LUN
Improving the digital communication experience for a real estate search engine
Overview
LUN is the leading real estate search engine in Ukraine. LUN collects and manually verifies information about all new houses and apartments so that users can choose the best property for themselves.
This project was part of a 4-month hands-on UX research course at Projector Online Institute. LUN approached us with a request to improve the communication experience of their products.
MY ROLE
User Research, Qualitative Data Synthesis, Marketing Analysis, Persona, Journey Mapping, User Stories, Jobs to be Done, Usability Testing, In-depth Interviews
PLATFORM + CLIENT
LUN.ua
Flatfy - web app
Bird - mobile app
TIMELINE
July 2021 - October 2021 (4 months)
TOOLS
Miro, Figma, Notion
Project Aim
The aim of our UX research project was to understand how LUN can use effective customer communications to provide a tailored and seamless user experience. This involves identifying the needs and goals of the target audience and using this information to develop communication strategies and design solutions.
Research Process
The whole research process was divided into four stages according to the Double Diamond methodology.
Discovery
Conducted 7 user interviews, 5 usability tests and 2 surveys to gather feedback on the current state of communication within the product.
Empathy
Analyzed data and findings from the research to identify areas for improvement in the communication flow within the products.
Exploration
Evaluated the effectiveness of different communication strategies and design solutions by defining user personas and their needs.
Ideation
Developed recommendations including changes to the user interface, notification settings, and the timing of communications.
Problem Definition
Our team interviewed stakeholders to gather information about the problem to be solved and to understand their needs and expectations.
01
Project Goal
Conduct user research and understand how a product can build proper customer communications so that end users get a tailored and seamless UX that meets their core needs, increasing the probability of a positive experience and helping to build loyal relationships.
02
Business Problem
Poor communication can lead to users’ frustration and break the trust. There’s an opportunity to support the communication flow and always keep users informed about what is going on, through appropriate feedback within reasonable time.
03
UX Problem
Users want for the product to be responsive with the proper set of information in relation to the time, relevance, and usefulness; have direct control over the things that are relevant for them, not receiving poorly timed notifications and impersonal messages.
After interviewing the stakeholder, we wrote a detailed research plan, including the project’s timeline, goals, main players, and objectives. Clear goals helped us to keep the whole team focused and, most importantly, it allowed us to make sure that by the end of the project the goals of the research plan will have been met.
User Interviews
To start the interview phase, we had to define the recruiting criteria, write screeners, and recruit users. All of our respondents had to be residents of Ukraine and meet one of the following criteria:
We interviewed 7 individuals and conducted 5 usability tests.
The goal of this research is to understand the perspectives of the target group in terms of their experience in using rental listing sites in Ukraine. The questions focused on learning and understanding their journey and hearing about users' previous experiences so that we could further explore the concept of building more meaningful communication.
Interview Analysis
Interviews with users revealed common themes regarding the perception and purpose of communication, as well as people's habits.
01
🔎 Search criteria
The property market is indeed dynamic and subject to many different influences, which cause price, availability, and other indicators to change rapidly. Customers seek the ability to select their preferred communication channel.
03
🔒 Security issues
Users may hesitate to share personal information, especially in the early stages of the rental process. It can be frustrating to be asked for information that seems unrelated to the rental process.
02
💛 Personalization
Users appreciate if real estate companies also leverage data collected from their platform to identify trends or browsing habits to improve the suggestions and communication experience and to help users make more informed decisions
04
⚙️ Critical filters
Our participants tested the filters and found that Flatfy lacks critical filters. For example, a pet owner is naturally looking for properties with pet-friendly policies or a smoker will look for a property with a balcony.
Empathy Mapping
We analyzed all the information our respondents gave us and created 6 empathy maps. We gained valuable insights into what drives users to rent another property, how long they spend looking for a property, and what services and features are important to them during the search process.
As the next step, it was important for us to collect all interviews together and structure them to understand what different segments of the audience we can distinguish. We used the affinity mapping method to organize related data into clusters and extracted themes.
Hypothesis
Through our analysis, we have identified two main distinct patterns that users encounter at every stage of product interaction. These include purchasing behavior (spending and consumption), communication habits, and desired benefits.
User Segmentation
With that in mind, we were able to create two user segments that had different preferences regarding:
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Influential factors that drive users toward a particular product
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Criteria for success and frustration on their journey
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Communication preferences and searching habits
User Personas
Based on the two segments we defined earlier, I was able to create two portraits of the targeted groups.
The first persona is likely to prioritize the location and comfort of the rental property above all else. They may be willing to pay more for a property that is in a desirable location or has amenities that they value, such as a pool or gym. This group may be more flexible with their budget and willing to compromise on other factors, such as the size or condition of the property, in order to get the location and comfort they desire.
The second persona, on the other hand, is likely to prioritize their budget and safety concerns above all else. They may be more cautious about the property owner and want to ensure that the rental is in a safe and reputable building or neighborhood. This group may be more willing to compromise on location and comfort in order to find a property that fits their budget and meets their safety needs.
Jobs to Be Done
Defining personas was just the first step. The next step was to identify the Jobs To Be Done. I first started with a Forces of Progress diagram to see why a consumer wants to begin, begins, or chooses to abstain from using a product.
Empathy Mapping
By building a customer journey map developed with insights from the JTBD framework, we created a solid foundation for reviewing touchpoints and channels where the user usually interacts with a product.
Outcomes
As a result of our research, our team successfully facilitated the ideation process to generate "How Might We" statements. These statements, which are a powerful tool for turning insights into opportunities, were used to inform our research findings. We then compiled a report of our findings and presented the data in a clear and easy-to-understand format for stakeholders to use in their decision-making process.
Retrospective
Overall, this project was a great opportunity for me to dive deep into the world of brand communications in the long-term rental search segment. It has been a rewarding journey in which I have learned a lot about both design thinking and technical skills.
01
Personal growth perspective
During the project, I learned the importance of truly understanding the target audience and how to communicate with them effectively. I also learned the impact of different channels of communication on the effectiveness of brand messaging and the importance of tracking metrics and analyzing data to evaluate the success of our efforts.
02
Handoff process
The friction between stakeholders and researchers is easy to spot because both have different tasks and may look at the same problem differently. Therefore, our team considered it beneficial to put more effort into the handoff process, to make sure that stakeholders were fully informed and understood the research findings and recommendations. This is important as good communication and reducing any knowledge gaps will lead to better results.
03
Areas for improvement
Although our team is happy with the results and we are proud of the key insights and trends we were able to uncover through our research, I do recognize that there are areas for improvement. At the beginning of the project, I think we could have paid more attention to time management and staying on schedule. In addition, I think we could have done more research and data collection, focusing more on understanding the behavior of our competitors' users.