settle in
A mobile-first website designed to ease the move-in process for those starting from scratch.
DURATION
4 WEEKS
(JANUARY 2023)
MY ROLE
USER RESEARCH
BRANDING
PROTOTYPING
USER TESTING
TOOLS
FIGMA
OPTIMAL WORKSHOP
OTTER.AI
PROBLEM
Moving is often stressful for everyone, especially for those about to live on their own for the very first time.
It can feel daunting to know what items one even needs, much less having the time and resources to obtain everything. Establishing a space where one feels prepared and thus “at home” is especially imperative during this major life transition.
SOLUTION
I designed a mobile-first website to ease the move-in process for those starting from scratch, by serving as a one-stop shop for all of the most essential home needs.
The household items are all practical while also aiming to evoke feelings of coziness to help ease the anxious minds of new movers.
I also aimed to eliminate decision fatigue through a small yet carefully-curated selection of items. Unlike traditional e-commerce websites that can feel overwhelming, settle in primarily works off of its streamlined Build-a-Kit feature which guides users from room to room, allowing them to simply select items as they are needed.
EMPATHIZE
MARKET RESEARCH
According to a study conducted by North American Moving Services, 64% of respondents shared that their most recent move was one of the most stressful experiences they’ve ever gone through.
But what makes moving so stressful?
⇨ Finding time and energy to pack amidst a busy schedule
⇨ Budgeting for costly expenses (down payment, renting a large truck, hiring movers, etc.)
⇨ The emotional toll of change (ie. moving away from family, deciding which belongings to take/part with, etc.)
USER INTERVIEWS
I wanted to understand the first-hand accounts of people's nuanced experiences with the moving process.
I interviewed five people who had either recently moved in the past year, or were in the current process of moving.
A few objectives to help guide my interviews:
⇨ Understand the reasons people moved in the first place.
⇨ Understand what the most stressful part of the moving process was.
⇨ Understand what obligations people prioritize most throughout their weekly schedule (work, children, etc).
⇨ Determine if people utilized outside services and the reasons for why/why not, and if they were worth it.
FINDINGS
A few key research insights gathered, based on my affinity map:
Moving can be very costly, especially when moving long-distance.
People aimed to save money by soliciting the help of their friends and family on move-in day, as well as by seeking out second-hand moving supplies such as free boxes, tape, etc.
Needing to feel “at home” is of top priority for those more anxious.
Those who had a pre-set packing system in place had an overall easier time.
People utilized outside services such as U-Haul truck rentals, storage unit rentals, etc. and had mixed reviews.
MAIN FOCUS
Of all the issues uncovered, the most surprising and noteworthy one was the need for people to feel “at home.”
40% of my participants had mentioned this need multiple times in conversation. The need to feel at home is of most importance to these individuals, and it in some way was negatively impacted or caused a significant amount of stress during their moving experience.
HOW MIGHT WE…?
To better understand and empathize with my now more clearly defined user and their concerns, I then developed a few POV/HMW questions:
⇨ When a person is about to live on their own for the first time and feels anxious about the new transition, how might we help them feel most adequately prepared to function on their own?
⇨ When a person moves across the country and is awaiting the arrival of their personal belongings, how might we help them ease the burden of costs and make them feel more “at home” until their belongings arrive?
DEFINE & IDEATE
USER PERSONA
Meet Alex, the anxious homebody who is hoping to quickly ensure that her new home is well-equipped and thus feels like a safe-haven.
STORYBOARDING
No long shopping lists = no stress
While Alex is excited about moving out for the first time, she also feels overwhelmed with how much she has to now purchase. Cookware, cleaning supplies, basic decor… not only does the list seem endless, but she also isn’t fully aware of all that she even needs.
Her worries are put to rest once she discovers settle in and the Build-a-Kit feature. Guided from room to room, she can select all the essential home items she needs to get her started. The kit will be delivered straight to her doorstep, ready for her on move-in day.
CARD SORTING
How do users mentally process and categorize items?
Conducting a card sorting exercise was crucial to this project. While I had an idea of which home items I wanted to include, I was unsure how my users would process and categorize them.
A few discrepancies came to light, mostly with items that could either be categorized as bathroom or cleaning.
FEATURE SET
The next task was to prioritize which features to build out first. Without question, the “Build-a-Kit” feature was the most crucial to design first. This feature is what separates this product from more traditional e-commerce websites.
Designing the progress bar, navigation, and checkout features were then prioritized next.
VISUAL DESIGN & PROTOTYPE
LO-FIDELITY & MID-FIDELITY WIREFRAMING
I then began to sketch out ideas by hand, which immediately allowed me to get a better sense of scaling and proportions. Once I had a more concrete idea of my intended design, I went to Figma to build out the mid-fidelity wireframes.
COLOR PALETTE
Evoking warm, grounding feelings with visual design
Because the moving experience is often stressful for people, my goal was to evoke calming and grounding feelings with the visual design.
It was intentional that the color palette be comprised of earthy tones. The muted green hues are intended to promote feelings of both peace and growth. The warmer tones (golden yellow and burnt orange) feel bright and lively, signifying the excitement and optimism that still also come with moving.
TYPOGRAPHY
Similar to the thought process behind my color palette choices, I also wanted the typography to feel inviting and friendly. I chose Poppins as it feels open and relaxed. Averia Serif Libre was chosen as a pairing for the major headers on the homepage.
TESTING & ITERATIONS
USER TESTING
Once I applied the UI design to my wireframes, I then created an interactive prototype to conduct my user testing. I informed my participants of the task at hand and gave them a shopping list.
So as to not skew any results, I ensured that the list items were more generalized than hyper-specific. For example, I asked my participants to shop for a “coffee maker” versus a “French press” which is how it is labeled in the prototype.
At-a-Glance Summary:
Task flow tested: Obtain & purchase essential home items when moving to a new place
Participants: 5 total (2 in person, 3 via Zoom)
Avg. task-completion time: 15 mins.
Success Metrics:
✔ 100% of users tested will successfully build and purchase a kit
✔ Discover at least a few areas for design improvement
FINDINGS
What did our users say?
After conducting the tests and analyzing the results, I uncovered five core areas where multiple users ran into issues:
1. Item categorization — 60% of users felt “hand soap” should be listed in the Bath section vs. Cleaning
2. Navigation between steps — 40% of users had difficulty navigating from one section to the next
3. Radio button touch-size — 60% of users struggled with touch-size
4. Lack of price transparency — 40% of users immediately wondered about prices not being listed
5. Choice selection — 60% of users expressed desire for greater options/color choices in items
ITERATIONS NEEDED
I then created a map to assist in prioritizing my iterations. I sorted the themes based on frequency and prioritized them based on severity.
The first iteration I prioritized was changing the verbiage of the “Next” button that allows users to navigate between sections. This change was of high importance as it disrupted the task flow but also required very little effort to change.
I then prioritized including prices for each item along with having a running total at the bottom. While the intention was always to have prices listed on the detail pages for each item, my findings proved that users understandably wish to see more transparency right at the forefront. This change certainly required the most effort, but it was clear that it would only positively affect the entire user experience.
Other small changes made: increasing the touch-size of the radio buttons and moving the hand soap to the Bath section.
BEFORE
AFTER
LIVE PROTOTYPE
Thanks for reading! Any comments or questions? I’d love to hear them.