Usability Evaluation for Homesrunner by Tamadtech

During my evaluation and usability testing of the Homesrunner App, I identified numerous usability issues. Consequently, I provided key design recommendations on maintaining consistent system status to ensure users smoothly navigate along the happy path.

The Problem:

Usability testing uncovered various structural and functional issues, causing confusion among users and hindering their successful use of the app for its intended purpose. Some of the issues keeping users from completing tasks were functionality issues rather than usability issues because the app was not finished.

I found that the functionality issues and inconsistent experiences on IOS vs. Apple hindered usability testing.

How I Solved It:

I narrowed my scope to only include what I considered to be the most important usability issues and created a “Key Findings and Recommendations Report” advocating for the implementation of consistent signifiers and clear copy to enhance the user experience.

The user experience should be as uniform as possible across mobile operating systems. I propose fixing the app's functionality and conducting further testing with users to ensure its effectiveness.

My Roles:

• UX Designer & Writer

• UX Researcher

Methods:

• Usability Testing

• Affinity Diagramming

• Heuristic Analysis

• Wireframing

Tools:

• Figma/Figjam

• Google

• Adobe

• Keynote

Deliverables:

• Key Design Recommendations and Findings Report

1. Discover The Problem

Homesrunner: Home Repairs at Your Fingertips!

iStock/Getty Images

The client goals
to empower homeowners:

• Get the best services at the best possible price

• Get “bids” from multiple providers

• Lowered stress and financial burdens placed on homeowners during significant home projects

• Quickly and easily find a service provider to take care of household tasks like painting, repairs, handywork, and cleaning

Based on the client goals, I drafted my research goals:

• To better understand the degree to which this app enables homeowners to connect with the best service provider for their situation

• To identify parts of key user task flows that match users’ expectations

• To identify opportunities for improvement in key user task flows 

• To gather data that can inform suggestions for improvement to key user task flows

I performed a heuristic analysis on the app to get a sense design flaws and usability issues to test with users.

It revealed structural and functional issues. Because the app was only partially built out, the functionality issues hindered the usability evaluation to some degree.

My heuristic analysis of the HomesRunner App

iStock/Getty Images

Test usability issues with real users to uncover usability problems…

Based on the client goals and my research goals, I came up with 8 tasks to test with users:

• Task #1: Get bids from service providers on a home project that needs to be done
• Task #2: Book a provider for immediate ASAP work (‘on-demand’)
• Task #3: Select and book a preferred service provider
• Task #4: Cancel a booked service
• Task #5: Check previous bookings for the scheduled appointment time, provider name and booking status

I asked users to describe their actions out loud as they performed them to get a sense of what they were thinking as they used the app. This form of usability testing is called Think Aloud Protocol.

Observing users with the app on Zoom

Research Results

The app had different or missing copy and features depending on the phone and the OS.

The designs of signifiers and their different functions were not differentiated from each other and the copy was not clear so when it came accomplishing a task, test participants were left frustrated instead of empowered.

Affinity Diagramming and Research Synthesis Point to the Problem

I gathered all the notes and results from testing and discovered that one of themes that emerged was how confused participants were about certain things on the main data entry menu.

Research synthesis repository on Figjam: similar user trends are organized and grouped together by color via a UX research technique called “Affinity Diagramming”

•Several users overlooked the address data entry entirely

•Some thought the selected time that says “Now” was a call-to-action button

• The copy on the call-to-action buttons was unclear which left the participants unsure of what would happen is they clicked on them

3. Prototype The Solution

I wrote and included prototypes in a “Key Findings and Recommendations Report” based on my usability research findings.

The ease with which tasks were completed were difficult to quantify because many participants got stuck and were unable to complete most of the tasks.

Some of the issues keeping the participants from completing tasks were functionality issues rather than usability issues because the app was not finished.

Therefore, research on the usability of some important tasks could not be conducted.

In the report, I focused on the crucial usability issues identified on the main data entry page, highlighting inconsistencies in system indicators and unclear or absent guidance/copy, which pose challenges for users.

I provided simple recommendations accompanied by design solutions to address these concerns.

Conclusion & Next Steps

• I recommend fixing would be to make the user experience as uniform as possible for all phones and operating systems.

• I recommend implementing the changes about having consistent signifiers and clear copy.

• I recommend adding more functionality to the app and testing it again on several different users, not just the target demographic of homeowners because some people who are not homeowners tight now might be in the future.

All eight test participants also expressed that a lack of a paywall might render the ratings and reviews of different service providers untrustworthy. Something to consider looking into, perhaps in A/B testing where one version has a subscription and one does not to see how participants feel about trust while using it.

Overall, I found that functionality issues and inconsistent experiences across platforms can really hinder usability testing and therefore create problems for the research team and result in incomplete data