My role
As a UX UI designer, I was responsible for creating the user flows and designing the mobile and web screens for the apartment management app. I worked closely with the stakeholders to ensure the design solutions aligned with the project's goals and requirements.
Problem
Apartment residents encounter challenges in effectively handling visitors, and helpers and submitting apartment-related complaints. Communication gaps between security guards and residents further exacerbate the issue. Additionally, administrators lack a unified platform for efficiently receiving and tracking complaints, as well as managing essential tasks such as electricity and maintenance bill management.
User Research
As the first step, we conducted thorough research to identify the needs, pain points, and preferences of the target audience i.e. apartment owners, tenants, and community authorities. The research revealed that users face some challenges in managing keeping track of visitors, managing deliveries, staying connected with the community, finding and managing helpers, and handling emergency situations.
Based on the information provided, I have identified key user personas for the Homefy app, including:
Residents: These users will be the primary users of the app and will manage visitors, submit complaints, interact with community members, and buy from local vendors using the app.
Security Personnel: These users will manage visitor entry and exit, accept deliveries on behalf of residents, and respond to emergencies.
Administrators: These users will be responsible for managing and maintaining the apartment, creating announcements, and managing complaints.
Ideation
Once I have a clear understanding of the users' needs and preferences, I will begin the process of organizing the app's content and features in a logical and user-friendly way. This would involve ideation and sketching the app's navigation and structure to visually represent the app's layout and functionality.
Visual Design
After finalizing the screens, I moved on to the visual design. I pre-defined the color palette, typography and created components to maintain consistency. I repeated the prototyping and iterating process until it met the requirements.
Homepage
Once logged in, residents will be able to view any pending visitor requests, access their contact book, and view any current announcements from the administrator. They will be able to submit complaints through the app, track their status, and get updates.
Residents can engage with other members of the community through the polls and forums section of the app. They can also find new helpers and track their helpers' attendance and entry and the emergency SOS feature raises alerts to the neighbors and the security personnel.
E-Commerce
The e-commerce section of the app will allow residents to browse and purchase products or services from local vendors. They will also be able to view product details, add items to their cart, and checkout securely within the app. To enhance the distinctiveness of this section, Poppins typeface was used instead of Opensans.
Healthy Living
The healthy living module offers organic products and helpful suggestions for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It provides access to various health and fitness resources and naturally cultivated local food ingredients to support users in achieving their health goals and fostering a sense of community within the apartment complex.
Vendor App
The vendor app serves as a tool for local vendors to seamlessly manage and track the orders that have to be delivered. Through the app, vendors can access and update order statuses, ensuring synchronization with users' apps. Vendors can disable products based on real-time stock availability, while an overview of sales and revenue is conveniently accessible in the metrics section.
Security App
The security personnel can manage visitor entry and exit, accept deliveries, and respond to emergency situations. The main problem faced over here is to make it accessible and efficient for the security users as they might not be as technically literate as the residents.
Admin Web App
The administrator will have access to the admin section of the web app, where they can manage all aspects of the application. They will be able to create announcements, manage complaints, and oversee user management.
Marketing Website
In addition, I undertook the responsibility of crafting the marketing website for the application, strategically articulating its fundamental features and functionalities. This involved a meticulous approach to present a compelling narrative, effectively highlighting the core attributes of the app in an engaging manner.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Homefy was a challenging yet exciting project that allowed me to collaborate with the stakeholders directly and apply my skillset to create a solution that addressed user pain points and met stakeholder’s requirements. I am proud of the final result and confident that Homefy will make a positive impact in simplifying and securing the living experience in apartments.