Home Depot Concept

MAKING DIY PROJECTS COST-EFFECTIVE AND TIME-EFFICIENT

AISLE 1

A CONCEPT FOR DIY ENTHUSIASTS

THE PROBLEM / THE OPPORTUNITY

In this case study, we'll explore my UX design process for a DIY Projects app extension in existing Home Depot app. It was a 2-week sprint, with 3 designers aiming to create a user-friendly app for efficient and cost-effective project execution. I wanted to understand DIY enthusiasts' behaviors, work on a design team, and present a cohesive story about our process.

AISLE 2

KNOW YOUR ROLE

A GOAL FROM THE PROJECTS SUCCESS

To begin, the team defined our project goals, established a timeline, and created roles and resolution plans. A project plan was created. With my management experience, it was natural that I fell into the role of Project Manager.

A Trello board was created in order to keep our progress on track. Because of my 10+ years of management experience, I took naturally to making agendas, checking in with group mates, and writing daily progress reports.

A snapshot of the Trello board used for the project

AISLE 3

WHO IS SHE?

STEP ONE IN UNDERSTANDING THE USER

Research started with interviews of DIY enthusiasts to understand our target audience. The collected data was used to create an affinity map, which revealed the needs, goals, and frustrations of DIY users. We gathered some key insights.

DIY enthusiasts interviewed said they have trouble keeping track of everything needed for their projects

DIY enthusiasts interviewed said cost is the single most important motivator in choosing and executing a project

DIY enthusiasts interviewed will lose motivation if the project takes longer than expected

DIY enthusiasts watch video tutorials in order to feel confident about starting a DIY

100%

From the key insights came the assembly of the persona, Bobbi.

Meet Bobbi...

Frustrated by not having the necessary supplies/materials for projects
Motivated to DIY as a means to save money
Wants to finish a project within expected timeframe
Watches video tutorials but needs written instructions as a reference

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Bobbi needs an efficient way to source materials for her DIY projects because she will lose motivation when projects become a hindrance to her finances and time.

HOW MIGHT WE...

Provide a variety instruction options
Make finding necessary supplies easier and faster
Show the expected total budget at the beginning of the project

AISLE 4

DUST YOURSELF OFF AND FAIL, AGAIN

The Girl Has Needs

The inner perfectionist in me would love to tell you that I get everything right on the first try. Fortunately, I’m not a liar. As the user flow below demonstrates, I had to revise it in order to get a flow that actually works for Bobbi. This flow focused too heavily on pick-up and delivery options. “Let your user tell you what she needs,” reminded my supervisor.

A snapshot of the original user flow

This flow addresses Bobbi's needs by starting as a nested extension in the Home Depot app, including prompts for budget, time, and finding materials, displaying project cost upfront, and providing prompts for videos and a tool list.

A snapshot of the updated user flow

AISLE 5

TO CREATE, WE IDEATE

BRAINSTORMING SOLUTIONS

HOME DEPOT

Video Tutorials

LOWE'S

HOME HARDWARE

Pick-Up Option

Written Supply List

Written Instructions

Community Forum

Competitive Analysis of The Home Depot vs Lowe’s and Home Hardware. Noted was the lack of a supply list as something to expand on. View the full competitive analysis here.

Market analysis of a clickable tool list offers a faster way for Bobbi to choose project essentials, building upon the competitive analysis.

This image demonstrates how The Home Depot currently lists materials in the DIY section of it’s website.

AISLE 6

IT'S DESIGN AFTER ALL

BRAINSTORMING SOLUTIONS

With research in hand, we began brainstorming and ideating on possible design solutions in 30 minute design studio. I sketched out various ideas as low-fi wireframes.

Frame with drop down menu to filter results

Frame with clickable supply list, using inspiration from the comparative analysis

A checkout frame

AISLE 7

REDESIGNING FOR BOBBI

A SUCCESSFUL FAIL

Only having one filter did not address all of Bobbi's needs

Usability testing was conducted with DIY enthusiasts to ensure a user-friendly design. They completed tasks like finding projects and adding supplies, while their behavior and feedback were observed. A key insight was the need for additional filtering parameters to address budget and timeliness concerns. The prototype was updated accordingly.

Adding more filter options allowed Bobbi to more easily filter to her needs

AISLE 8

THIS COULD JUST BE THE BEGINNING

FULLY ASSEMBLED

The current prototype maintains usability by aligning with The Home Depot's app design. It includes familiar functionality like drop-down menus, consistent appearance, and animations. The filters cater to Bobbi's needs, and a sorting feature by project category is available. Video instructions are provided first, followed by a section with written instructions where Bobbi can check off completed steps. Additionally, a clickable tool list enables her to add supplies to the cart.

A video of the current prototype.

AISLE 9

LOOKING BACK AND RUNNING FORWARD

NEXT STEPS

The Home Depot DIY extension app involved teamwork, feedback, research, data synthesis, ideation, wireframing, usability testing, and prototyping. By following a user-centered design approach, we created a user-friendly app that met our DIY audience's needs.

- Conduct further research to identify additional opportunities for improving the user experience
- Add additional personas and user flows to enhance the app
- Consider the inclusion of other DIY enthusiasts as potential community to enhance collaboration and social aspects