MY EXPERIENCE DESIGNING
Team and Role
Role
UX/UI Designer (sole contributor)
Mentors
Lily H. and Michael R.
Research Participants
10-12 individuals at different stages of homebuying
Overview
BuildBuddy is a capstone project I created to help homebuyers easily find and evaluate builders. The platform includes features like ratings, reviews, project showcases, and quote requests to simplify decision-making.
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My Role
UX/UI design process, including research, wireframing, prototyping, and testing.
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The Problem
Homebuyers often struggle to find reliable builders and trust reviews. They need a simple, trustworthy platform to guide their decisions.
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The Goals
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Make builder selection easy and transparent for users
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Help builders build credibility and attract clients
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The Process
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Discovery: Researched user pain points through interviews and surveys
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Ideation: Sketched wireframes and created prototypes
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Testing: Refined designs based on user feedback
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Delivery: Designed a high-fidelity prototype that meets user needs
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Understanding Homebuyers’ Challenges
Homebuyers face several common issues​
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Inspectors often miss key details, leading to surprise repair costs that can add up fast
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Renovation costs and timelines for fixer uppers are frequently underestimated
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Trusting contractors and the quality of their work feels like a gamble
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These frustrations lead to big questions like:
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"Will anyone protect me with such a huge investment?"
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"Can I find a home that fits my budget?"​
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How Might We Statements
What: HMW statements clarify specific problems to brainstorm creative solutions.
Why: They help prioritize key challenges identified in interviews and surveys, avoiding overwhelm and keeping focus.
Insights: HMW questions guided the workflows by targeting impactful problems to solve.
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HMW Questions:
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How might we help homebuyers find reputable contractors within their budget?
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How might we improve communication to ensure project clarity and transparency?
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How might we simplify contractor selection for inexperienced homeowners?
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How might we empower homeowners to compare contractors confidently?
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How might we build trust between homeowners, agents, and contractors?
User Persona
Meet Beth Turner, 35, who wants to build her home on custom high quality features that fits her needs on plot of land.
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Motivation: Long term investment
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Key Considerations: Needs great communication and project management
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Frustrations: unfamiliar with homebuilding industry (permits, regulations, and zoning)
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Understanding homeowners like Beth helps us see what kind of support and guidance they need to feel confident and successful in their homebuilding journey.
User Interviews
In user interviews, I heard several users express frustration with delays in addressing issues and a need for proactive guidance.
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This led me to include:
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Checklists to streamline tasks
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Contractor profiles for quick reference
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Enhanced communication features to improve efficiency
User Story & User Flow
Insights: These were recieved after various potential user interviews and research based off of the HMW statements. As a result, I learned how users interact differently with the app and which features are essential.
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Epic 1: Streamline Homebuyer Contractor Search & Selection
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User Story 1 As a landowner who is building a new home, I want to find experienced general contractors so that my construction project is completed on time and within budget.
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Tasks: Search/Filter, Contractor Profile Templates
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User Story 2: As a landowner facing difficulties with zoning regulations, I want to find contractors who are knowledgeable about local zoning laws so that I can ensure my development plans comply with legal requirements and avoid costly delays.
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Tasks: Educational Compliance List, Rating/Review System
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Epic 2: Connect Homeowners with Trusted Contractors for Critical Repairs
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User Story 1: As a homeowner with an outdated HVAC system, I want to find HVAC contractors who can upgrade or repair my system so that I can ensure efficient heating and cooling, and lower my energy bills.
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Tasks: Educational Content, Seamless Matching, Avoid unncessary upsells
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User Story 2: As a homeowner with a failing foundation, I want to find foundation repair contractors who can fix structural issues so that I can prevent further damage and ensure the safety of my home.
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Tasks: Customer Support, Informed Decisions, Avoid unncessary upsells
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Sketches to Wireframes
For this project, I focused on designing two key flows: finding a contractor and the review process.
I wanted these screens to feel familiar and easy to use, so I explored Mobbin, Pinterest, and Game UI Database for inspiration. This research helped me identify successful layouts and design patterns, ensuring the screens are clean, intuitive, and user-friendly.
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It was exciting to transform rough sketches into wireframes that feel polished and ready for users to explore. This process brought the ideas to life and set the foundation for the final designs.
Wireflow
Why are the screens designed this way?
These screens are most familiar and translates to the latest designs of the most popular apps- making it very comfortable for users to use.
What about the UX is successful?
Some apps create forms one at a time without overwhelming users with words and don't have to scroll down. Progress bars let users know how much further they are along. (These were some things that were lacking in Heuristic Evaluation for 3 contractor search apps)
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What aspect of these designs would you choose to mimic?
I will make use of putting tab navigation and certain icons where users typically see in other apps. I love progress bar and confirmation with animations bc they capture peoples attention and lets them know when they are done without getting aggravated on why they're not done yet.
Starting a Project Flow
Starting a project this expensive is overwhelming- familiar screens, progress bars, and clear navigation makes it easier to start planning
Give a Review Flow
Encouraging honest feedback with proven documents = trust built on both sides!
Usability Testing: Shaping the Design
During guerilla usability testing, I uncovered key struggles users face and used these insights to refine my wireframes.
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From affinity mapping, three major themes emerged:
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Research: Users felt overwhelmed by the amount of information they needed to gather.
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Communication: Clearer tools were needed to improve collaboration with builders.
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Finances: Navigating budgets and pricing caused frustration.
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Builder reliability and safety stood out as top concerns. An article I read highlighted outdated tech in real estate and high fees, leaving users reliant on agents or lenders who don’t always prioritize their best interests. This lack of trust and transparency impacts user confidence.
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These findings shaped my wireframes to focus on:
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Transparent builder profiles and reviews.
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Tools that empower users to make informed decisions.
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Streamlined communication and financial planning features.
BuildBuddy’s Personality
I created a visual design guide to shape BuildBuddy’s personality—warm, approachable, and familiar, like your local hardware store, but with a modern, polished feel.​
Earthy tones like soft greens, browns, and greys for trust and reliability.
A mix of serif and sans-serif fonts for a friendly yet professional vibe.
Clear, intuitive labels with consistent sizing and spacing for a clean look.
Earthy tones like soft greens, browns, and greys for trust and reliability.
Why create 'Leaving a Review' Feature
During my user interviews, I discovered how much users rely on reviews to make confident decisions. However, they often struggled with outdated or incomplete information when choosing contractors. Insights like these guided my decision to prioritize a simple, guided flow for leaving reviews:
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J. Banks shared how social anxiety made following through on tasks difficult. Having access to trustworthy, user-submitted reviews could reduce hesitation and help users act with confidence.
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V. Tubongbanua emphasized the importance of quick, informed decisions—especially when resolving urgent issues like a broken AC. Reliable reviews enable faster, more assured action.
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T. Wilson wished for more transparency and guidance in home-related decisions. A robust review system makes finding dependable contractors easier, saving time and frustration.
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Designing for Transparency and Ease
The "Leave a Review" flow focuses on simplicity and efficiency. By streamlining the process, users can quickly share valuable feedback about contractors. This benefits both the reviewer—by contributing to a trusted community—and future users who can rely on honest insights to make better choices.
The video on the left demonstrates how effortless it is to leave a review, empowering users to share their experiences and build trust within the platform.
Why create 'Find a Contractor' feature
Through affinity mapping, I identified three major themes—research, communication, and finances—that often leave users feeling overwhelmed. One significant challenge is builder reliability and safety. Outdated technology in real estate and high fees from companies make crucial information harder to access, forcing users to depend on agents or lenders who might not always prioritize their interests. This lack of transparency erodes trust and confidence.
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Creating a Better Solution
The "Find a Contractor" feature addresses these pain points by prioritizing:
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Trust: Detailed contractor profiles with user reviews and ratings promote reliability.
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Accessibility: Users can search and compare options easily without hidden fees or intermediaries.
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Clarity: Clear communication tools make connecting with contractors straightforward and efficient.
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This feature empowers users with the tools they need to make informed decisions and feel confident about their choices.
The video on the left demonstrates how this flow simplifies the process, ensuring users can quickly find dependable contractors to meet their needs.
Improving Accessibility and Consistency
I had to change color green bc of not following wcag guidelines. I chose a darker green allowing for ratio to be 7:1 and above.
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The light tan color had to be changed to a darker brown. Honestly, didn’t think it needed to get darker bc it’s not as important to call attention to it. The emoji and label will do the trick. So I decided to keep it the light tan color.
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The blacks were inconsistent. Redid them to all have same hex code.
Usability Testing Highlights
1st Round:
💡 Challenges: Starting projects, unclear contractor roles, confusing document uploads.
🌟 Strengths: User-friendly scheduling, helpful project history tab.
📈 Fixes: Add tooltips, clearer instructions, onboarding walkthrough.
2nd Round:
🛠Insights:
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User 1: wants streamlined tabs
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User 2: suggested clear review buttons
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User 3: seeks feedback clarification.
🌟 Takeaways: Adjust tab order, improve button labels, and specify feedback purpose for a smoother user experience.
Before
After
Before
After
Key Takeaways
This project taught me to focus on interaction design details, like button animations, to enhance user experience. I learned to confidently seek help and conduct interviews, realizing people are often willing to share insights. To be honest, there's nothing I would change with my learning process. Embracing feedback and overcoming my fear of interviewing during research made the process challenging and enjoyable.