GalleryPal

Improving guest satisfaction through interactive museum experiences

Team & roles

Jesh Anies - UX Research & Design
Laura Trouiller - Mentor

Project Duration

May 3-7, 2025

Responsibilities

User Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing

Making the museum experience more immersive

Museums and galleries are trying to increase customer satisfaction when viewing art. From paintings, to sculptures, and installations, GalleryPal wants to design a way to improve the experience of viewing art in a museum. They have brought me on board to run a design sprint to quickly test out a possible solution.

The constraints for this sprint include:

  • Improving the in-person viewing experience

  • Delivering a solution designed as a mobile app or mobile-optimized website

GalleryPal wanted their solution to be designed for mobile devices. I focused on the user's experience while at the museum, so a mobile phone is the most accessible, and common option for users in that scenario.

The solution

Design mobile MVP features that enhance the in-person museum experience through art profile pages, nearby art suggestions, map integration, artwork scanning, and journaling.

The problem

Museum and gallery visitors often struggle to fully engage with or understand the art they are viewing, leading to a less satisfying in-person experience. Gallerypal recognizes there is an opportunity to enhance the viewing experience using devices that visitors already carry with them—their smartphones.

Day 1 - Map

User Interviews

GalleryPal conducted user interviews and research. Participants were asked to tell about a recent time they visited an art museum or gallery. Here’s an overview of their recent experiences:

  • Sometimes I'll do a quick Google search for a painting while on my phone while at the museum ... but I usually just find long articles that are super overwhelming.

  • I enjoy looking at art, but sometimes I feel like I'm missing out on the full experience by not knowing any background information or context.

  • I don't really enjoy group tours because I like to do my own thing ... but sometimes I listen in to learn a few facts about the artist, or the piece itself.

  • I like to form my own opinion about art, but it can be hard to do that when I don't really know anything about the artist, or what their intentions were in creating the work.

  • There are so many times I find myself saying 'how did the artist do that?!' - I would love to know more about their process and technique.

  • I may do a little research before my visit, but I always find a work of art that catches my eye that I didn't read about beforehand

  • I often wonder - what would the artist tell me about this piece if they had a minute to talk to me? How cool would that be?!?

Key Interview

One particular interview conducted between Joe Formica, Lead Researcher for GalleryPal, and Lena Caroll, Tour Guide at The Museum of Natural History, New York, gave me valuable insight to the relationship between customer satisfaction and viewing art as she worked directly with museum goers.

As I reviewed their conversation, I looked out for answers to these questions that would give me more context into understanding the problem:

  • What helps guests have a better experience?

  • What area of the guest experience could be improved?

  • Quotes or insights

Here’s what I found:

  • In their conversation, Lena pointed out that guests connect with the story behind the art. Her method includes a combination of context, the artist, history and the actual process and technique of the art itself.

  • Lena mentioned that her hope was for guests to get something more out of it instead of walking around by themselves. Sometimes they miss a detail or overlook a detail. Her method of approach is to go in objectively so that guests come out with their own opinion.

  • “Look closely at the work and reflect what it means to them.”

    “Artwork is meant to understand yourself.”

Thematic Analysis

With all the insights gathered during user interviews, I organized my findings using an affinity diagram to find overarching themes under a thematic analysis:

I organized my affinity diagram even further in FigJam so that it's much easier to read and navigate the content. After synthesizing my data, I boiled down the insights to 4 key findings:

  • Participants have noted that they’ve expressed their frustration with having to sift through too much. As Nick explains, “Sometimes I'll do a quick Google search for a painting while on my phone while at the museum ... but I usually just find long articles that are super overwhelming.” Another participant suggested that it’d be valuable if the artist could tell guests about the art if they had a minute to talk about it. Even Lena, with limited time, has to adjust and provide information in tidbits when presenting information about art during her tours.

  • It is said that museum goers know there's good art, but they don't know why yet. This was something Lena observed working at the The Museum of Natural History saying, “typical museum goers don't know much about the art before going in.” In another interview, Claire points out that she always finds a work of art that catches her eye that she didn't read about beforehand.

  • It was important that participants learned about the art to better connect with it. When Lena gives tours at work, her goal is to help guests create a story to better connect with the art. The key information can be categorized in three ways:

    1. Background & context:

    2. Process & technique

    3. About the artist

  • As mentioned, Lena mentioned that her hope was for guests to get something more out of it instead of walking around by themselves. Sometimes they miss a detail or overlook a detail. Her method of approach is to go in objectively so that guests come out with their own opinion. As a bonus, perhaps the guest finds a deeper understanding about themselves by reflecting on the art.

Persona

Thanks to GalleryPal, I was provided a persona to better understand museum guests and synthesize the insights gathered. Meet Angela.

How Might We

Once all of the research was done, I brainstormed a list of guiding questions which set the foundation for providing a solution to the problem:

  1. How might we enhance access to key information about the artwork?

  2. How might we increase reflection for users after experiencing the art?

I also considered a few other questions but weren’t prioritized due to the time constraints and other factors:

  • How might we encourage research prior to a guest’s museum visit? I opted not to dive deeper into this because this felt more like a marketing/awareness issue instead of a user experience issue.

  • How might we bring awareness to long-form content or information for museum goers? I opted not to dive deeper into this because based on participant insights, museum guests prefer receiving bitesize information about the art. I could include a way to resolve this during the sprint but will not be prioritized for this project.

MVP

Based on the How Might We framework, I then brainstormed what the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) would be to solve those two questions. I came up with four which include:

  1. Art profile

  2. List of nearby art

  3. Map

  4. Journal

User Stories 

After brainstorming, I fleshed out user stories that would be included in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). I focused on core scenarios that enhance access key information about the artwork and increase reflection for users after experiencing the art.

Day 2 - Sketch

Lightning Demos

To get started, I researched examples of mobile apps. I focused on features that I would need to build for the solution including art profiles, nearby art, map and journal features. I also stumbled upon inspiration for location services and a scan feature that could be helpful to include.

MVP

Art Profiles

American Museum of Natural History - Explorer

Google Arts & Culture

Smartify

Explorer along with Arts & Culture do a great job of highlighting the key information. Though it is more detailed than I prefer, Smartify gets an honorary mention for the fact that users can scroll horizontally between key information.

Nearby Art

American Museum of Natural History - Explorer

National Museum in your pocket

Smartify

The general consensus from my finding is that recommendations nearby me are represented by cards. Some utilized a horizontal scroll. After looking at this, I thought it would be cool to include the user’s distance from the nearby art.

Map

American Museum of Natural History - Explorer

Google Arts & Culture

Both Explorer and Arts & Culture use a map with nearby recommendations underneath. I appreciated how art was contained in an ellipse for Explorer.

Journal

Journal

Day One

The ability to journal does not appear in museum apps but perhaps there's a way to incorporate them. Looked at journaling apps that give the user the option to type something from a template or a prompt. Users can add photos and include how they feel, which could be useful for reflecting on art.

Non-MVP

Location services

American Museum of Natural History - Explorer

Scan

Smartify

Crazy 8 sketches

Next, it was time to put pen to paper and sketch out how the user interface for each MVP would potentially look like. I utilized the crazy 8s method to quickly iterate different variations for the most critical screens.

Art Profiles

Nearby Art

Map

Journal

Solution Sketch

After sketching variations of the critical screens, I put together a solution sketch that highlights the journey the user takes from the home page, which includes ‘Nearby art’ cards. From then the user could either interact with the map or select a nearby art card which would direct the user to the art profile page. This page would have a horizontal scroll that users can scroll through to learn more about the art itself, with the key information being the first card. From here. The user may also click on the journal icon that would trigger the journal page to swipe upwards and allow the user to jot down any reflections they’ve made about the art.

    • Verified Profiles: Require identity verification (e.g., government-issued ID) and social media/account linking to ensure authenticity.

    • Detailed Profiles: Encourage users to include comprehensive details such as habits, interests, work schedules, and lifestyle preferences.

    • Profile Completeness Meter: Add a progress bar to show how complete a profile is, incentivizing users to provide more information.

    • Review and Rating System: Allow previous roommates to leave reviews and ratings for individuals.

    • Preference Matching: Include filters for preferred living arrangements (e.g., cleanliness, noise levels, pets, etc.) to ensure compatibility.

    • Trust Badges: Display badges for actions like profile verification, providing references, or positive reviews.

    • Quick Filters: Allow users to apply detailed filters (budget, location, gender preference, etc.) right from the homepage.

    • Interactive Map Search: Integrate an interactive map that displays potential roommates by location.

    • Saved Searches & Alerts: Let users save their search criteria and receive notifications when new matches are available.

    • Interest Gestures: Allow users to express interest in a profile with a single click or swipe.

    • Speed Matching Events: Host virtual speed-dating-style roommate-matching sessions.

    • In-App Messaging: Provide a built-in, secure messaging platform for real-time communication.

    • Icebreaker Prompts: Add fun prompts or questions (e.g., “What’s your dream weekend activity?”) to kick start conversations.

    • Voice/Video Call Integration: Offer the ability to schedule and conduct voice or video calls directly within the app.

    • Message Templates: Provide suggested templates for initiating conversations (e.g., “Hi, I’m interested in learning more about your living preferences!”).

    • Highlight shared traits: Show mutual interests or overlapping preferences as prompts during chats.

    • Group Chats: Enable users to create group chats if multiple people are exploring living together.

    • Letter of recommendation submission: Allow users to submit documents to verify their compatibility as a roommate

    • Background Checks: Offer optional background checks that users can pay for or opt into.

    • Safety Guides: Provide a guide on safe practices for meeting potential roommates or discussing living arrangements.

    • Conflict Mediation Resources: Include resources or tips for resolving disputes among roommates.

    • Report and Block Features: Ensure users can report or block suspicious profiles easily.

    • Roommate Agreements: Provide a template for creating a roommate agreement, ensuring both parties are aligned.

    • Transparent Reviews: Allow users to view how others have rated someone’s reliability, cleanliness, and communication.

    • Emergency Contact Integration: Let users optionally share emergency contact information with verified roommates.

The ability to journal does not appear in museum apps but perhaps there's a way to incorporate them. Looked at journaling apps that give the user the option to type something from a template or a prompt. Users can add photos and include how they feel, which could be useful for reflecting on art.

User Stories 

After listing out my initial ideas, I fleshed out user stories that would be included in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). I focused on core scenarios that a user would experience in their search for a compatible roommate.

  • As someone

    Who’s building a profile

    I want to...

    Enter details such as moving location, habits, interests, work schedules, lifestyle preferences, preferred living arrangements (e.g., cleanliness, noise levels, pets), etc.

    so that...

    Others understand who I am and to find someone with similar preferences and move-in timeframe

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who’s in the middle of their search

    I want to...

    Adjust map and filter preferences

    so that...

    The listing is more tuned to what I'm looking for

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who’s in the middle of their search

    I want to...

    Search for a particular keyword

    so that...

    I can filter things based on a profile I found earlier

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who’s in the middle of their search

    I want to...

    Look at user profiles

    so that...

    I can find a compatible roommate

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who’s in the middle of their search

    I want to...

    Start a conversation

    so that...

    I can gauge their personality

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who matched with someone

    I want to...

    Schedule a (phone or video) call

    so that...

    I can gauge their personality

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who’s looking to fill in an extra room

    I want to...

    Request a letter of recommendation

    so that...

    I can make an informed decision to live with them

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who has had a conversation with another user

    I want to...

    Decide / move forward with them

    so that...

    I can remove myself from the listing and archive other conversations

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who stepped away from the app for some time

    I want to...

    View notifications

    so that...

    I can quickly catch up on what I missed out on

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who matched with someone who is problematic

    I want to...

    Report a problem

    so that...

    They don't cause harm or trouble towards me or others

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who has made the decision to live with someone

    I want to...

    Archive other conversations

    so that...

    I can focus the conversation between my future roommate and I

    Priority

    1

  • As someone

    Who’s building a profile

    I want to...

    Submit identity verification (e.g., government-issued ID)

    so that...

    I have a trustworthy profile

    Priority

    2

  • As someone

    Who matched with someone

    I want to...

    Run a software background check on them

    so that...

    I can make an informed decision to live with them

    Priority

    2

  • As someone

    Who doesn't know how to start a conversation

    I want to...

    Use suggested prompts / templates to talk

    so that...

    I can start the conversation positively

    Priority

    2

  • As someone

    Who doesn't know what to cover in a conversation

    I want to...

    Access a checklist of topics / preferences to cover

    so that...

    I cover all our bases as we chat

    Priority

    2

  • As someone

    Who has to reschedule a call

    I want to...

    Reschedule a call

    so that...

    I can chat at a better time

    Priority

    2

  • As someone

    Who wants to let others know I made the decision to go with someone else

    I want to...

    Use suggested prompts / templates to talk

    so that...

    I don't ghost them and continue politely

    Priority

    3

  • As someone

    Who is totally unsure of how to navigate search process

    I want to...

    Read up on tips and articles

    so that...

    I can navigate the search process with clarity and efficiency in mind

    Priority

    3

With an abundant list as my starting point, Laura then encouraged me to prioritize the top 10 user stories to design along with flows to focus on the key scenarios for the MVP.

  • As someone

    Visiting a museum 

    I want to...

    View key information for a piece of art 

    so that...

    I can get a quick overview of the art

  • As someone

    Visiting a museum 

    I want to...

    Automatically preview a list of nearby art (based on my location within the museum)

    so that...

    I can access key information for a piece of art 

  • As someone

    Visiting a museum 

    I want to...

    Interact with a map to locate a  piece of art 

    so that...

    I can access key information about said art

  • As someone

    Reviewing key information for a piece of art 

    I want to...

    Journal my thoughts

    so that...

    I can reflect my opinions about a piece of art

User Flow

I then mapped out user flows to help me visualize the various scenarios a user undergoes to accomplish each task from the four MVPs.

Sitemap

Putting together user flows helped me piece together how all of those scenarios could fit into a cohesive roommate finding experience. By creating a sitemap, I was able to see the connection and hierarchy of each screen.

When I reviewed my initial sitemap with Laura, there were more changes to be done so that the onboarding process was more clearly defined and the information architecture reflected a familiar structure to existing app experiences. To achieve this, there was less emphasis on tips/education for users and more emphasis on action-oriented interactions. Tips would be nested under the profile section updating the parent sections to include:

  1. Finding roommate profiles (later renamed ‘Explore’)

  2. Messages with matched profiles (later renamed ‘Messages’)

  3. Notifications

  4. Profile (later renamed ‘Account’)

This updated sitemap would lay the foundation for the user experience as it is used as the main navigation for the design.

Design

Sketches

Once my ideas were organized into user stories, flows, and a sitemap, it was time to put pen to paper and sketch out how the user interface would potentially look like. While screens didn’t have to be drawn perfectly, they needed to be clear enough for the ideas to be understood when gathering feedback from a fresh set of eyes.

Guerilla Usability Testing

I then conducted a guerilla test on my sketches to discover any pain points and confusion for a user navigating an app that would solve for finding a compatible roommate. The test was conducted via zoom in order to document the conversation.In order for the participants to engage with a test conducted digitally, I scanned my sketches and placed them in Figma and had them share their screen as they navigate and explore the sketches. After gathering feedback on the sketches, I boiled down the feedback to two key findings:

  1. One of the most important findings that was discovered about my design was that it was easy to understand. My sketches pulled inspiration from dating apps, travel apps, social media apps, etc. so participants were already familiar with established UI/UX principles that were incorporated in my sketches. Participants understood the primary purpose of the app without me having to tell them and quickly found out as soon as you were onboarding and creating your profile. 

  2. The second most important finding was to hone the onboarding process more. While it was already thorough, participant feedback suggests that a few more things should be added and reordered to dial in your account to cover all your bases. These include adding a birthday, adding a search bar to state and city pages, adjusting the copy/language, adding stops to the sliders, categorizing tags, and more. Pointing out these suggestions would allow the user to personalize their profile more easily and with more clarity.

Wireframes

After organizing the insights gathered from guerilla testing, I then built out wireframes in Figma and applied edits based on user feedback. This became the digital framework for helping users find a compatible roommate. Designing in this stage allowed me to add more context to the UX by including live copy to help the user understand how to navigate the interface and how their actions would affect the experience. This also allowed me to begin implementing foundational design elements such as a grid system so that I could establish spatial relationships between components in the interface as well as the type hierarchy between content so I could separate out the text between header and body type.

Building the Brand

Prior to testing, I created an extensive brand and design system that would be applied to my concept, thus transforming the wireframe into high-fidelity prototypes. This would further flesh out my ideas so that the solution closely resembles an experience that exists in the real world.

Brand Platform

  • I chose to name the product, Kaya, because of its short and memorable form while evoking warmth and balance.

  • Kaya helps people find compatible roommates by fostering meaningful connections based on personality, lifestyle, and shared values.

    Rationale

    I chose this mission/vision because a living situation isn’t just about sharing space; it’s about compatibility, harmony, and mutual understanding. Kaya is designed to make the process of finding a roommate feel less like a gamble and more like a thoughtful, intuitive match.

  • Kaya is like the friend who just gets you—thoughtful, intuitive, and always looking out for your best interest. It’s warm, approachable, and modern while staying smart and dependable. Kaya makes the roommate search feel effortless and enjoyable rather than stressful and overwhelming.

    Rationale

    I chose this personality because finding a roommate is more than a transaction—it’s about trust, comfort, and compatibility. Kaya should feel like a guide that understands people’s needs, reduces uncertainty, and makes the process enjoyable instead of daunting.

    • Welcoming – Kaya makes users feel at ease, like stepping into a cozy, well-matched home.

    • Smart – Uses intelligent matching to connect people based on real compatibility.

    • Intuitive – The platform feels effortless, guiding users naturally toward great matches.

    • Trustworthy – Ensures users feel safe and confident in their choices.

    • Modern – Designed for today’s lifestyles, whether you’re a student, a professional, or a digital nomad.

Logo

The logo takes inspiration from fashion, editorial and wellness brands to visually personify the feeling of warmth and balance. Its use of a serif font was intentionally used to convey a more personable approach. Using the ‘K’ from the logotype, clear space should be considered when using the logo for clarity and hierarchy for users and audiences.

Color

The primary color is burnt orange. The strength in this color is most associated with the Kaya identity and should be primarily used for action-oriented components such as CTAs. Tints can be used to create depth without having to use a strong, saturated color.

The secondary colors include black, off-white and light grey that contrasts with burnt orange. The range in these colors allow for flexible use and should be primarily used for text and background colors to establish clarity and create depth. Tints can be used to create depth without having to use a strong, saturated color.

Typography

Designed with a size conscious approach, Neue Haas Grotesk is used as the official typeface for optimizing the spacing, proportions, weight, and other details best for reading on a screen. Neue Haas Grotesk was Helvetica’s original name and type designer Christian Schwartz has attempted to bring back the original Helvetica typeface. Display and header type utilize a medium weight whereas body and all other small type styles use roman weight.

Photography

Images that were used capture the essence of harmoniously living with a roommate and the journey it takes to build that relationship. They can include moments of living together with someone, moving in, having conversations together, figuring things out with one another, etc. Photography should promote diversity, equity and inclusion to represent the varying demographics.

Icons

Icons were included to provide another layer of visuals within the Kaya design system. They are used to provide clarity in situations where a concept can be boiled down to a scalable, universally understood image. Kaya uses Unicons as the icon set for the design system.

UI Elements

Once the direction of the brand was set, I designed a library of components that would frequently be used in the prototype. In Figma, these components were created so that adjustments to the master element would apply to all the matching elements within the prototype, streamlining the design process.

Hi-fidelity Prototype

With branding and a design system applied to the screens, Kaya is more than just wireframes; it’s now a high-fidelity prototype that users can interact with. Aside from just applying the visuals, I made a few adjustments to improve the user experience before testing out the app for usability testing. These changes include: 

  • Honing in on the onboarding process for offering a room so that the user can add additional photos of the room they’re hoping to fill.

  • Adjusting the button style to provide more clarity when toggling between ‘looking for a room’ and ‘offering a room’

  • Expanding the notifications so that the user can organize things between ‘all’ and ‘unread’.

  • Expanding the account settings to give the user flexibility to change their account type between ‘looking for a room’ and ‘offering a room’.

Test

Usability Test

After completing the initial stage of high-fidelity prototypes for Kaya, usability testing was conducted to evaluate the app’s overall usability, identify any friction points, and assess whether users can navigate key features intuitively. After testing with 5 participants, insights and feedback were logged regarding user behavior to help refine the interface.  

Overall reactions from participants garnered positive feedback, with participants finding the app “intuitive and engaging.” They successfully navigated through key app features while identifying several improvements to the user experience - most of them could be easily adjusted with one critical problem to consider.

Below is how the prototype was updated based on user feedback…

🔴 Critical Feedback

One critical piece of feedback that was suggested was to include a way for users to track their connection invitations as participants valued transparency with connecting with potential roommates. Though connecting with other users took inspiration from dating apps where there's no way to track your invitations (usually hidden in the back-end of the UX), connecting with people you’d potentially live with required a more personable approach and needed to be reflected on the front-end. In addition to building that page, I thought it’d be useful to allow users to include a short message when they send an invitation, pulling inspiration from experiences such as Linkedin. This inclusion was a way to add a human touch by personalizing your invitations.

🟠 Major Feedback

While not as critical, these edits further enhanced the user in various ways such as… 

  • Nesting the ‘log in’ and ‘create an account’ pages under a splash page. One participant noted that the option to create an account felt hidden and suggested that the CTA should have the same hierarchy as the log in button. Understanding their concern, I felt that having too many of the same button type on one screen felt too cluttered, so alternatively it made sense to start the user’s journey with a splash page.

  • Implementing neighborhood selection during initial profile creation as two participants experienced confusion about the purpose of the location/range settings in the filter.

  • Switching out the heart icon for a bookmark icon for favoriting as three participants have noted that the heart icon for favorites could be misinterpreted as "matching".

🟡 Minor Feedback

Some of the minor edits included…

  • Adding a pet option in filters and profile creation as one participant expressed concern about lack of representation for roommates with pets as they themself own a cat.

  • Adding a calendar view for when you are moving in with the profile creation process. This feedback comes as one participant felt that a calendar was more intuitive than typing in the date using a text field.

  • Adding a header under the search bar to clarify the search type. For example, “Looking for users that are looking for a room and offering a room” as one participant pointed out that it could be helpful to remind users the search type that is being implemented in the explore page.

  • Add option to add to calendar when scheduling a call as one participant who organizes things in her calendar, expressed concern about lack of calendar integration when scheduling a call.

  • Adding an "ASAP" option for move-in dates during the onboarding process. This comes as two participants have noted there isn’t enough flexibility for move-in date if you’re unsure what to add for those looking for a room.

  • Implementing a budget range slider instead of single text field numeric input. One participant suggested this addition to consider those who’re unsure about their budget when looking for a room.

  • Include visual indicators to show if a decision has been made from the message list view. A participant noted their concerns about not knowing who you’ve decided to live with in case messages from other users populate the message list view.

  • Include more specific (and human) labeling for actions like "available again" instead of "archive" as one participant felt like the profiles that were archived felt like you have completely discarded the other user.

🟢 Normal Feedback

A simple text edit included…

  • Renaming "Checklist" to "Suggested Topics" for clarity as two participants experienced confusion with "checklist" terminology.

Second Usability Test

With the updates applied to the high-fidelity prototype, it was time to run it back and conduct a second round of usability testing. After testing with 5 participants, insights and feedback were logged regarding user behavior to help refine the interface.

In this round of testing, participants expressed their ability to easily navigate the app with improvements to the interface, similar to the feedback from the first round. Two participants found that the interface is intuitive and familiar, especially for users accustomed to social media and dating apps. Participants even expressed how they resonated with the app's warm color palette and human-centric design elements.

With a strong foundation to work off of, this round produced less feedback compared to the first round. Below is how the prototype was updated based on user feedback…

🟡 Minor Feedback

Some of the minor edits included…

  • Allow users to adjust their “no longer interested” message when archiving a message. This comes as one participant suggested evaluating the implications of the automatic "no longer interested" message when archiving conversations considering some users may prefer manually sending that note when they’re ready to.

  • Implement stops for profile sliders. One participant assumed that the personality sliders felt like you have too much freedom adjusting the scale and should have stops to visually let you know how many options you have within the range

  • Adding a media gallery to easily access uploaded documents as one participant expressed their concern about a lack of access to uploaded images and documents in the message thread.

🟢 Normal Feedback

Simple text edits included…

  • Clarify language around room pricing ("monthly rent" vs "room offer") as one participant pointed out that if you're offering a room, “how much is the monthly offer?” sounds like you are negotiating a price when that is already a set number

  • Rewording the "Send" button to "Send Message" for clarity as one participant felt a little bit of confusion when reading “send” when you draft a message to send invitation requests and also with decisions and archive as well.

Other feedback to consider

While I was able to implement most feedback from usability testing, there were a few valuable suggestions I didn’t get around to. Here are a few examples…

  • Consider nesting message requests under ‘messages’ instead of ‘explore’. Two participants instinctively looked for message requests under messages (post-match) instead of explore (pre-match). I struggled to make this edit because I see the value in both ways, but because I wanted to organize related features before the user matches with a profile, I kept it nested under ‘explore’.

  • Determine a process for users offering multiple rooms in the same apartment as one participant noted that there’s a possibility that someone lives in a 3-bedroom apartment and may offer two of those rooms at the same time.

  • Implementing group chat features as there could be instances where there are more than two people occupying a shared living space.

  • Explore document verification to determine the authenticity of submitted documents. There are ways to do this via email. I recall onboarding with an employer one time where I submitted my information and documents that had to be verified by someone I trust. They received an email that outlined the information and, with their consent, clicked a CTA that notified the employer that the info they reviewed is real and authentic. A similar method could be implemented for verifying the authenticity of submitted documents.

  • Adding a feature to clear or delete notifications. This would be a neat feature to include in case a user gets annoyed with all the notifications coming through and would rather see it empty.

Test

What I learned

  • With my background in graphic design and web design, I was eager to dive into the designs. But after going through the whole process of designing Kaya, the more I realize it all starts with having a firm grasp on the problem so that we can explore the space with research to uncover insights that inform the solution, especially the visual design and user interface aspect of the solution. If I didn’t really test the assumption that finding a compatible roommate would be difficult, I doubt I would have a comprehensive solution that helps users find compatible roommates by fostering meaningful connections based on personality, lifestyle, and shared values. In all honesty, I would have most likely built a solution that wouldn’t be any more different than roommate finding apps that already exist.

  • After sketching my solution to the problem, I was eager to dive into figma and bring the wireframes to life. Again, this comes from my background and experience with working in agencies as a graphic and web designer. However, Laura encouraged me to review my sketches with participants to collect any insights about the design. If it not for them, I wouldn’t have known to add a add birthday input during the onboarding process so users can display their age on their profile, adjusting the copy and language depending whether the user onboards with “looking for a room” vs “offering a room”, displaying only the first initial of last a profile’s last name for security purposes, and so much more. Their suggestions honed the solution even further into something that can be accessible for a wide range of users.

  • While all feedback is valuable, ranking problems from critical to normal after usability testing helped me prioritize which edits to make. Fortunately, the feedback I received was easy to adjust in the prototype for Kaya so I was able to resolve most of them. However, in a real world scenario this exercise will really come in handy as I imagine working within the constraints of a deadline. I strive to best meet the users needs, so the problem log is a great way to keep me accountable and prioritize the most important edits.

What I would do (or like to do) differently

  • Doing this would open up more possibilities for the user experience. For example, many participants during user testing were curious about how the search bar would function in the explore page. It’s function is to filter user profiles based on the key word that you type in but it could even be used to search for tags as well. Implementing back-end properties opens up the door for even more ways to explore and compare profiles.

  • This would give me unique insight as to where users are clicking the most, which pages get the most traffic, uncover user behaviour and more. Doing this would help with conversion rates and any metrics that could be determined for success. I foresee an even better user experience for users finding and connecting with compatible roommates with data-driven solutions.

  • As a visual learner, I found it difficult to write the copy for the user experience. Wireframes showed that the different user types were initially called, “I’m looking for a roommate and a room” and “I’m offering a room and need a roommate”. This was too long, so Laura suggested I simply say “I’m looking for a room” and “I’m offering a room”. Another instance that I found difficult was writing the text blurbs that inform the user what happens when you “make a decision” and “archive”. I’ll have to look up resources that help me write better to keep things simple and clear for users without having to read too much.

  • Unfortunately, an app’s value is tied to how much money they can make. I like to think that Kaya is only successful if it’s just as secure. If users are building their profile and verifying accounts with government-issued IDs, I imagine the app could natively have its own background check software to verify users. There could be the possibility of including it as a paid feature to provide a background check on your matches to see if they are trustworthy. If the app can be used without implementing a subscription model or “pro” features, then I believe the UX is accessible for a wide range of users and is aligned with helping users find a compatible roommate.