Illumi
My Design Process
Problem
Interior designers typically charge $100-$250 per hour or $5,000-$15,000 per project. In my time designing and selling luxury homes, I often referred designers to friends, only to have those referrals stall when the designer provided an enormous quote for a relatively small project.
I knew that many people would love to seek a quicker and more cost-effective method to enhance their home's design without having to make every decision alone. And I knew that finding an interior designer whose style aligns with your own and is willing to undertake smaller, one-time projects can be challenging.
Learning
Illumi, my first UX design project, provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the user centric design process as I attempted to solve a problem that had long-plagued me in my career developing luxury real estate.
In building Illumi, I refined my design skills and deepened my appreciation for design philosophy both through self-iteration and soliciting user feedback.
Leveraging skills from my previous profession, such as incorporating client response and having a vision for the end result, alongside new skills like building wireframes, I designed Illumi from concept to prototype.
Solution
Illumi aims to create an inclusive design community, accommodating users of all budgets. It offers a platform where users can explore interior designers' portfolios, engage in quick and affordable hiring, and visualize selected materials through renderings.
Research Analysis
After completing the user interviews, feedback was organized into categories such as past experience with designers, user's own design process, and feature requests.
User Personas
User Stories
User-specific tasks and stories for Illumi were create to empathize with users and comprehend their needs and emotions while using the app:
-
Login / Signup:
-
New users can sign up quickly to start using the app immediately.
-
Returning users can log in swiftly to resume where they left off.
-
-
Onboarding:
-
New users can learn their design preferences to be matched with suitable designers.
-
Returning users have the option to take the design quiz if initially skipped.
-
-
User Profile:
-
Users can view their saved design inspirations for easier project management.
-
-
Designer Profiles:
-
Users can view designer profiles to assess their past work and suitability.
-
-
Designer Chat:
-
Users can chat with designers to select finishes for their rooms.
-
-
Upload Image:
-
Users can share pictures of their houses to receive feedback from designers.
-
-
Inspiration Page:
-
Users can browse pictures of other rooms for inspiration in designing their spaces.
-
Open Card Sort
An Open Card Sort test was conducted with 7 participants over 3 days. Participants were asked to sort 12 terms into categories. The results showed that the majority of responses were in line with the expected categories, however, “bedroom photo” and “tell us about your renovation” were confusing for some. Additionally, the categories for projects and general inspiration had a tendency to blend together.
Wire Frames
User Testing
To assess the basic usability of the Illumi, user testing was conducted with first-time users. In addition to providing users overall impressions they were asked to complete two tasks; starting a new chat and adding a photo to the moodboard. The results revealed several usability issues that I addressed in later iterations.
Final Mockups
Prototype
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed learning more about Illumi. Inspired by my own design journey and some of the real-life use cases that I encountered in my career building luxury homes, my first end-to-end UX project showcases how my background and experience as a project manager across multiple verticals adds strategic depth to my work as a UX and UI designer.
Future next steps for me in scaling Illumi would be focused on building out the designer side of the app, including a unique onboarding process and features for designers to showcase their work and businesses.
Additionally, with more engineering resources, priority would be given to developing the "my project" page. This feature allows users to upload room specifications and material selections to visualize the room virtually before making purchases, akin to existing functionality on other home sites.