Case Study 04
Book & schedule a plumber, track arrival & pay quickly and easily
Plumbo app and website
Product
This app will allow users select plumber based on rating and credentials, book appointments, track and pay all on the app.
DURATION
May 2022-June 2022 (3 weeks)
MY ROLE
Team lead, visuals & interaction
RESPONSIBILITIES
Persona’s, empathy map, user journey, problem statement, user research, crazy eight and ideate, competitive report & audit, user flow, wireframing, storyboard low-fi & hi-fi prototyping, site map, final design
Product
vision
Challenges
Our app will let users choose plumber based on rating and credentials, book appointments, track and pay all on the app which will affect customers by streamlining the process. We will measure effectiveness by analyzing the data, user research and moderated user study.
I conducted user interviews, which I then turned into empathy maps to better understand the target user and their needs. I discovered that many target users are nervous about having a stranger in their house. Customers that use this service are usually pretty busy so they are looking for a way to schedule a confirmed ETA with the plumber. There should be a way to start the process before the plumber physically arrives at the house. Also, some plumbers are specialists and difficult to find through standard methods. For some users, navigating a search engine like Google is overwhelming and confusing, particularly the elderly. This caused a normally simple process to become challenging for them, which adds stress to an already stressful situation.
Meet the users
-
Alice
“I love working with our plumbers. That are always really quick and professional”
Age 34
Education Grad school
Hometown Kansas City, MO
Family Married with 1 kid
Occupation Lawyer
I have a busy schedule as a lawyer/mom in downtown Kansas City while living in Lee Summit 30 min away. I don’t have time to dilly dally so when I have a plumbing issue it’s a stress because it’s always a surprise. Even though it has been happy quite often these days.
Goals: choose plumber based on rating and credentials Book appointments, Track and pay,
Frustrations: I have a busy schedule and don’t have time to wait around for a plumber
-
Ryan
“I think plumbo works great as my sidekick throughout the day handling all of the logistics so I can focus on the customers and finding solutions for customers.”
Age 48
Education B.S in Plumbing Theory
Hometown Kansas City, MO
Family Married with 3 kid
Occupation 20 years experience Plumber
Wants: App is easy to navigate different jobs throughout day, management system, clean and accessible.
Every morning Ryan opens the plumbo app. He looks at the map feature and scheduler that calculates the distance to each job for the day. When Ryan is working, he has access to all the data and features that helps calculates and speeds up tasks and increases productivity. When finished the app works as the payment system while providing digital receipts.
A primary research study was conducted that included script and competitive audit. Researching direct and indirect competitors.
Prompt 1
Customer opens app browses available plumbers.
Prompt 1 follow-up: How easy or difficult was this task to complete? Is there anything you would change about the process of scheduling a plumber?
Prompt 2
Select a plumber.
Prompt 3
Confirm booking of a plumber and complete the process.
Prompt 3 follow-up How easy or difficult was this task to complete? Is there anything you would change?
Prompt 4
Click Book and receive a confirmed message.
Prompt 4 follow-up How did you feel about this plumber app overall? What did you like and dislike?
-
Creating Plumbo scheduling app
Author Melissa Mulligan, UX researcher, melissa_mulligan@plumbo.com
Date May 11, 2022
Project background Our customers need an easy way to schedule plumbers to fix issues quickly.
Research goals Find out a seamless process that saves time and keeps customers happy
-
Participants
Participants are homeowners
Two males, two females, and one non binary individual, between the ages of 25-60
UX research study — Plumbo app example Google UX Design Certificate
The study is accessible for use with a screen reader and a switch device
-
How do competitors talk about themselves?
Pipes Plumbing is one of the most popular plumbing apps offering formulas and key information that comes in handy when plumbers visit the app. Quality Plumbing Inc provides plumbing repair services around the KC metro. Bob Hamilton Plumbing has been in business for over 35 years while fixing all your plumbing needs in a kind way.
-
Gaps
Some gaps we Identified include:
Bob Hamilton Plumbing and Quality Plumbing Inc. don’t offer past order info and account sign in.
The technology leaves much to be desired.
-
Key performance indicators
Measure success in research study for designs. Use of navigation vs. search, drop-off rates, conversion rates, System usability scale
-
Methology
Quantitative research, primary research
Goal is to find out as much as possible about the challenges experienced, needs and characteristics of potential users before creating the designs.
-
After the moderated usability study Participants will complete the System Usability Scale
Participants will score the following ten statements by selecting one of five responses that range from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.”
1. I think that I would use this app frequently.
2. I find the app unnecessarily complex.
3. I think the app is easy to use.
4. I need the support of a technical person to be able to use this app.
5. I find the app easy to navigate.
-
Competitors’ strengths
Pipes Plumbing strengths include:
Pipe calculations and formula info
Integrated with voice control software
Offers 12 different languages
Quality Plumbing Inc. strengths include:
Online scheduler
Alt text
All info is on homepage and easy to find
Bob Hamilton Plumbing strengths include:
Bob is always available by cell from website
Friendly service
Business for over 35 years
-
Competitors’ weaknesses
Pipes Plumbing weaknesses include:
Expensive
Too descriptive at times
Quality Plumbing Inc, weaknesses include:
No screen-reader
Bad Reviews
App is a bit messy and disorganized
Bob Hamilton Plumbing weaknesses include:
Missing features and gimmicky
Too Brief
Empathy map
User journey map
Big and Close up storyboards
Wireframes
I did some design thinking activities, like crazy eights, sketching ideas for eight different designs, each with a new idea for solving the user's problem.
Homepage wireframes
User flow
Low fidelity prototype
Site map
Outcomes and takeaways
-
Impact
Customers are now able to go through a quickly guided process to schedule a plumber based on rating and credentials. Features include appointment booking, job tracking, and payment - all on the app. This will affect customers by streamlining the entire process. We will measured effectiveness by analyzing the data, user research and organizing a moderated user study.
-
What I learned
We learned Individuals pathway was confusing because there was no button to choose a plumber. During one individual’s experience they struggled to locate the tracking map after booking which is a huge feature we want to make sure users find.
-
Next steps
Ask for feedback early in the process and as often as possible
Will work on the design more to meet needs of the user
Conduct secondary research for accessibility standards