HANDYCAM
The Power of Good Advice Fast.
Revolutionizing Home DIY Projects through Expert Guidance.
A MOBILE APPLICATION
Overview
In today's fast-paced world, homeowners often face the dilemma of choosing between expensive, time-consuming professional services and daunting DIY projects due to a lack of expertise.
HandyCam addresses this challenge by offering a solution that bridges the gap, connecting homeowners with skilled handymen via a video chat platform.
This approach makes home maintenance more accessible and affordable, while also empowering users to enhance their DIY skills with professional guidance.
HandyCam leverages video technology to provide real-time, personalized guidance for a variety of home projects, enabling even the most inexperienced individuals to successfully complete tasks with confidence.
Market Size & Trends
Growth is driven by homeowners' desire to enhance the appearance, comfort, and functionality of their homes, with a focus on kitchen and bathroom renovations as the most popular projects.
Role Lead UX Researcher
As the Lead Researcher, my primary focus was to ensure that our app met the needs of our target users effectively and efficiently. The team consisted of a UX designer, a software developer, and a project manager.
End-to-end UXR
Cross-functional Collaboration
Expert Stakeholder Engagement
UX Discovery
Evidenced-based design
Usability Testing
Insight Analysis & Dissemination
Opportunity Statement
We believe that users will be able to solve and fix their problems with guidance from an experienced professional.
We created an app that will empower and educate those willing to take their DIY skills to the next level.
Constraints
Homeowners perspective:
Finding reliable DIY help is hard
Professional in-person help is too expensive
Lack of DIY skills
Busy schedules delay professional visits
Without guidance risks poor work
Design Deliverables
Real-time Expert Access
Reduce Maintenance Costs
Bridge the Knowledge Gap
Maximize Time Efficiency
Ensure Quality and Satisfaction
Lean UX
Problem Statment
How might we connect certified professionals directly with consumers to help them work through their home maintenance issues?
User Research
Two User Categories
Seeking to maintain or improve their homes with the guidance of professionals.
Valuing the ability to complete tasks independently while ensuring quality and efficiency.
Extending their services through a digital platforms.
Reaching more clients and providing guidance on a variety of home maintenance tasks.
Target Personas
Empathy Map
Handyman Interviewee: Sole Proprietor, Dima - Luxury Tiler
Male, early 40s
10 years as tile installer in luxury homes
Married, 2 children
Turns work down to keep a healthy work/life balance
SAYS
5 calls on average per month from mostly family, some friends
It can be a call from a store to help pick the right product, or someone asking what they should do in a certain situation
THINKS
Liability is a huge concern – if I give advice, and they don’t listen, who’s responsible?
Although he can do many thinks himself, he pays a professional because they are more efficient than he would be
He weighs his time cost of working on a project over 3 weeks against hiring the professional to complete it in 2 days.
DOES
Rarely does he ever go in person to help, not worth his time
Chat conversations might span a few days based on how urgent the need is, but it can be quite cumbersome to help
FEELS
The complexity of all the project details would make it very time consuming and complicated to do what he does adequately to his standards.
It doesn’t feel like it would be worth his time or trouble to help.
If he wanted more work, he wouldn’t turn down jobs. When he’s with family, he wants to be available.
Define & Ideate
MUST
Must be cost-effective for customers
Must appeal to highly skilled and knowledgeable technicians
Must provide clear instructions and guidance to customers
Must have a feedback mechanism for customers
SHOULD
•Should offer desirable pricing options
•Should have a simple and intuitive interface
•Should have a video calling feature
Story Mapping & Sketching
Prototype
Research Methodology
Qualitative research approach
Conducted remote moderated 1:1 interviews
Session length - 30 minutes
Total of 8 participants divided equally between consumers and technicians
Participant’s Quotes
“The whole process was smooth. I never got stuck anywhere.
I loved how you provided details of each technician which makes me easy to pick them as a customer.”
— C.S. Engineer, age 34
"It's nice that you don't have to pay $100+ for someone to come in-person.
Also, it's something I enjoy doing, but don't have the experience or skillset – this would be great."
— Minister, age 72
“What do I do if finish the call and we aren't successful in the challenge?
There could be several reasons. The task may require physical strength, be too technical, or too involved, requiring a laundry list of parts – then what do I do?
Every scenario needs to be considered so that it's clear to both technician and customer how to navigate, and what happens with payment.”
— Technician, Plumber, age 38
Usability Testing Insights
The focus was on understanding users' willingness to adopt such a service, their expectations, and how it might fit into their home maintenance routines.
Desired Features
A simple, intuitive interface for initiating video calls was frequently mentioned as critical for user engagement.
Access to a wide range of experts, including niche specialists, was a key expectation among users.
Screen drawing or AR to help technicians illustrate solutions were highly desired for clarifying advice.
Options for follow-up consultations or links to additional resources were suggested to ensure project success.
Concerns
Ensuring secure, private video interactions was a top concern for potential users.
Participants wanted assurances about the expertise and qualifications of the professionals providing advice.
The cost of the service was a consideration, with a preference for transparent pricing models based on the type or length of consultation.
Recommendations
Build network of expert handymen
Build a network of expert technicians across various home improvement domains who are willing to provide real-time advice and guidance to users. The quality and expertise of these technicians will be a key value proposition for HandyCam.
Enhance app’s functionality & UX
Incorporate the learnings and feedback obtained during the usability testing phase to refine the prototype. This step will address any identified issues and enhance the app's functionality and user experience.
Continued data analysis
Continuously collect and analyze user feedback, along with app utilization metrics, to understand how HandyCam is being used and where improvements can be made. This ongoing iteration will be critical for enhancing user satisfaction and engagement.