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NextHome
Improving accessibility and user retention for a responsive travel application and website
Responsive Redesign | Website & Application design | Travel | Social Media | Market Analysis | User Research
Project Overview
CONTEXT
NextHome is a digital platform designed to ease the transition for individuals who have recently relocated. It provides a space to connect with locals, discover top-rated restaurants and places, and familiarize themselves with the local culture.
Role
Collaboration
Timeline
Tools
UI/UX Designer & Researcher
Market Research
Ideation + IA Design
Persona + Empathy + Journey mapping
Design System + UI Design
Monetization Strategies
Design Team
11 Weeks
Jan - Mar 2023
Figma
Miro
Axure RP
ABOUT NextHome
By focusing on seamless navigation, personalized recommendations, and community-driven interactions, NextHome aims to make relocation less overwhelming and more welcoming.
What does NextHome offer?
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Tailored User Experience
-
Social Connectivity
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Interactive Local Guide
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Seamless Onboarding
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Multi-Platform Accessibility
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
Built user satisfaction
upto 79%
Reached task success rate
of 87%
Designed responsive and minimal interface
100%
The goal was to design an intuitive and engaging experience that empowers users to build connections and feel at home in their new surroundings.
Problem Statement
Why was NextHome needed?
Relocating to a new place comes with numerous challenges, from managing expenses to building a social circle and adapting to the local culture.
To better understand these difficulties, user goals were analyzed and common pain points were identified providing areas where NextHome could provide meaningful support.
Market research
As per the newly released U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the number of people who moved between states rose from nearly 7.9 million people in 2021 to approximately 8.2 million people in 2022.
Relocation Origin
Who relocate?
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Median Age: 37 years
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Sex Ratio: 51% females
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Racial Makeup: 27% Asians
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Versed with technology
-
Bilingual
Relocation Destination
Why?
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In search of work
-
Due to changing economic environments
-
To join family / friends
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To study
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In response to climate change
Research revealed that users struggle with:
Scattered
Information
Essential details about local places, connections, and cultural insights were fragmented across multiple sources.
Navigational Challenges
Existing solutions lacked a seamless and intuitive way to explore new locations while staying within a budget.
Limited Social Integration
Newcomers found it difficult to connect with people in their area or engage with local communities.
How NextHome addresses these challenges:
Centralized Information Hub
Combines key features like local recommendations, cultural insights, and social connections in one platform.
Minimal and Intuitive Interface
Designed with a clean and user-friendly layout, ensuring effortless navigation.
Community-Driven Experience
Encourages social interactions and personalized recommendations to make users feel at home faster.
Personas
Personas based on research insights were developed to represent different types of users navigating a new city.
These personas guided our design decisions, ensuring that NextHome catered to real user needs and expectations.
Empathy Maps
Empathy maps were created to better understand user behaviors, motivations, and frustrations.
These helped us visualize the thoughts and emotions of relocated individuals, allowing us to design a more intuitive and user-centered experience.
Journey Map
User journeys were mapped out to help analyze key touchpoints, pain points, and emotions experienced during relocation.
This allowed us to refine NextHome’s features to create a seamless and supportive onboarding experience.
Process
The first step was to create a style guide.
A cohesive visual identity was essential for ensuring a seamless and engaging user experience.
The style guide defines the typography, color palette, iconography, and UI components, maintaining consistency across all screens and reinforcing NextHome’s welcoming and modern aesthetic.
Shades of green and brown, colors that evoke feelings of growth, stability, and connection :key emotions for someone navigating a new place
Next came the site maps.
Mobile
Desktop
And then the wireframe iterations.
Key features
01
Responsive design
Problem: Users need a seamless experience across devices, but inconsistent layouts and poor adaptability can disrupt navigation and usability.
Action: We designed a fully responsive interface that dynamically adjusts to different screen sizes, ensuring content is well-structured and easily accessible on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Solution: The adaptive design ensures an optimal viewing experience by reorganizing content based on screen size, maintaining usability, and allowing users to explore NextHome effortlessly, no matter their device.
02
Usability
Problem: Users relocating to a new place often struggle to find relevant information quickly, leading to frustration and disengagement.
Action: Based on user research, we prioritized features like Local Lingo, Meet & Greet, Food & Drinks, and Travel, ensuring they are easily accessible and seamlessly integrated into the interface.
Solution: Features like Local Lingo, Meet & Greet, Food & Drinks and Travel were added.
Improving discoverability and interaction, making it easier for users to navigate their surroundings, connect with people, and feel at home faster.
03
Accessibility and Customization
Problem: Users have diverse needs and preferences, requiring flexible options to enhance usability and inclusivity.
Action: We incorporated features like a budget filter, voice-supported search, alternate text for images, and intuitive toggle tabs to support different user needs and preferences.
Budget Filter
Alternate text for images
Solution: Features like Budget filter, Alternate text, Search bar with voice command support and Toggle tabs were added.
Search bar with
voice command support
Easy switching
toggle tabs
Ensuring NextHome is accessible to a wider audience, offering a customizable and user-friendly experience that adapts to individual preferences.
Monetization strategies
To ensure NextHome reaches its target audience effectively, a strategic marketing approach was developed.
By leveraging user engagement, social outreach, and strategic partnerships, the platform aims to increase visibility, drive user adoption, and create monetization opportunities.
1
Leveraging real user experiences to build credibility and engagement through in-app promotional content.
1
User testimonials and In-app promotions
2
Social media campaigns
3
Strategic partnerships
4
SEO
optimization
2
Highlighting NextHome’s customization and accessibility features across high-traffic platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and X to drive awareness.
3
Collaborating with relocation consulting services, local businesses, and ad agencies to expand reach and enhance service offerings.
4
Implementing keyword-driven strategies to improve visibility and ensure NextHome ranks higher in search results.
My Takeaways
Takeaway 1
Designing for seamless responsiveness
A major challenge was ensuring that NextHome functioned as a fully responsive website rather than a separate mobile application. The focus was on creating a design that fluidly adapted to different screen sizes while maintaining usability and consistency across devices.
Takeaway 2
Crafting an effective visual identity
This project deepened my understanding of how a unique color scheme impacts user perception and accessibility. Striking the right balance between aesthetic appeal and functional clarity was crucial in building a visually cohesive and user-friendly interface.
Takeaway 3
Opportunities for refining information architecture
With more time, I would focus on optimizing the information architecture for mobile screens. Enhancing content hierarchy and navigation would ensure a smoother browsing experience, especially for users accessing the platform on mobile devices.
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