Homely
User Experience Research | User Interface Design
A home management app for co-living, streamlining expenses, chores, and communication for a harmonious living experience.
March – April 2023
Disorganization between flat mates/roommates, resulting in miscommunication. Households can be better maintained.
Problem Analysis
Assumed problems
Rent and bill management
Expense splitting
Chore organisation
Service contacts (e.g. maid, plumber)
Menu planning
Calendar and list scheduling
Interview
Conducting an interview to understand different problem areas.
Common pains
Communication gap.
Too many tasks to keep track of, forgetting.
No rigid schedules.
Busy with work- less time for handling house work.
Tracking bills, paying on time.
Making people stick to their responsibilities.
Boundaries because of friendship.
Not sharing grocery lists- almost double expenditure.
Common pains of living alone
Tasks can get over-bearing.
Enjoy personal space too much- cannot compromise.
Forgetful- no one to remind small things.
Common advice
Being assertive for basic necessitates.
Splitting responsibilities.
Open communication regarding living.
Mutual respect very important.
Taking help from services is helpful.
Setting schedules to take mind off house.
Using splitwise is very helpful- keeping track of expenses.
Interacting is key to co-living.
Keeping record of daily things.
SWOT Analysis
An in-depth analysis of the current industry. Identifying the gaps in the existing services and possible opportunities for Homely.
SWOT Analysis
An in-depth analysis of the current industry. Identifying the gaps in the existing services and possible opportunities for Homely.
User Research
User persona
Scenario
In Ahmedabad, winter is approaching, and the shower geyser needs to be fixed. It broke down during the summer months and the repair has been on standby till now, when it needs to be used. The landlord clearly mentioned that this is a cost that the tenants need to bear upon themselves.
Empathy Mapping
Pains
Worrying about managing her finances.
Feeling frustrated that the repair was not done earlier.
Finding a reliable repair service.
Managing her busy schedule and finding time to coordinate the repair.
Dealing with a potentially dishonest repair service.
Managing her busy schedule and finding time to coordinate the repair.
Stress of being over-charged.
Gains
Having a functional geyser before the winter.
Peace of mind knowing repair is done properly.
Building relationship with a reliable repair service for future needs.
Point of View Statement
User
21-year-old female student living alone in a 2BHK apartment in Ahmedabad.
Need
To find a reliable and affordable repair service for fixing the shower geyser before winter.
Insights
The user is concerned about the cost of repair and is worried about managing her finances.
She is frustrated that the repair was not done earlier and is anxious about finding a reliable repair service.
She is stressed about managing her busy schedule and finding time to coordinate the repair.
Additionally, she is fearful of dealing with dishonest repair services or being overcharged.
Customer Journey Map
1. Awareness
2. Repair service selection
3. Schedule repair
4. Repair coordination
5. Final check
6. Future reliability
Design Brief
Problem
Co-living households, regardless of the number of residents, often lack organization, effective communication, and transparency regarding expenses and household responsibilities. Even familiarity between flatmates/roommates does not guarantee smooth communication.
Budget disregard
Uneven bill handling
Accountability ignorance
Task disorganisation
Solution
A property management application. Creating a home organizational application called Homely, aimed at people who are living alone or co-living. Homely bridges the communication gap that exists between flat mates/ roommates. It avoids the need to be confrontational and attempts to conserve the mutual respect in the household.
Expenditure tracking
Shared expenses
Responsibility division
Task management
Investors
Property managers– the lessors, the landlords, people who lease their properties to lessees.
Homely is a platform that ensures timely management and maintenance of the household. This would encourage lessors to purchase subscriptions of this application for their lessees.
The subscription charge would be factored into the rent, and the lessees would be paying for the application subscription mandatorily.
Rs. 500 per person per month.
Target Audience
18-35 year-old singles, whether co-living or living alone, seeking an efficient and organised lifestyle while pursuing further studies or working away from home.
Features
Expenditure will be tracked
Recording the recipient, category, amount, date of payment, and method of payment.
Bills can be split
Home expenses can be split amongst the members co-living. Expenses like groceries, cleaning service, or gas bills, can be split equally and payment requested without the need of confrontation.
Accountability of responsibilities
Division of responsibilities of household tasks is very important. The user will be able to assign chores to each member they are co-living with. This ensures that all members are playing equal roles to contribute to the smooth functioning of the household.
Scheduling
In situations where the user cooks food for themselves, a schedule can be made for the menu of the week, or how much ever they wish to plan in advance.
Note taking
General notes can be maintained, shared, and updated amongst the members of co-living. This featured can be applied for grocery lists, events, transport, etc.
Custom notifications
To ensure that the users don’t forget tasks, or any other item on their lists, custom notifications at mentioned times can be sent to the user.
Stakeholder mapping
User Goals
Manage shared expenses accurately and avoid confrontations.
Ensure equal contribution to household responsibilities.
Enhance communication and mutual respect among co-living partners.
Efficiently schedule tasks and make shared lists.
Centralize household-related information.
Receive timely reminders and notifications for tasks and responsibilities.
Designer Goals
Design an intuitive interface for easy shared expense tracking.
Develop a flexible system for assigning household responsibilities.
Create a communication system that respects user privacy.
Implement customisable reminders for task management.
Designer Goals
User Experience Designing
Scenario
Spending money on a geyser repair and logging the expense in the expenditure tracker.
Task Flow
User Flow
Information Architecture
Style Guide
Brand Archetype: The Caregiver
Organised
Calm
Clean
Encouraging
Peppy
User Interface Designing
All screens
Home screen
List screen
Expense screen
Chores screen
Calendar screen
Onboarding!
Onboarding onto Homely includes the user putting their personal details and home details into the application.
Making a shared list
Homely has a feature that allows the user to create a list that can be shared with their “homies”! Another feature is the option to add a cost column for each item in the list.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Homely simplifies the complexities of shared living arrangements by providing tools that promote financial transparency, balanced responsibilities, and open communication. It empowers users to create a more organised, respectful, and efficient household environment.
Learnings
Prioritise user needs for design success.
Keep the interface simple and user-friendly.
Offer customisation options for diverse requirements.
Foster clear and respectful communication among users.
Present information and notifications with a balanced approach.
