How can the review and rating experience be improved to enhance a trade's work reputation?
What is Bamboo?
Bamboo is a service that is disrupting the home remodeling industry by leveraging new technology and global teams to provide cost-effective visualization and remodeling solutions for both commercial and residential spaces. As part of this effort, I designed a mobile feature for iOS and Android devices that enhances the user's review experience, enabling them to provide valuable feedback and insights to improve the overall service offering.
Problem
The home remodeling industry lacked a platform for customers to express their experience with their remodeling project and provide feedback on the trades' work experience. As a result, there was a lack of transparency and accountability, and trades were not able to gain positive ratings to build trust with potential new customers. This problem led to a disconnect between customers and trades, ultimately leading to a suboptimal customer experience and a lack of growth opportunities for trades.
Storyboard
To enhance my understanding of the ideal customer experience, I employed a storyboard to portray the customer's home remodeling journey. By illustrating how my product and the trade are integrated into this narrative, I gained deeper empathy for the customer's perspective and clearer visualization of their experience.
Framework Research
When considering a framework for my design product, I researched various websites to gain inspiration and ideas for both content and design style. By examining the visual patterns utilized by these sites, I was able to gain a better understanding of the mental models that users are most familiar with. This process helped me to identify a suitable framework that would enable me to design a product that aligns with user expectations and preferences. While I considered several options, the framework that I ultimately chose was the one that best supported the design goals and user needs for my specific project.
Ideation
I created a hand sketch of the feature to brainstorm ideas on how users can benefit from leaving feedback on their remodeling project and the tradespeople involved. One thing I'm considering is how to integrate the feature into the app's design, what information to collect from users, and when they should be able to leave reviews. By providing this feedback, users can make more informed decisions about their future remodeling projects, and tradespeople can improve their reputation by getting good ratings and reviews. This feature will also help tradespeople to build their profile on the app and showcase their expertise to potential customers.
Wireframe and flow
To enhance the user experience while reviewing and rating, I considered time as a critical factor and aimed to ensure that the task flow was both quick and effortless for customers. As part of this effort, I minimized the number of pages and eliminated any unnecessary steps, enabling users to provide feedback without being compelled to stay for an extended period.
Early Designs Mockups
During the design process, I recognized that certain functionalities required customers to follow multiple steps, potentially leading to frustration and abandonment of the review process. At the time, the segment component was not clear to follow. Therefore, I prioritized the simplification of the review process, with a particular focus on respecting the customer's time and ensuring they could complete the review experience without exiting the app. By streamlining the necessary steps and removing any unnecessary obstacles, I aimed to create a more user-friendly and satisfying experience for all customers. Prior to the design process, research had been conducted to determine whether the segment component of the project and trade should be included. This research helped to build confidence in the decision-making process, ultimately leading to the inclusion of the segment component in the initial design. However, during the design process, it became apparent that the segment component was not as clear as it could be, which prompted the simplification efforts described above.
Final design
Review and Rating
Final design
Trades
Trade professionals viewed customers' reviews and ratings as a critical aspect of their reputation, as this data eventually determined their reputation and allowed new customers to trust them. As such, it was important to ensure that the data was accurate and accessible. To support this objective, I collaborated with engineers, conducted product demonstrations, and assisted with monitoring the review process. Through these efforts, we were able to hand off a high-quality product that met the needs of trades and customers alike.