responsive web app
Overview
Goal: To create a seamless and engaging user experience within a friendly community, facilitating direct communication with local experts. Users require a platform to connect with experts in their spoken language, regardless of the time or location, to overcome challenges they encounter in unfamiliar settings.
My solution: Expert for Expats offers an organic home-finding and setting-up solution, designed to enhance the experiences of those traveling abroad or relocating internationally. By providing swift access to knowledgeable experts, I aim to add substantial value to users' journeys.
As the sole designer on this project, I undertook the entire design process, from comprehensive research to crafting the final prototype. Key steps included competitor analysis, thorough user research, journey mapping, creating user personas, developing wireframes, building prototypes, refining UI design, and conducting usability testing. Throughout the project, I utilized Adobe XD, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
The final prototype is accessible here.
Disclosure: All images used in this project were sourced from Pinterest, including portrait photography credited to Tausha Dickinson, Alpana Aras, and Maciek Krula.
user research
To gain valuable insights into my users' objectives and challenges, I conducted a comprehensive research process that integrated two key methodologies: user interviews and contextual inquiries. During this phase, I interviewed three individuals—Lamia, Cristina, and Katerina—who had recently undergone the process of finding a home and setting it up. Their firsthand experiences provided essential data to achieve the following research goals:
➭ better understand user behavior around the activity of searching for a home in a new country and setting it up including utilities and home design
➭ identify the most relevant features for the user when searching for home-related topics in a new city/country
➭ determine which tasks users would like to complete using the expert app
Based on the findings from my research, I proceeded to develop two user personas.
user personas
user journeys
user flow
low-fidelity wireframes
To align with the preferences of the Expert for Expats persona, who values clarity, simplicity, and straightforwardness, I opted for a benefits-oriented onboarding approach. This onboarding method comprises three swipe-through screens, each presenting key information that communicates the following:
➭ what does the app do?
➭ how can the user integrate it into their life?
➭ what value will this integration provide?
I prioritize a user-friendly approach by avoiding forced sign-up or joining. Instead, I present the benefits of the app upfront, allowing users to explore and decide if they wish to continue using it before requiring any sign-up. Additionally, I offer a "skip" option for those who prefer to bypass the full onboarding process and dive right into using the app. This way, users have the freedom to engage with the app at their own pace and convenience.
usability testing
In the usability testing phase, I recruited a total of six participants, conducting four tests in person and two via Skype. For the in-person sessions, I used Quicktime Player to record both their screens and voices.
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the learnability of the expert finding application for new users interacting with it on both mobile and desktop platforms. I aimed to observe and measure participants' comprehension of the app's features, its value proposition, and their ability to perform basic functions such as logging in, searching for experts, and navigating the interface.
The test results, along with a comprehensive analysis of errors, observations, and feedback (both positive and negative), are presented in rainbow spreadsheets. Within these sheets, I also documented my proposed solutions and outlined the subsequent steps that led to the final prototype.
high-fidelity wireframes
final prototype
You can access the final prototype by clicking here.