Streamlined Connections for Local Services
startup
The project involved creating a mobile application that eliminates the difficulties in connecting contractors with those needing their services.
02/2021
Wroclaw
The app was created to connect offer authors with local contractors. Thanks to the app we are sure that contractors will finish a job they applied to. On the other hand, contractors’ salary are secured and they don’t risk losing it with no reason.
brief
The process of cooperation between the sides in the case of construction, renovation, or other tasks without us was complicated and carries the risk of fraud.
The goal was to provide a simple and intuitive tool that will facilitate collaboration between offer authors and contractors.
problem to solve
scope of work
I think you all know how it is with startups - it's often a typical "one-man army" situation 😄.
In this case, it was quite similar - I was responsible for the entire design process and had one designer to assist me.
fundaments
Throughout the entire design process, I tried to base my work on the Design Thinking approach to stay on track. Of course, it didn’t always look perfect, but the foundations were in the right place 👌
empathy map
In order to get a deeper understanding about user behaviours and decisions, I used Empathy Mapping Method.
key numbers
Next, I conveyed a survey among people from the target group of our app. I asked there about their experiences, behaviours and attitude with both working as a contractor and in cases of need to work with some of them. The most important insights are presented below:
96,3%
Survey participants encountered online payment fraud.
95,3%
Want to know about contractor’s experience and quality before hiring them.
80,4%
Looking for contractors for various tasks online (plumbers, builders etc)
91,6%
Find it important to verify identity of the contractor they want to hire.
Source: online survey conveyed among 110 people
interviews
Another research method, which I focused on was IDI. By doing so, I wanted to have some deeper, better understanding of users needs. With IDI, I was able to point out even minor issues, which could be ignored without direct contact with participants.
It was a long process, too long for one case study... All right, let's cut to the chase.
wireframes
Design System & Style Guide
This app follows the friend archetype for its users, so while creating the Style Guide, I did my best to convey a sense of friendliness, energy, and proactivity into the application.
Design improvements
After creating the first version of the app and conducting initial tests, we identified areas that needed immediate improvement.
#1 attempt
Along with making some UI adjustments, I shifted my approach. I realized that it's the contractors who know the amount of money they expect for a job, not the offer creators, who often have little understanding of the work required.
What did I do?
I had to find a way to give some flexibility to the users while keeping it simple not to be a nightmare for a technical team (as a startup we needed this product to be done asap, so the easier to implement features are, the better for the product and a whole team it will be).
improvements #1
To keep things simple and easy, but give flexibility with price to the users, I implemented “Negotiate” feature. This way, if contractor would like to earn more than it’s written in the offer, they can propose their stake and wait for the acceptance.
still some space to improve
Results were satisfying - during the testing phase, people preferred this option when creating offers. However, some contractors provided feedback that when they saw an offer with an unusually low bid, they chose not to engage in negotiations. They felt the proposed amount was far below what they expected and simply didn’t want to have to justify why they deserved a higher rate.
ok, let’s fix that - improvements #2
Now I knew that the path was good and this feature has improved. I just needed to go a bit further.
What if a user has no clue how much to pay to contractor?
In this scenario, allow them to negotiate is too less.
There should be an option to leave this space blank, to give contractors the space to offer the stake.
success!
Users admitted that’s exactly what they needed. When they don’t know how much should they pay, they just wait for contractors offers. Then, author can accept that or wait for some better deals. From the contractor point of view, they are free to offer how much they want to earn and that way, they are more satisfied with working in our app.
final designs
more than just a uxui
Beside the whole app project, I also supported the marketing team with creating graphics for social media like: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
result
I have to say that the result of my work is satisfying for me - after releasing the app on marketplaces I received many positive comments on how intuitive and user friendly this app is.
One month after my client released the app I left the project.