worth of Possessions: $20KHouse/Condo/Apt.: Apt.Rent or Own: RentRooms/Sq. Ft.: 2Storage: AtticLast Time Moved: 2 YearsCollections: Books, Music

TECHNOLOGY HABITS:

Competitor? Home Inventory

Platform:

Device: iPhone 4

Level of Loyalty: Strong

Upgrade Cycle: 4 Years

MOTIVATIONS:Ron is a self described “gypsy” moving on average every two years. He’s been the victim of a burglary before and sees the benefit of having a better handle on his possessions and their value but he finds the existing tools too “Daunting” to commit to using. He likes to purge often.

FRUSTRATIONS:• Current Solutions Are “Daunting”.• He moves often which presents an opportunity • He donates stuff to goodwill at least 2X yearly• Craigslist is too sketchy/eBay is too much work.

4

6

RON “The Gypsy”Age: 43Gender: MaleMarital Status/Kids: Married/NoneOccupation: MusicianLocation: Berkeley, CA

“I have the intentions of using a Home Inventory App but every time I open it, I find the task before me too

daunting and I just give up.”

GOALS:• Be Prepared• Get a grip on Stuff• Make moving easier



Content Strategy

Business Objectives:Enabling people to get a handle on their possessions and make it easier to simplify our lives is something many of us strive for. Helping users do this will lead to trust and grow a secondary market of stuff people want to get rid of or sell and help create a community of like-minded collectors.

Opportunities to monetize besides the cost of the app include targeted advertising, partnering with insurance companies, charging a nominal fee or percentage for brokering transactions and a premium membership for featured storefronts and spotlighted users.

Our Voice:We know what a tedious, incremental process cataloging your stuff is going to be, we want to be encouraging and not “Nag” users. An occasional “pat on the back” or “hey, you didn’t forget about us, did you?” reminder can keep people engaged and enable their success. Typical tone-of-voice might include an occasional alert or in-app message such as:

“You just cataloged your10th item. High Five!”“You’re on a roll! How about one more tonight?”

Our Audience:Our core audience are the well organized, the well-prepared and collectors but the reach of our app is vast and nearly every human in the world has a need to track their stuff on some level. Progress & completion of a task as monumental as this will provide gratification and satisfaction and a sense of preparedness for anything life throws at them.

Device, Cloud and Desktop Content:The accumulation of personal data is a big responsibility and we want users to feel their data is secure and make it clear what can be seen by the public and what cannot.

Giving users the option of local, device storage, cloud or Desktop storage will allow them to feel like they are in control and secure about their things.

Updates:New features will be rolled out with application updates which are controlled and monitored by the app store. Users will be directed to new features via an intro screen upon the launch of the app after an update. We don’t want to bog the user down with too many features initially.


Content Strategy

User-Generated Content:

Marketplace:Mostly user-generated picture matrix of publicized available items and collections that can be browsed, followed, liked, shared and commented on. New items will stream into a public “Explore” feed or curated list of followed users like Instagram.

Social:User profiles, Ratings, commenting will bring engagement and community.

Native Content:Item Categories:One of the most critical components of the content will be the list of categories and ensuring they’re organized into a logical, sortable, customizable hierarchy that anticipates the needs of all users. If we notice a custom category is continually being added, we can roll this out as a native feature (and may even queue an opportunity in the marketplace).

Guide/TipsCataloging your stuff is an ongoing process. An occasional check-in, showcase of new features or even a little encouragement will keep users engaged in the active process of managing ones things.

Item Tags, Alerts and Search Tools:Users can build a profile of items they covet and watch lists and UnHoarder will alert them when new items enter the marketplace.

The content provided by the app will mostly come in establishing the structure, guidance and tools for organizing one’s stuff. Most of the actual browsable content will come in the form of items that users decide to publicize in the free and for sale items marketplace. For this reason, we’ve segregated content by native and user-generated content.


Category Taxonomy: Research

9 Top Level Categories:(Note: Electronic mediums including apps, digital music & videos have been omitted). Amazon’s hierarchy is not necessarily alphabetical but some sort of proprietary ranking.

Books & AudioMovies, Music & Games Electronics & ComputersHome, Garden & ToolsBeauty, Health & GroceryToys, Kids & BabyClothing, Shoes & JewelrySports & OutdoorsAutomotive & Industrial

The categorization of your stuff has the potential to create cumbersome and broad filing categories. The fewer top-level categories we can group things into, the better. Our Target is probably not too far off from a department store ecommerce site. It’s worth borrowing from “The Big Boys” who have surely spent a great deal of time thinking of this. Service based categories have been omitted in some instances.

9 Top Level Categories:ebay’s hierarchy is alphabetical with “other” being last.

Collectibles & ArtElectronicsEntertainmentFashionHome & GardenMotorsSporting GoodsToys & HobbiesOther

12 Top Level Categories:Target also has Gender & Baby/Kids category distinctions which I have not included. Target hierarchy is not alphabetical.

HomePatioFurnitureElectronicsEntertainmentToysSportsHealthBeautyLuggagePet SuppliesSchool & Office Supplies


Card Sorting Observations

Card Sorting Exercises revealed the following observations:

• Women want more specific clothing categories such as types of shoes and occasion-based fashion items.

• Some users preferred sorting their possessions by room

• Parents need general categories for kids stuff (Stuffed animals, furniture).

• Customization important for the hardcore user.


Category Taxonomy: Proposed

Art & AntiquesIncluding sculptures & paintings

Appliances & KitchenwareAll utensils, serving & kitchen gadgets

Books & MediaIncluding records, DVD’s and video games

Clothing & ShoesIncluding suits and other clothing of value

CollectablesSpecific Collections

Working default Top-level categories for users. These will be customizable for users.

DecorationsHousehold Accessories

ElectronicsGadgets and Home electronics

Furniture & AccessoriesCouches, chairs, tables, etc.

OutdoorThings like Patio Furniture and Barbecue equipment

Recreational & ExerciseHobby, Bike, Golf and other recreational gear


User Flow: Registration

Page Explaining Benefits

Launch App Are you Registered?

Sign in

Already Signed in

Try Again or email pw?

Would you like to

Register?Why Register? Email

Yes

No

Via Facebook or Twitter

Allow Access to profile?

Input Email &

PW

Complete

Yes

Input Email &

PW

Open/Close Page Explaining Why this is

needed

Why?

Success!

error!

Cancel

Registration is not mandatory and some users with privacy concerns may opt out of registration and instead localize their personal data and use iCloud or local backups.

The benefits of registration must be noted and they include:

• The ability to sell & Buy things• Leverage one step sign-in with Facebook or twitter• The ability to comment on & share items NO!

Yes

Yes

CatalogCycle


User Flow: Item Entry

Add item Launch Camera Allow Camera Access?

Access CameraYes

Page Explaining reasons for needing

access

No

Take Photo

Import from Photo Library

No Photo

Confirm Photo(s)Name/Locate/

Categorize/Tag/Price

Add another item?

Yes

CompleteNo

The “Bread & Butter” of the app is the ability to quickly and efficiently catalog your stuff so this process needs to be as straight-forward as possible. It must also prioritize the categorization and sorting features so that users can recall and browse a lengthly list of items.


Wireframe: Preliminary Sketches


Wireframe: Onboarding

Splash Screen Onboarding Frame 1

Skip

UNHoarder

Know the stuff you love,Get rid of the stuff you don’t.

Catalog, categorize, prioritize and value your stuff

Skip

Post stuff you want to sell or Donate on your preferred

marketplace

Skip

Browse other members collections, Place offers and interact with members with

similar interests

Onboarding Frame 2 Onboarding Frame 3

Skip

Sign up for free to take advantage of advanced features

Onboarding Frame 4

Sign Up with Facebook

Or use Facebook

Email

Password

Already a member? Sign InForgot Pasword?


Wireframe: Primary Screens

Category A

Category B

Category C

Category D

Category E

Category F

Category G

Category H

Category I

My Stuff SettingsProfile

Search

Add Item

My Stuff (Default)

Collections

FollowingMy Collections


Search

Add Item

Collections

Collections My Stuff SettingsProfile

Search

Add Item

Capture

Collections My Stuff SettingsProfile

Search

Add Item

Settings

SETTINGS

SUPPORT

Category B

Category C

Category D

Category E

Category F

PREFERENCES

Category H

Category I

CollectionsMy Stuff SettingsProfile

Search

Add Item

Profile

EDIT PROFILE

INFORMATION

Avatar

Username

Email Address

Change Password

CONNECTIONS

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Collections


Wireframe: Default Screen

Category A

Category B

Category C

Category D

Category E

Category F

Category G

Category H

Category I


Search

Add ItemCollections

List View1.0 Sort/View

Viewing your stuff in either a list or matrix view

2.0 Search Bar

The Search bar should be omnipresent and contextual. If used while in “My Stuff” screen, it would prioritize those results.

3.0 AlertsAlerts would include app notifications and likes/messages from other members in the Collections marketplace.

4.0 Favorites (Scrollable)An alphabetical filtered list of favorited items. My Stuff SettingsProfile

Search

Add ItemCollections

Matrix View1.0 Sort/View

Viewing your stuff in either a list or matrix view

Category A

Category D

Category G

Category B

Category E

Category H

Category C

Category F

Category I

2.0 3.01.0

4.0

5.0

1.0


Wireframe: Individual Item


Search

Add ItemCollections

Item Detail View1.0 Back

Returns to previous category screen.

2.0 Functions

Include (L-R) Add to Favorites, Share, Delete item and more features

3.0 Swipeable Images If there are more than one image associated with the item, this can be swiped in either direction. Clicking on any photo enlarges it to fullscreen

4.0 CameraTo update or add images

5.0 Item DetailsClicking on them enables editing.

Image Fullscreen1.0 Close

Returns to item detail view

2.0 DeleteDeletes selected image (confirmation required).

3.0 CameraOpens camera to add to gallery of item images

4.0 ThumbsThumb carousel swipes horizontally to show all images associated with item (If applicable). Tapping enlarges image.

Back

Category/Subcategory

Item Name

$ Value

Notes

My Stuff SettingsProfile Add ItemCollections

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

1.0

3.0

4.0

2.0


Wireframe: List view

Item Detail View1.0 List View

Swiping left reveals quick edit mode with features including favoriting, sharing & deleting.


Search

Add ItemCollections

Category

Item A

Item B

Item C

Item D

Item E

Item F

Item G

Item H

1.0


Useability: Orientation

Prep: Share and sign release form.

Intro: Thank you for volunteering to participate in this usability study. I will be using this script to ensure that I ask the same questions of all of our participants. We are interested in getting your reaction and feedback to a personal inventory and selling app. We will use this information to help make the app as useful and enriching experience for the people who use it.

Information that you share with me is strictly confidential and will be used for research purposes only. I will be taking handwritten and/or recording your screen and voice. Please respond to my questions openly and honestly. If you’re uncomfortable answering any of my questions, just let me know. I want to reiterate that this is not a test.

Context: Today’s session will consist of asking you to complete a series of tasks with a tapable wireframe prototype. A wireframe does not typically include color or imagery. These elements are added later once the basic structure of the site is defined. The wireframe is intended to guide the structure of the page, ensure all the appropriate information is included, and laid out in a way this is easily digestible and user-friendly.

This prototype does have a few limitations. Keyboard, Forms & Camera functionality are not functional so the results of using them have been simulated. You will notice that some dummy text replaces real text in some cases.

Try to think out loud and talk through your decision making processes. Tell me what your expectations are and how this could better suit them.


Useability: Task Scenarios

Participant Name or Alias: _________________________ Sex: _____ Age: ______ Date/Time: ________________

1). Register for an Account: ________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

2). Add an item to “My Stuff”: _______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

3). Add this item to the Marketplace section of the App: ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

4). General impressions of App Naming, Navigation & Iconography: _________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________


Useability: Findings Summary

General NotesOverall most users pleased with the idea and think it solves a need. Many of the concerns stem from the limitations of the interactivity of the prototyping.

Medium Priority Items (heard by a half)• Not exactly sure what star icon indicates.• Profile & Settings could be consolidated

Low Priority Items (heard by a minority)• Work on language in pop-up alerts.

High Priority Items (heard by a majority)• Distinction between “My Stuff” and “Marketplace” needs to be

clearer, even consolidated.• Should be able to add item from within “My Stuff” tab.• Alerts confusing, need to be customizable


Phase 2: Future Improvements

• Ways to filter your stuff by room or property• Better data visualization features for the value of your stuff.• Refine exporting features for providing to insurance carriers• Better features for sorting clothing

UNHoarder

Coming Soon to:

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