Case Study : The Great Storage Hunt : A UX Case Study about Unlocking Cluttered Mysteries in Home Storage using Technology!
I’m sure most of us know that feeling when we are trying to find something in our messy storage area, and it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack? Well, I’ve just worked on this interesting project as an aspiring UX designer trying to solve exactly that problem! ☑️
Hello!😊 I’m Shilpa Rao, currently a beginner in the world of UX! A millennial with a background in Telecommunications Engineering and a passion for Photography and Fantasy Photoshop creations. I believe that blending Art, Design and Science is the key to unlocking true innovation and shaping the future. My interest in UX Design is a natural extension of this belief.
Welcome to the future of home storage! Let me walk you through a quick summary about the product and how it works.
In today’s fast-paced world, managing and organizing our belongings efficiently has become a challenge. We often find ourselves wasting valuable time searching for specific items stored away in our homes. This case study explores the journey of designing a unique and engaging solution to address this common problem. By leveraging smart sensor imaging technology and intuitive user interfaces, I have tried to revolutionize home organization and provide users with a fun and seamless experience in finding what they are looking for in their storage area without wasting their valuable time and energy.
Let me give you a short explanation of how this product works! 🤔
How does the product look like? 👀
So, now you must be thinking why am I here designing this product and writing this case study?? 🤔
Well, like I mentioned in the beginning, I am an aspiring UX designer. So, to take my aspirations to the next level, I got myself enrolled in the UX Career Accelerator Programme led by my mentor Anudeep Ayyagari (UX Anudeep).
It's been a month into the program and we started off with a hands on Design Thinking Project (DTP), which was a completely new experience for me. The purpose of this project was to gain a deeper understanding of the design thinking process by improving the experience of a specific area in a house by designing a physical product.
We were divided into groups of approximately 7–10 individuals. We had to negotiate with our group members to select the area of our choice by convincing the members as to why we deserve to choose that particular area over others. Although it was an individual project, some activities required collaboration within the group. * This part was really fun!*😄
I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness about approaching this project as it was my first, but I decided to tackle it gradually, taking one step at a time. The most enjoyable aspect of the project was the freedom to explore and make mistakes along the way, while also receiving encouragement and guidance to reach the ultimate objective.
PROBLEM AREA — I think by now it's pretty obvious that I chose “The Storage Area at home” 😅
Now let's have a little introduction about my users who are also my group members in this DTP. 😊
Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing. — Marshall B. Rosenberg
Empathy is an extremely essential part of user experience designing as it helps us deeply understand the user’s needs, design user-centric solutions, enhance user engagement, and continuously improve the product based on user feedback. By empathizing with users, we create a storage solution that not only solves their problems but also brings joy and satisfaction to their daily lives.
By empathizing with my users, I gained a deep understanding of their challenges and frustrations when it comes to storage issues. This understanding allowed me to addresses their pain points and make a list of problem statements from their experience with storage in their own personal spaces.
Then, I made a list of extensive pain points and challenges faced by the users as shown below.
After identifying these pain points, I utilized the creative Crazy 8 technique to brainstorm and generate potential solutions for each challenge. Once the brainstorming session was complete, I carefully evaluated the ideas and selected the top three concepts that effectively addressed the storage issues encountered by the users.
Wow! 😯 We encountered a wide range of captivating problem statements, and the brainstorming session using the Crazy 8 technique generated an abundance of thrilling solutions. Now, it’s time to unveil the top three ideas that were carefully selected, taking into account all the valuable insights gathered during the interviews.
Now, transitioning to the exciting prototype stage, my primary focus was on realizing the first idea, which involved designing innovative storage boxes to tackle the issue of users struggling to locate items within their storage area. The challenge stemmed from instances where users either forgot the exact location of their items or were hesitant to invest a significant amount of time in searching for them.
I proceeded to create a solution by designing a transparent plastic storage box that featured a magnetic dry erase board sticker on one side. This sticker allowed users to conveniently jot down and update the contents of the box whenever necessary. To further aid organization, I incorporated a designated area on the box where a color-coded magnet could be placed, indicating the category of items stored within.
Additionally, to address the challenge of locating the boxes themselves, I developed a magnetic dry erase board sticker. This sticker enabled users to roughly sketch the layout of their storage area and utilize color-coded magnets to pinpoint the exact position of each box. By combining these elements, users could easily track the contents of their storage boxes and efficiently locate them within their storage area.Since this was completely a product design challenge, I refrained from using any advanced technology like digital apps.
Moving forward, I proceeded with conducting comprehensive usability testing sessions for the above mentioned prototype that I had designed. During these sessions, I collected valuable feedback on their experience with the prototype. The feedback I received can only be described as truly game-changing, as it provided invaluable insights and huge potential areas for improvement.
Here are some of the valuable feedback I received and incorporated into designing an enhanced version of the product:
User Convenience: Users expressed concerns about the need to frequently update the list of contents, as it might be burdensome to do so each time. This prompted me to explore alternative ways to automate or simplify the updating process, ensuring convenience for the users.
User-Friendliness: Some users found certain aspects of the design to be complex or confusing. Taking this feedback into account, I focused on refining the user interface and instructions to make the product more intuitive and user-friendly.
Streamlining Manual Work: Feedback indicated that the product involved a significant amount of manual work, which could be time-consuming. To address this, I aimed to streamline the process, reducing manual effort and making it more efficient for users to manage their storage items.
Preventing Accidental Erasure: Users expressed concerns about accidental erasure of the layout board without their knowledge.
The Final Prototype 😅
Now let's talk about the potential for future advancements for this storage solution!!
Having made significant progress in designing this product and aiming to address the storage space challenges faced by users, I believe there is even more potential for improvement. One exciting possibility is integrating an accompanying mobile app that seamlessly connects with the storage boxes. This app would enhance the overall experience by offering additional features and streamlining the management of stored items.
By incorporating an app, users could easily access and update the contents of their storage boxes directly from their smartphones. This would eliminate the need for manual updates and make the process more efficient. The app could also provide features like inventory management, allowing users to track their belongings, set reminders for item expiration dates, or even suggest optimal storage configurations based on user preferences.
This would not only provide users with a seamless and convenient experience but also open doors for potential future enhancements. For instance, integration with smart home devices or voice assistants could enable users to interact with their storage boxes hands-free. Additionally, cloud storage capabilities could offer data backup and access to item inventories from multiple devices.
In conclusion, including an app alongside the storage boxes would elevate the user experience, providing additional functionality, ease of use, and the potential for future enhancements. It would make the process of managing and organizing stored items more streamlined and empower users to take full control of their storage space.
Student For Life… learning never ends!
Throughout this course, both as an individual and an aspiring designer, I have gained a multitude of invaluable learnings. Among them, the following stand out as the most impactful —
The importance of understanding the pain points and challenges faced by users. Putting the user at the center of the design process helps in creating meaningful and impactful solutions.
The iterative nature of the design process involves gathering feedback, testing prototypes, and incorporating user insights to continuously improve the product and enhance the user experience.
As a UX designer, it is crucial to know the importance of the ability to identify and address specific user problems.
The importance of collaboration with team members, as well as gathering feedback from users and working together by incorporating diverse perspectives always lead to better outcomes and improved designs.
Understanding how to leverage technology effectively can greatly impact the success of a design solution.
Being thankful 🙏
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to my incredible mentor, UX Anudeep, for providing us with this immersive opportunity to engage in a Design Thinking Challenge. This experience has been invaluable, filled with abundant learning and unlearning moments that have paved the way for personal growth as critical thinkers and designers. Also, thanking all my team members for their invaluable contributions throughout this experience. The collaborative sessions we had together have been truly remarkable, fostering personal growth and development as individuals. Last but certainly not least, I extend my appreciation to ChatGPT and Midjourney for their invaluable guidance and support throughout this process. Their seamless assistance has been instrumental in navigating through a lot of challenges.😅
