House to Home
Overview
House to House is a digital solution designed to simplify the way millennial homeowners and renters connect with reliable, affordable home service professionals. With the growing demand in the home services market and a lack of trustworthy, tech-forward platforms, this project aimed to bridge the gap by building a transparent, effortless, and user-centered home service marketplace.
Role
UX Designer
UX Competitive Analysis, Research, Information Architecture, Wireframes, Prototype
Duration
5 Weeks, May 1 2020
CHALLENGES FACED
“Do I Really Have to Call Someone?”
Yes, many platforms still rely on phone calls or emails to book services. That’s a deal-breaker for users who expect modern, mobile-first convenience — think swipe, tap, schedule.
“Can I Trust This Stranger in My Home?”
That’s the real fear. Most platforms don’t vet professionals well. Reviews are vague, bios are empty, and background checks? Rare. Users want safety, reliability, and proof — not a gamble.
“Why Is Comparing Prices Still This Confusing?”
Users are frustrated with how hard it is to compare professionals. They want to see rates, read reviews, view certifications, and check availability — all in one place. The current system forces them to dig, guess, or worse… call around.
“Why Am I Jumping Through So Many Apps?”
Searching here. Messaging there. Payments somewhere else. Reviews from a totally different place. Users are tired of the fragmented experience. They want one clean, seamless space to manage everything.
Research & Discovery
User Insights
Information Architecture
Design Process
Testing
Research & Discovery
Why Is Finding the Right Home Service Still So Hard in a Digital World?
Despite living in a tech-savvy age, many homeowners still struggle with finding reliable home service professionals. We dug into key stats to understand why.
64% of HVAC service searches happen on a mobile device, yet many platforms aren't optimized for smooth mobile use.
88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, but many platforms fail to display reviews in a transparent, helpful way.
50% of loyal customers have switched to a competitor because the service felt more relevant or satisfying.
What Are Others Doing Right (or Wrong) in the Home Services Space?
We rolled up our sleeves and examined the big names and rising stars in the home service marketplace to uncover gaps, strengths, and opportunities.
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Thumbtack offers a wide range of services but often lacks personalized matching and overwhelms users with choices.
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Angi (formerly Angie’s List) focuses on verified pros but still feels outdated in design and mobile experience, leading to user drop-off.
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TaskRabbit excels in flexibility and task variety but struggles with service consistency and trust signals for first-time users.
User Insights
What Do Real People Actually Want When It Comes to Home Services?
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Trust is everything. Users crave safe, reliable, and verified service professionals they can count on.
2
Digital first. Most prefer scheduling online or via app—phone calls and emails feel outdated and time-consuming.
3
Cash is (basically) dead. Users are fully comfortable with digital payments—Venmo, Apple Pay, PayPal, Visa, you name it.
4
Repairs top the list. Home repairs came up way more often than home improvement projects—they’re the urgent, must-fix stuff.
5
Transparency, please. Being able to compare prices and understand the cost before committing is non-negotiable.
" If we can do it ourselves, we will, but it doesn't " make sense to pay money for supplies to try and DIY something, do it wrong, and have to hire someone anyhow. That’s a waste of time
What Does the Data Say About How Users Choose Home Service Providers?
To truly understand what users want, we went beyond just interviews and launched a survey across social media platforms. With 42 responses, the results were clear—users want ease, convenience, and reliability. Here’s what we found:
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A one-stop solution is key. 79% of respondents want a single app for all their home repair and improvement needs—no more juggling multiple platforms.
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DIY? No thanks. 66% prefer hiring professionals over attempting DIY—time, quality, and safety are top priorities.
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Upfront payment is preferred. 74% of users like to pay upfront, ensuring transparency and peace of mind for both parties.
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Online research matters. 24% of users take the time to thoroughly research service providers online before hiring—trust is earned through visibility.
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Word of mouth still reigns. 74% of people hire based on personal recommendations, showing the power of trust in a close-knit community.
How Did We Organize All the Data to Understand Users Better?
To make sense of the data we gathered, we turned to Affinity Diagrams. By grouping similar insights, we uncovered clear patterns and trends that guided our design. This process allowed us to dive deeper into user needs and organize feedback into actionable themes.
Affinity Diagram for Problem Statement
Affinity Diagram for Problem Statement
USER PERSONA
FRUSTRATION
Her biggest fear? Feeling unsafe with a stranger working inside her home. She's also tired of reading generic reviews not reflecting the real experience. And when she finally takes a chance, it often ends with poor-quality work that leaves her more frustrated than when she started.
GOALS
She dreams of a smooth, stress-free way to find and hire nearby professionals who can actually get the job done. She's not just looking for anyone , she wants to compare prices, weigh her options, and pick what fits her budget.
Profession: Therapist
Age: 30
Busy Working Mother
Sarah V
What Happens When It’s an Emergency?
Meet Sarah — her pipe just burst, water's everywhere, and panic sets in. She scrambles to find a plumber fast, but every step brings a new headache: sketchy websites, unanswered calls, overpriced quotes, or worse — no one available. Her journey shows the chaos, delays, and trust issues that can come with hiring help in a pinch. It’s clear: the system isn’t built for urgent, everyday people like Sarah.
Information Architecture
How is the app structured?
To get a clear picture of how users will navigate through the app, I created a site map that outlines the key features and screens. It acts as the blueprint for the entire experience — keeping things simple, intuitive, and easy to explore.
Design Process
What ideas are worth building?
To kickstart the design journey, I used the "How / Wow / Now" brainstorming exercise to explore and organize feature ideas for the app. This helped prioritize concepts based on feasibility, innovation, and immediate impact.
By visually mapping out each idea, I could see how different features would interact within the app, guiding better decision-making for what to build first and what to refine later.
What does the journey look like on paper?
The low-fidelity wireframes mapped out the core user flow, focusing on functionality over visuals:
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Homepage – Where the user begins their journey.
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Service Search – A clean space to browse or search for needed services.
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Professional Listings – Nearby experts displayed with key info.
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Pro Profile Page – Users can explore credentials, past work, reviews, and even chat or book.
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Appointment Scheduler – Date selection followed by contract signing.
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Post-Service Page – Smooth final step where the user can review and pay.
This stage helped visualize the structure before diving into detailed design.
How do the ideas start to take shape?
How does it actually work for users?
The features were tested on 11 users who are homeowners or renters, in order to gather insights on the design
Average completion rate
Average error rate
Seconds average time to complete a task
What did users say — and how did we improve?
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“Where did the profile go?”
Users had trouble navigating back to the professional’s profile after checking messages. This led to streamlining the navigation flow.
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“What do these icons even mean?”
The bottom navigation icons caused some confusion. We added clear labels and changed the “Explore” icon to a more familiar Home icon.
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Can I see when they’re coming?”
Users wanted a GPS tracking feature to know when their professional is en route — now added for better peace of mind.
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“How long were they even here?”
Service hours were added directly into the invoice screen to help users keep track.
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“Where’s Google Pay?”
We listened. Google Pay is now part of the payment options for smoother transactions.
What changed in the final design?
After listening to users and diving deep into testing insights, we gave the app a serious upgrade. These were some of the most impactful changes:
Bottom Navigation, Now with Labels
No more guessing — every icon now comes with a clear label to guide users confidently through the app.
Bye-Bye, Confusion
The explore icon was swapped with a home icon, giving users a familiar visual cue for easier navigation.
Simplified Messaging
The messaging icon was redesigned to be more recognizable and intuitive.
Each tweak made the experience smoother, smarter, and more human. A final design that’s not just beautiful — but built to work.