Local Mouse

UX/UI Design

My role: Product Design, Research, Prototyping

Local Mouse is an app that allows users to sell, locate and track used furniture in their neighborhood.

Project Overview

Buying used furniture is more cost-effective but also sustainable and ethical than purchasing brand-new items. However, it isn't easy to deliver compared to other items. Size, arguably the most crucial factor in making a furniture purchase in New York City, is often not provided with enough detail on local marketplaces.

My role: Product Design, Research, Prototyping

The Goal

  1. To design a local marketplace with detailed dimensions information.

  2. Have detailed categorizations to allow buyers to filter options.

  3. A key feature is notifying users when their ‘liked’ furniture is sold; it eases the trouble of not knowing whether the furniture is still available.

Design Process

User Research

Interview questions consisted of Demographic questions and detailed Product Based Open open-ended questions. Twenty-two users, ranging from 20 to mid-30s, were surveyed. Separate but more in-depth interviews were conducted with six additional participants.

Online Survey

Sample Size: 20-30 respondents

Tool: Qualtrics Survey

Survey

User Interview

Sample Size: 5-6 participants

Tool: Recorder, Notepad, Pen

Positive: reasonable price & environmentally friendly

Competitive Analysis

3 Competitors from the same domain

This survey aims to gather New Yorkers’ attitudes about secondhand furniture shopping, their views on the current alternatives, and concerns about the topic. Survey results will help us to learn more about our target group and future users.

72.7% of participants are renters

Survey Analysis

Majority of the participants were between the ages of 18-22, with the second largest group being 22-25 years old.

81.8% of survey participants do not find it easy to change apartments, move in New York City.

Interviews

Most of interviewees reported that they prefer and use online methods for furniture shopping.

Personas

63.6% of participants do not live with others or roommates.

About 70% of participants do not own a means of transportation (ie: car) And rely on public transportation

Interviewees will be asked open-ended questions about their furniture shopping behaviors and thoughts on the current options for secondhand furniture shopping. These questions will also explore the participants' concerns with secondhand and Street Shopping (Strooping) activities.

Interview Analysis

When asked about difficulties living in NYC, majority of responses pertained to moving and buying furniture

Negative: hygiene, comfort, & trust of the seller

After analyzing the data that we had on hand we created 2 user personas that would be using the product that we create. Let’s see what they have to say about stooping for furniture.

Competitive Analysis

Paper Prototypes

Visual Design

We aim to make main wireframes, such as the home and product pages, chat box pages, and checkout pages, simple and accessible for users. At the same time, we differentiate our app from our competitors by allowing users to reserve a piece of furniture they like and offering a white glove delivery service.

Final Design

Log in & Sign Up Page

Home Page

Product Page

Chat box/Message Page

Cart Page & Checkout Page

Profile Page

View the interactive Figma prototype

Usability Testing

The study was conducted in person on 4 participants in controlled settings at the Pace University Library and Student Lounge. The participants were recruited based on their interest in second-hand furniture and stooping. The test started with the “think out loud” method, where we asked the participants to walk through the application and were given 2 tasks to complete.

Task

  • Task 1: Find a desk in your area and reserve it

  • Task 2: Post a furniture product

Post Study Insights

Observations

  • Users want to see design inspiration and ideas for their rooms

  • Users want to be aware of items that are discontinued or rare

Problem Areas

  • Unclear logistics for separating items by room

  • Users have to scroll down to find the navbar

“…as someone who often buys second-hand furniture, I can imagine myself using the app for my next purchase”

9.1

Satisfaction Rate

89.9%

System Usability Score

Conclusion

Future Implementations

  • AR Feature Emphasis: Further research and emphasis will be on AR usability

  • The navigation bar will be fixed positioned while scrolling through the page.

  • Increasing the font sizes for the buttons and menus.

  • Decreasing the volume of information on a single page.

Thanks for reading !