Redesigning a mobile app for a Scandinavian home services company
SERVICE TYPE
- Mobile app design
- Website design (partially)
Industry
- Home services
My role
- Lead UX/UI Designer
Timeline
- Sep’23 - May’23
About the project
Known for its high quality and reliability, Hemfrid has established itself as a leader in the Swedish home services market, building trust both among its employees and with its clients. Beyond providing regular services, the company also sells its own line of cleaning products and keeps up with the times by offering a full digital experience through platforms such as a website with user accounts, a mobile app for employees, and a customer-facing application.
During my collaboration with Hemfrid, I had the chance to work on all of these, but my team and I focused most of our time and effort on redesigning the last one — the client-side app. Why? Let’s dive into the reasons and the process!
Problem statement
In contrast to Hemfrid's outstanding reputation, the legacy customer application frequently received negative feedback from users. Among the issues mentioned were unintuitive navigation and a complicated booking process. Requesting add-ons was also a hassle — users had to call or email because the app lacked the necessary functionality. Additionally, it was missing booking history and key details for scheduled occasions, such as service inclusions and staff information (with name and photo).
In other words, instead of simplifying the flow for both parties, the application ended up creating more work for Hemfrid's support team and resulted in a low usage rate among customers. All the issues mentioned earlier prompted the company to commission a full redesign, addressing everything: from changes in information architecture and a better user experience to a fresh new look inspired by clean Scandinavian aesthetics, aligned with the recent visual updates on the corporate website.
Preparation
We did not jump straight into this project. Beforehand, another company called InUse, experts in Impact Mapping and Impact Management, performed a comprehensive audit of the legacy app and conducted user interviews.
Later, a small team of two designers was formed, with me as Lead Designer. My responsibilities involved:
- crafting a well-rounded UX strategy;
- conducting workshops to align stakeholders;
- selecting and implementing the most effective research methods;
- overseeing the UI design;
- and many more!
Main goals
Based on the information gathered, InUse defined key personas and prepared an Impact Map that included user stories and product goals. Additionally, they identified user pain points, shared valuable insights from the conversations with real customers, and proposed ideas that our team could implement (but doesn’t have to!) on the Hemfrid project.
So, according to the aforementioned Impact Map, the following main goals were established:
- simplify contact with the company by increasing the share of self-service;
- inspire Hemfrid clients to maintain a clean and nice home;
- increase customer commitment.
Workshop
Stakeholders from Hemfrid visited Cracow for two days, which gave both of our teams the opportunity to meet in person and plan next steps. During the workshop, we applied the Impact-Effort Matrix method (a typical Agile approach) to prioritize the user stories and decide which of them would be included in MVP.
Moreover, I led the team in using the Abstraction Laddering method (commonly used in Design Thinking) to try to solve user pain points and discover the motivations behind customer behavior.
Design process
The reason I loved this project so much is that the process we agreed on together with the customer felt incredibly close to perfect. Me and my design mate began with building user flows, transitioned into detailed wireflows after creating wireframes, and finally brought it all together with a clickable prototype.
Prototype
- user flows;
- wireframes;
- wireflows;
- clickable prototype
Test
- usability testing;
- wireframes;
- wireflows;
- prototype
Design
- usability testing;
- wireframes;
- wireflows;
- prototype
User flows, wireframes and wireflows
We built user flows for both guest users and logged-in users. This approach helped us identify any potential difficulties or confusion points and address them before the app’s release.
By achieving these goals, the proportion of unique services booked per customer was expected to increase and the app was designed to make customers feel more secure and satisfied with the services provided by our client.
Prototyping & usability testing
In this phase, we prepared clickable prototypes of the app to conduct usability tests later. Our goal is to gather users’ feedback and validate our design decisions using the Useberry plugin.
By achieving these goals, the proportion of unique services booked per customer was expected to increase and the app was designed to make customers feel more secure and satisfied with the services provided by our client.
Solutions & deliverables
During the design process, our team created user flows, wireframes, wireflows, and clickable prototypes to map out the user journey and test different design solutions. Also, we have just begun the phase of usability testing, and are looking forward to incorporating the insights we gather to improve the final product.
User flows, wireframes and wireflows
We built user flows for both guest users and logged-in users. This approach helped us identify any potential difficulties or confusion points and address them before the app’s release.
By achieving these goals, the proportion of unique services booked per customer was expected to increase and the app was designed to make customers feel more secure and satisfied with the services provided by our client.
Prototyping & usability testing
In this phase, we prepared clickable prototypes of the app to conduct usability tests later. Our goal is to gather users’ feedback and validate our design decisions using the Useberry plugin.
By achieving these goals, the proportion of unique services booked per customer was expected to increase and the app was designed to make customers feel more secure and satisfied with the services provided by our client.
Ready to collaborate?
Reach out to me in any way that is convenient for you - on Instagram, LinkedIn, by writing an email, or by filling out the contact form ;)
