Constrol
Project Type
Individual project
From research to testing
Software / Tool
Prototype: Sketch
Presentation: InVision
Duration
8 weeks for UX research
and creation
Application Platform
Apple iOS
Introduction
The condominium market has grown over the past 30 years, especially in many large cities in Canada. From 2001 to 2011, over 1/3 of new dwellings were under construction and residency. According to the 2011 NHS, over 1/8 Canadian live in condos. This means that more Canadians will live this way. The condo is a very different lifestyle and a completely different way of property ownership. It requires you have to consult with your condo managers. However, in all provinces except BC, managers are currently not required to have formal training or education in condominium management. Some organizations have created training programs and designations. However, they remain voluntary. Due to the lack of experienced condo managers and technical assistance, the condo dwellers experience low service quality.
All of this raised a question:
How might we facilitate better communication between condo dwellers and management in order to have transparency with facility operations?
Design Process
- Interview
- Competitive Analysis
- Persona
- Experience Map
- Task Flow
- Sketch
- Wireframing
- Visual Design
- Iteration
RESEARCH
Insights
Through secondary research and interviews, I gained an initial understanding of the target user’s motivations, goals, and barriers to use the services. Four condo dwellers who have the experience to deal with their management goes participated in the interview. The insights from the interview led to the development of two personas and one experience map.
My interviewees fall into one of the three categories: young homeowner, senior homeowner, and young tenant.
I decided the young tenant was not a priority since they usually move around, and the landlord is responsible for the major repair.
I chose to focus on the other two personas and defined the young homeowners and senior homeowners because they often consult with condo managers.
- Four Major Motivations and Goals for using the condo services
- Four Major Barriers and Sources of discomfort
Competitive Analysis
There are several direct competitors in the market, and I seek to learn from their advantages and shortcomings. Since most of the products have a restricted login, I compared their usability based on the user’s review on the app store. After studied the four competitors’ products, I found the opportunity would be a product that focuses on these four aspect’s performances:
1. Efficiency of use: the product can suggest being more user-friendly and easy to navigate.
2. Quotations for comparison for major repairs and contracts.
DEFINE
Constraints
- Different condo managements have their particular rules and regulations.
- A secure system could protect the dweller’s privacy.
- Co-operate with condo management, Board of Directors, and condo dwellers.
- Condo dwellers who are infrequently using the condo service and do not care about their management’s service quality.
- Condo dwellers who do not use or not confident to use the smartphone.
Opportunity
After interviewing the condo dwellers and conducting the competitive analysis, it shows obscure of the condo act. Since the condo is a very different property ownership style, the resident could easily misunderstand their rights and responsibility. I found “Requesting Repair Service” to be a great opportunity to clarify who should pay for the damage. Therefore, it could decline the number of complaints describe as repair or maintenance not be carried out.
The critical point when condo dwellers booking repair appointment:
- Residents have reduced their time visiting the management office since they can easily interact with building information online and could directly communicate with their managers.
- Provide instructions to help resident fill out the form.
- Residents know the management follows their commitment since they could track the request progress online.
Persona
Experience Map
I use an experience map to list all the research findings for Siana to request her condo management repair service. It allows me to organize research information in order not to slip any valuable findings. Afterward, I select the proposed solutions to be fit into a real-life user scenario.
IDEATE
User Stories
To create a simplified description of a mobile app feature requirement and make sure all the features are from an end-user perspective, I create a user story. Since most of the complaints describe repairs and maintenance not being carried out, the key epic would be “get a repair service.”
Task Flow
The primary task flow selected is the request a service. The secondary task flow selected is to track the service progress.
Sketch
I started by mapping out the most basic interaction a resident would have with the app: from request to get the service ultimately. This already presented some interesting design challenges. As the primary target users, they would like to get the response quickly. How could I design a proposed solution for these needs? Also, they find the information is hard to navigate. How could I layout the information becomes more accessible?
After looking at the needs of my users, I began sketching my ideas for the product. The core task focused on requesting a repair service, and I began ideating how to generate that process.
PROTOTYPE
Iteration
Rounds of Testing
2 Rounds
Participants
11 Test Users
Condo Dwellers who tested
6 Dwellers
After conducted the first round of usability testings, I modified the prototype based on the feedback and suggestions. I use the same script to hold the usability testings with five different participants in the same scenario. The purpose of second usability testing is aim to see how effective those changes were. And test if problems may not find at the first testing.
Here are the major problems and issues that the users did mention on the usability testing.
Lack of consistency and standards
The navigation buttons with different functions look too similar.
Form lacks legibility and spacing
The length of the field and spacing is far too small.
Tiny clickable areas for crucial navigation buttons
The back buttons on each page do not meet the system standard.
Require better information architecture
The wordings cause the misunderstanding of categories.
Suppliers lack important information
During testing, many users curious to know why they need to choose that supplier.
Users do not indicate the reliability of the supplier
During testing, many users wish to see more information that I assumed was not important.
VISUAL DESIGN
Moodboard
After reviewing the notes and applying changes, I define the core interaction. I decided to move on to the high fidelity prototype and think about my visual identity. I started exploring what the look and feel of the app could be.
I started a mood board by thinking about aspiration values and target users of my brand. The words I used are: modern, urban, professional and supportive.
UI Library
The wordmark I choose is “constrol.” The wordmark is the combination of condo, smart and control. It sounds like “control.” The word “control” means the power to influence people’s behaviours. In terms of the app’s functionality, it influences condo dwellers to decline the numbers to visit the management office. So that, I believe “constrol” is more relevant to the topic.
Wordmark in sketch
Wordmark Final
Colour
Typography
Marketing Site
The condo management app is involved in two parties. Respectively, they are condo managers and condo dwellers. However, the primary target audience for the site is condo managers. The reason is condo dwellers do not have the freedom to choose which management app they are using. Also, different condo buildings comply with the management’s varying needs, so it is better to let the condo management office customize the property management packages.
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Resume