Background
This project caters to those passionate about interior decor but find it challenging to purchase items that perfectly match both their interior and personal taste.
I've came up with an AI service that recommends the best interior decor items by blending objective interior information with user preferences.
AI will help users visualize how their favorite decor items, with their preferred colors and designs, can be optimally placed within their living spaces.
Desk research 01
Existing interior AI services focus on furniture placement and style suggestions but not on providing personalized home decor item suggestions based on the user's current interior. There's a need for a service that offers a personalized list of matching home decor brands or items tailored to the user's current interior design and taste.
Desk research 02
The global home decor market is projected to witness significant growth, with an expected increase of $845.8 billion by 2030. This expansion reflects a growing consumer interest in enhancing their living spaces, driving demand for a wide range of home decor products and solutions.
Survey research
Base on these survey data findings, An interior design service should focus on providing personalized decor recommendations and a curated selection of brands to enhance the shopping experience and reduce regrettable purchases.
Problems & Solutions
Through desk and survey research, I have identified three prevalent problems people are currently struggling with. For each issue, I came up with solutions to address these challenges.
Persona
I’ve come up with a persona based on the identified problems from desk and survey research, to elevate design approach with user-focused solutions tailored to my main target audience.
How might we #01
How might we provide users with personalized home decor items and brand recommendations that cater to their unique preferences?
Add a feature for users to upload decor pictures or search for items, catering to their tastes.
Offer home decor style and brand options for users to filter their preferences before shopping.
User Task #01
Personalized home decor and brand recommendations that cater to users’ unique preferences
How might we #02
How might we assist users in efficiently selecting products that maximize their satisfaction in the shortest amount of time?
Limit the list to a certain number of items, offering users a focused selection.
Sort products by applying a percentage to each item, indicating how well it matches the user's preference.
User Task #02
Efficiently selecting products that maximize their satisfaction in the shortest amount of time
How might we #03
How can we use feedback to improve future shopping when our suggestions miss?
When a user requests a refund, we could ask if they want to use their feedback to improve their future experience.
Suggest related items in the refunded product category for future purchases, aiding users in finding the right home decor.
User Task #03
Gather and utilize user feedback to enhance their future shopping experiences
User Testing
I’ve undergone user testing and iterated on her designs to enhance usability.
'Start' seems hard to notice at first since other category's font size are much larger.
To enhance visual appeal, I've matched the font size of 'Start' with the category title in the banner and will be applying a distinct color, ensuring it stands out to users accessing the app for the first time.
After setting personal preferences, since the layout remains unchanged, it is challenging to notice that the settings have been applied.
The layout has been altered to display brand recommendations alongside previews of their respective items.
User expected for different layout when they have applied “Best match”. Such as displaying the percentages differently or categorizing them in a list format, to enhance overall experience.
I've adjusted the layout to a list format, arranging items from highest to lowest percentage. Additionally, I've emphasized each percentage applied to the items for better visibility.
Style Guide
I have selected the headline typography IvyPresto to create a luxurious mood for the app, and chosen Open Sans for readability. Additionally, I’ve opted for toned-down colors to achieve a modern look for the overall visual design.
Conclusion
What I’ve learned during this project...
I learned that there are many people like me who struggle to purchase matching home decor items because there isn’t an AI service that gives recommendations based on current interior for those who want to change their room's mood or enhance their interior.
While 35% might be a minor percentage compared to the 65% who don’t regret purchasing home decor online, in this project, I learned the importance of improving the experience for the minority percentage of people who regret their purchases.
What I would do moving it in the future...
If I had more time, I would also work on how to engage with people who are already satisfied with their online purchase patterns on Decorsage. I would need to think of a unique positioning and a way to differentiate the shopping experience to gather all users who shop for interior items online.