ori rapoport
Ori Rapoport
SharePlan
In this project, I focused on improving the communication between the client and the planner in the joint process of planning and designing small to medium-sized projects.
- My role -
Research - UX - User personas - Prototyping
The profession of architecture, planning, construction, and renovation, is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of all professions.
Humans were always required to carefully plan their place of residence, whether it was a cave where the ideal place to light the fire was chosen, whether it was a cathedral that should be needed to hold hundreds of worshipers, or a 5 room apartment.
Overview
As an architect, the planning processes and the relationship with the client are familiar to me. The knowledge and experience I gained in the architectural field inspired me in planning this project.
What these examples have in common is that the planning and execution process takes a lot of time, money, and includes complex relationships between planners and clients.
In general, the process, from start to finish is divided into two: planning and execution. Each of these two stages contains within them a world comprised of stages, areas of responsibility, and many professionals working together. In this project, I focused on the complex dynamics between the design function, called the "designer" (architect, planner, interior designer) and the client.
The designer-client relationship is not a one-sided relationship. Project success and satisfaction of both parties depend largely on this relationship. For example, a customer who fails to coherently convey his design desires will most likely receive a product that does not match his expectations. On the other hand, a planner who does not entirely understand customer desires, will work hard, be frustrated, and finally, will not deliver the goods.
The Problem
Dive in
The type of projects I have chosen to focus on is small-to-medium scale. In projects of this type, in contrast to complex and larger projects, good communication between the two parties is of great value because the projects are usually more personal, the execution time is relatively short, the small scale allows the customer to be involved in design decisions and the customer expects a product that matches his budget and preferences. The client expects to receive full availability from the designer, who is working on several projects simultaneously.
How does the planning process work?
I created an outline of the general process. The highlighted areas are parts in which the joint work, the "back and forth" between the designer and the client is reflected. These are my points of interest.
Quotes, problems, and "pain points" I found on online Forums.
1
I chose to highlight representative quotes from both user groups.
2
An in-depth interview is an effective tool to learn about users' wants, needs and "pain points".
I asked both parties: "Is there a communication problem that affects the joint process"? Both parties answered yes. This was my starting point in the interview to understand the problem and how they think it is best to approach the solution.
Examples of questions I asked both types of users. I interviewed 6 designers and 6 clients.
Planners
Clients
What features should be on your and the customer's side?
The size of the circles is determined by the frequency and importance of the answers.
After reviewing the data, I formed two primary user personas of both the designer and the client. I focused on their needs and challenges.
The challenge
help planners and designers manage a fast, efficient planning process with a common language with their clients.
User Research
in my user research process, I focused on 2 sources of information.
From these two sources, I drew the relevant information in order to extract the desires and needs of the users from both ends and build the relevant personas.
Research
In-depth interviews with:
- designers (architects, interior designers, contractors, and individuals).
- clients who have gone through or are going through the planning and design process.
2
Learning from professional and private forums about the complaints, problems, and "pain points" of the planning process and in particular about the communication between the two parties
1
Client
Market research & Research insights
to help both designers and customers, I reviewed several products that provide similar services, such as: " Plan Creator", "SmartDraw", "Floorplanner", "Roomsketcher" and "Homestyler".
conclusions I drew from the information I gathered during the research phase. I summarized a number of basic principles as a design strategy that would meet their main challenges and needs.
Planner
User Flow
Understanding the user journey has helped me get a clear picture of the opportunities and problems facing both types of users.
Planner
Client
Primary screens - planner side
Design
High fidelity wireframes
Primary screens - client side
Final thoughts (in short)
Thanks for reading
In this type of project, which combines a client and a service provider, it is possible to implement additional functions that will be good for both parties:
In the future development of this project, I would add:
a simple and quick set of lessons for the client that will provide him with basic tools for home planning.
Augmented reality function in which the customer can photograph the house and assemble the actual design on top of it.
