End to end design process of onboarding flow to enhance the roommate finding process
Context
Team
Design (Emily Huang); Engineers (Jie Eun Lee, Wasi Uddin); PM (Brigette Adlawan); PM Mentor (Keyuri Anand)
My Role
UX Researcher, Product Designer
Timeline
2 weeks (Discovery & Research) + 2 weeks (Design) + 4 weeks (Development)
Overview
Product
MatchMyRoomie is an online platform that speeds up the process of finding a highly compatible roommate based on an onboarding quiz.
Project Scope
At the start of the sprint, we decided on a concept. I led user research efforts in the initial discovery phase as well as usability testing. I delivered wireframes and hi-fidelity designs, which were handed off to the developers.
Constraints
Technical Our developers are junior software engineers whose text stack was limited to web apps.
Time We had 8 weeks to research a problem space and build a validated product
Resources This is a personal project with a budget of $0.
Outcomes
Led user research efforts to understand user pain points and validate a hi-fidelity prototype to guide product goals and decisions
Deliverables included research plan, research survey, interview script, research synthesis summary, wireframes, logo, brand style guide, hi-fidelity designs, usability test script, usability test report, final presentation
Partnered with engineers and product manager to translate business requirements into user-centered design solutions
Problem
Existing roommate finding platforms overwhelm users with an extensive list of potential roommates. Users feel frustrated and drained sorting out those who are incompatible or unqualified.
30
Survey Responses
8
Interviews
6
Usability Tests
User Research
Through conducting interviews with potential users, we found that compatibility and trust were by far the most important factors when deciding on a potential roommate.
We initially intended to dive deeper into user safety and security while finding a roommate. We explored a few options to support user sense of safety but were limited by technical, legal, and financial constraints. Thus, we pivoted our focus to compatibility.
How might we assist users in efficiently discovering a highly compatible roommate?
User Stories
Based on our user pain points, we identified three user stories to focus our MVP 1 on and that would be feasible within the sprint timeframe.
As a user, I want to create a profile, so that potential roommates can get to know who I am.
As a user, I want to specify my preferences for potential roommates, so that I can focus on the most suitable options for me.
As a user, I want to be able to view profiles of potential roommates, so that I can gather relevant information and assess compatibility.
Developers pushed back on the user flow after seeing wireframes due to technical constraints.
Initially, I had drafted the onboarding questions to include information that was important to users and reduced duplicate questions.
However, the developers explained that they would not be able to build the algorithm as I had designed it.
I iterated on the designs based on our newly agreed flow to align with what was feasible for our MVP 1.
A sample of questions I had drafted for the compatibility quiz.
The final agreed upon question for MVP based on what developers were able to build.
User Feedback
Users want more!
After two rounds of testing with six users, we were able to iterate on designs and learn what users would like to see in future releases.
There were improvements made to the phrasing of select questions based on user feedback.
Users wish they had more information about their potential roommates to make the best decision (pets, smoking habits, personality, # of roommates, type of neighborhood)
Users would also like to share more information about themselves to ensure high compatibility.
Next Steps
01 Expand and verify validity of quiz questions for successful roommate matches
For next release, we plan to expand the questionnaire based on user feedback received. I would develop a research plan to further explore the following questions...
What factors have been found by research to be the most important for a successful roommate relationship?
Should some factors be weighted more than others?
What factors are likely to lead to a failure of a roommate relationship?
How long of a questionnaire as users willing to fill out when it comes to searching for a suitable roommate?
02 Expand designs to be responsive
Our website would need to be mobile friendly to maximize usability. People may be actively searching for a roommate on the go.
03 Better understand the market
We had planned to partner with universities for launch.
How different are roommate relationships between students and working professionals?
Which location would be best to target for launch, and what regional factors that may affect strategy?
Key Takeaways
Collaborating with a product manager and engineers in a sprint setting, I learned...
To not get too attached to my designs because technical (or other) constraints may prevent the design from moving forward.
To consider product strategy early on including success metrics, monetization strategies, and product launch plan to ensure product success.
The importance of communicating with engineers throughout the design process to identify potential barriers early on
Thank you!
Link to my full Figma work file here.