Finding your next home made easier

As Individual product designer (not affiliated with realtor.com), within two weeks I Improved usability for iOS mobile app with research and re-design.
Context
Realtor is a home search (real estate) app, offers a comprehensive list of for-sale, for-rent and just-sold properties, as well as the information and tools to make informed real estate decisions.
Problem
As someone who used few real-estate products in various cases, I wanted to check out Realtor's iOS app user experience. I discovered issues that:
Finding available listings tailored to user needs taking too long and confusing
Solution

Finding listings, simple than ever

By redesigning the search and filter components, I improved the completion rates and decreased task time and also affected the users experience positively.
(see detailed results below)

search screen, map view
Before: hidden filters
After: clear & noticeable filters
search screen, list view
Before: cluttered text & icons
After: clearer icons
Process

From testing, to an improved experience

Empathize

What blocks users from finding their perfect house?

To help guide my research, I wanted to begin by gaining a better understanding of  the behaviors and motivations of Realtor users so my usability tests could be more accurate. I interviewed friends to learn more about their house search habits and prior experiences with real-estate apps.
I consolidated my findings into a proto-persona that could evolve based on further validation research.

35 years old parent
Techie, highly educated

Behaviors

Works full time. Spends time researching when buying something expensive and important. Compares to other products. Uses navigation, communication and shopping apps

Needs & Goals

Wants to save time searching for home, to find home that fits for 10 years ahead, and fits the budget. It’s an important and risky decision

In person usability testing with 6 people revealed that filtering to find available listings tailored to user needs taking too long and confusing

  • Listing Type filter is hidden: the filter is pre-populated on load and there's no clear indication that for the selected option.
  • Listings results confusing: users were not aware of the selected filters and dependencies between them.
  • Long process: users were annoyed by the multi steps to filter specific property type
Pain Points

0 / 6

Users successfully filtered by listing type

1 / 6

Users successfully found the filter option they wanted

2 / 6

Users liked the multi steps to filter specific property type

3 / 6

Users understood that the Price options dependent on the chosen listing type

Define

"How do I find the properties that I want?"

Prioritizing Objectives:

01.

Making the Listing Type more noticeable

02.

Simplifying the Property type filter

03.

Decluttering the UI
Ideate

Simplifying Filtering

I used thecrazy 8s ideation process to make variations of search screen designs following common design patterns for search and filtering.

diverge - Sketches
converge - wireframes
Using on-screen filter
Separating search results from filter options
Displaying clear sort-by and listing type filter
Using icons to declutter screen
Prototype

Improved Experience

Search screen - Listing type, Map view
Before
After
Property Type Filter Overlay
Before
After
Property Type Filter Form
Before
After
Test

"Home sweet Home" is closer then ever

I tested the interactive prototype with 6 new users using the same tasks used for guerrilla testing to validate if the problem has been solved.

After redesigning the search and filter components, finding available listings tailored to user needs is much faster, more intuitive and less.

Usability Testing Results
Pain Point
Before
After

Users successfully filtered by listing type

0 / 6

6 / 6

Users successfully found the filter option they wanted

Users liked the multi steps to filter specific property type

3 / 6

1 / 6

Users understood that the Price options dependent on the chosen listing type

6 / 6

2 / 6

3 / 6

5 / 6

Takeaways

Redesigning the search and filter components with small improvements like using on-screen filter and consistent styling for CTAs and icons, improved the completion rates and decreased task time for users. Most important, it affected their experience positively to increase retention rates.

© 2019 Created by Inna Bensoussan / Powered by Webflow