Umove
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Umove
Provide a service to people who are moving residences in order to reduce friction and ease their stress as they prepare for, move, and settle into their new homes.
ROLE
USER EXPERIENCE
VISUAL DESIGN
PROTOTYPING
TYPE
M.DES PROJECT | TEAM
TOOLS USED
FIGMA
MURAL
GOOGLE SUITE
Project brief for the semester
UMove sees an opportunity to expand their offerings from products into a holistic service, in support of the process of moving. They are interested in exploring unmet needs of folks who are moving homes and want more advice, recommendations, and/or higher-touch services to guide them through the process.
It is NOT looking to become a professional moving company themselves—meaning they will not physically move furniture and boxes or drive the moving trucks. They see this new offering as an opportunity to extend their brand experience and build a relationship with customers beyond a single touchpoint.
Competitive Analysis
IDENTIFIED GAPS
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Lack of comprehensive moving support
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Customers must independently manage multiple moving aspects
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Limited end-to-end service solutions
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Minimal professional assistance beyond basic truck rental
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The market needs an integrated moving service that provides holistic support, simplifying the entire relocation process for customers.
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Moving customers face a fragmented experience with traditional truck rental companies like U-Haul, Enterprise, and Penske.
Interviews
In our research, we targeted working professionals and families, conducting targeted interviews with individuals who had recently moved within the past four months. By utilizing Zoom as our interview platform, we ensured a comprehensive approach to gathering insights. Our methodology was structured around a carefully prepared interview guide and predefined research questions, which allowed us to systematically explore and capture the nuanced experiences of recent movers across different segments.
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Our mural board snapshot
Low-Fidelity
Prototype
Since our approach was user-centric, we sought feedback throughout the design process. After creating initial wireframes, we recruited five participants to evaluate them. We then developed a low-fidelity prototype for user testing, which allowed us to collect valuable feedback before finalizing the product
Snapshot of journey map, sorry for the quality as our Miro was a free version
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High Fidelity
Prototype
Our high fidelity prototype integrates feedback from both professor and users, creating a tailored experience for our target persona. Accompanied by a comprehensive usability guide, this refined design addresses key user needs while maintaining intuitive interaction patterns.
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Love and hate letter Figjam workshop
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2.
Think of The D's
In this workshop, both online and in-person participants engaged in a word association activity to generate ideas and insights on the design topic. Trigger words sparked spontaneous responses, fostering deep discussions and creative thinking. The collected words were analyzed for key themes, enhancing empathy and design decisions.
Think of the D's workshop
3.
Magic Object
In this online and in-person workshop, participants engaged in the "Magic Object / Sketch" activity using FigJam, pencil, and paper to design imaginative solutions. This creative exercise encouraged out-of-the-box thinking, collaboration, and idea-sharing. The sketches provided unique insights and new possibilities, enriching the design process.
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Magic Object workshop
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Organise your move
Here is "To Do List" which helps members to organize their move efficiently.
We provide to do list according to your moving date such as buy storage box, repair your home, measure your home, change your address and so on
Users can take the action immediately in each task. If you want to get packing supplies. You can hit the button to order here.
If user finished this task, you can mark as done here. Moreover, you can set the reminder and UMove will send notifications to remind.
Every progress will be reflected at the progress bar.
Because of the moving process is so exhausted so will be celebrate every time when users make a progress.
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Track your items
What's in my box feature will help people can track your stuff in your storage box.
To know every stuff you have packed. Take a photo and add your bag
Click the picture and save
When users want to unpack only the necessary stuffs.This feature will help people to solve this problem.
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Find home setup services
To set up your new place, we provide 'Find services' feature. Users can search to find services near by the area to help you to set up your new place.
Suggest services for setting up your home like wifi, cleaning, baby proofing etc
Click on the service, see the nearest vendors and get pricings
Services are displayed with description, pricing, review stars and distance from your home
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Donate your belongings
The fastest way to get rid off your things is to donate your stuff
Umove chatbot
Chatbot will be there all the time to support users, how to pack, booking truck, call to staff when you are in the bad situation for example you have an accident and you want someone to deal with this situation.
Select the items you want to donate
Umove will show charities list that align to the requirement in your area.
You can tap to see more detail. We will lead you to charities' website.
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Select the items you want to donate
Umove will show charities list that align to the requirement in your area.
You can tap to see more detail. We will lead you to charities' website.
What did I learn ?
Strategic Project Planning
Through this project, I gained profound insight into the importance of a comprehensive project brief. This document became our north star, ensuring all team decisions aligned with client requirements while establishing clear boundaries and expectations from the outset.
User-Centered Co-Creation
I developed a deeper understanding of collaborative design processes that genuinely incorporate user perspectives. By involving users throughout our design journey, we created solutions that addressed actual needs rather than assumed ones, resulting in a more intuitive and effective final product.
Team Dynamics Optimization
Working with fellow UX designers taught me to identify and leverage our individual strengths while addressing weaknesses. This approach allowed us to delegate tasks strategically, dramatically improving our workflow efficiency while maintaining high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.
Conflict Management in Design
I learned to navigate differences of opinion constructively, transforming potential roadblocks into opportunities for innovation. This experience enhanced my communication skills and reinforced the value of diverse perspectives in creating robust design solutions.
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Let's work together
Reach out at ssinghmanvi@gmail.com. I have an inbox zero rule so I’ll see your message for sure and, I’ll reply with at least one smiley.
DID YOU KNOW ?
90% of Americans find moving very or somewhat stressful
What did we find ?
We interviewed participants consisting of singles, couples, and families who relocated within the past 6 months across the United States. All participants owned enough furniture and belongings that they required professional moving assistance, and represented middle to upper-middle class households with disposable income who demonstrated willingness to spend more for convenience and quality services.
Stress is challenging
Navigating large trucks, balancing work with packing, and handling unexpected costs make moving overwhelming.
Customer have priorities
Transparent pricing, insurance, flexible estimates, and professional yet affordable services are highly valued.
Cost vs Convenience
Some opt for movers to save time, while others DIY to cut costs, often using personal vehicles or friends’ help.
Service is a concern
Hidden fees and inconsistent service quality create dissatisfaction, highlighting the need for greater transparency.
It is an emotional journey
Despite the stress, many see moving as an exciting new chapter.
Key Insights
We categorised our findings to provide a clear and structured overview of the major challenges and expectations in the moving experience. Hence, we had 5 major key insights.
Logistic Challenges: Users struggle with rigid truck return processes, limited assistance, and navigating large trucks in congested urban areas like Boston.
Emotional & Physical Stress: Moving is exhausting due to extensive planning, research, and balancing work, with users seeking a smoother, stress-free experience.
Financial Strains: Cost is a major factor; while customers are willing to pay for comprehensive services, they expect full pricing transparency.
Communication & Transparency: Users desire better scheduling, coordination, and service offerings beyond just packing and moving.
Quality of Service & Assistance: Issues like damage to belongings, unpacking disorganization, and scheduling difficulties highlight the need for more reliable, end-to-end moving solutions.
“The most stressful part is just figuring out how you're going to make it happen.”
“The moving process is exhausting and challenging, requiring extensive online research”
“Balancing work and making quick decisions about packing and setting up the new place were hard.”
We brainstormed and voting for our final opportunity area
How might we provide resources that help users meticulously plan and excecute their move efficiently and seemlessly
Co-Creation with users
We conducted co-design sessions with real users of moving facilities to inform and refine our solution.
To gather diverse insights and ideas, we designed three engaging and interactive activities that encouraged active participation and creative thinking.
These sessions were facilitated through a combination of FigJam and in-person workshops, ensuring a dynamic and inclusive collaboration process.
1.
Love and Hate Letter
In this activity, participants wrote a "Love & Hate Letter" to express their emotions about the moving process, framing it as either a love letter or a breakup letter. Conducted via Zoom using Google Docs, this creative exercise encouraged deep reflection. The collected letters were analyzed to identify common themes, desires, and concerns, providing valuable insights into their experiences and expectations.
How did we get to our solution ?
After defining our key features, we created the App map by organising content and functionalities into logical sections and showing the hierarchy and flow of the app.
App map made in Miro
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Onboarding
This is the onboarding guide, At the heart of UMove are four key features that address the pain points identified during our research and co-design sessions.
Visual Identity
MOVINF FOWARD, SORTING BETTER
I wanted to evoke practical, reliable qualities creating an approachable moving experience, while having exceptional legibility across screens ensures information remains accessible. Roboto Flex's subtle character variations allow our moving service app to feel professional and personalized without sacrificing the clarity essential for efficient planning and coordination.
TYPOGRAPHY
RobotoFlex
Aa123
RobotoFlex
Aa123
COLORS
#FEA000
#FFF5E3
#0D0D0D
#FFFFFF
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Umove logo