Selected project
Making bespoke cleaning easy and user-friendly
Confidential information is excluded per my NDA. This case study reflects my views, not Emop's official viewpoints
DELIVERABLES
Product design
UI – kit
Research
PLATFORMS
Web
Mobile web
USERS
UK and Ireland-based people from 30 to 50 with higher incomes
B2C
HYPOTHESIS
Defining problems
I had two main inputs leading to concerns about the funnel performance:
High abandonment rate
A significant number of users was dropping off at various stages in the booking process, resulting in a high abandonment rate within the funnel.
Business goals
The company was struggling to meet its KPIs. To address these challenges, the goal was to improve conversion rates and enhance customer retention, ensuring that more visitors to the site would complete their bookings and remain loyal customers.
CHALLENGE
Too many details
I had access to reviews written by customers after they their cleaning service. These reviews highlighted difficulties in understanding the initial cost and managing the cleaning schedule. In addition, I conducted an audit of the current solution. Below are the key insights:
Contrast and priorities
The overall interface is too bright and doesn't have clear focus points. For example, the call-to-action buttons have the same contrast as the containers, which makes it confusing for users to navigate.
Decision fatigue
Currently, users are overwhelmed with details when booking. They need to make many decisions, like the number of rooms, staircases, and cleaning products. This can cause decision fatigue, leading to mistakes or abandonment of the booking process.
Discoverability
This also affects their understanding of pricing and the subscription system.
MY ROLE
Product designer, covering end-to-end process
I worked in collaboration with C-level executives, developers, and brand designer.
UI KIT
Components for consistency and speed
As I was designing the solution, I created components, which proved very helpful during the later rebranding stage.
RESEARCH
Searching for the best options
Finding information on best practices was quite challenging. Since other cleaning services don't have extensive reviews, I did the audit of competitor solutions and utilized secondary research sources such as NN Group and Growth Design. By studying key UX patterns and secondary research covering similar industries, I aimed to identify practices we could adopt for our own service.
Less castomisation
Our main competitors simplified their funnels by reducing details and presenting extra services as separate bookings.
Primary research
Once we had some hypotheses, it was time to speak to real users. I conducted monitored user interviews. Here are the key reasons why these interviews were essential:
Identify pain points
We needed to know specific issues people face, such as problems with booking, scheduling, or interactions with cleaners.
Validate assumptions
This ensured that our decisions are based on actual user feedback rather than guesses.
Research results
I asked people who recently moved to London and used cleaning services about their experiences; the results were extremely resourceful.
Confirmed hypothesis
This feedback suggests that while reducing cognitive load by hiding unnecessary options might help, it is more critical to provide clearer guidance on estimating cleaning price, duration and setting expectations.
Failed hypothesis
Failed hypothesis
The hypothesis was that letting first-time users choose the cleaning duration would increase conversions.
However, user feedback shows that while users struggled to estimate the cleaning duration, they mainly based their decisions on their budget and apartment size. One user mentioned choosing a random duration (2 hours) the first time because they didn't know how long it would take but knew their spending limit. On their second booking, they adjusted the duration (3 hours) based on their previous experience and the cost.
This suggests that while choosing the duration is important, providing clear cost expectations upfront may be more critical for helping users make informed decisions and improving conversion rates.
Insight
Occasional small tasks: "Sometimes I have small jobs, like painting part of a wall, and I'm not sure if I should ask the cleaner to do it or if I should do it myself"
Concerns about new cleaners: "Since a new person comes each time, I worry about who they are and if everything will be okay. Even though I haven't encountered any problems in the past, there's always a concern that something could go wrong"
TESTING
Usability test
I recommended a usability test with real users to validate our prototype, given our clear understanding of the problem, goals, and key pain points.
Positive results
Users understood how to book a cleaning.
The price was clear to them.
Users recognized that the price might change if the cleaning requirements change.
Users understood that payment will be processed after the cleaning.
Users knew how to select the time for the cleaner's arrival.
Middle priority changes
Simplify the address entry process to reduce user difficulties.
Make sure all users see how to add info to editable cells, for example account detains
SOLUTION
Designs in production
Fast track
The shortest funnel is for those who are moving out. Once a user selects "I'm moving out," we reduce the steps from 6 to just 4: cleaning details, date, time, user details.
Manageable steps
Each step covers only one part of the service booking, with information divided into small chunks. This helps users focus on one question at a time, making it easier for them to understand and complete the entire task faster.
Clear expectations
At the start of the booking, provide a clear description of the standard tasks and areas covered by the cleaner. This helps users know what to expect, while also offering flexibility for any specific needs or requests.
Clear estimations
By considering the apartment’s size and number of rooms, we can accurately estimate the cleaning duration to meet user expectations.
Visual hierarchy
Implemented headings, subheadings, and spacing helps to clearly differentiate between different chunks of information. This helps users quickly identify and process the relevant details.
Promoting trust
We have implemented shields and secure post-payment systems supported by Stripe, ensuring a safe and reliable payment process for our users. Additionally, our service features highly rated cleaners to guarantee quality and trustworthiness.
Letting everyone in
Some users start booking without a postcode or use a fake one. We prompt these users to provide a valid postcode to continue with their booking.
NEXT STEPS
Iterate
It might be helpful to add an option to enter the apartment's square footage. To make sure it's useful, we should analyze what percentage of users live in non-standard apartments.
To make a solid conclusion, we need to collect the data after the solution implimentation
Thanks for your time
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions. I'm always open to feedback and happy to help with your projects
Hey! I'm Masha, I'm a Product Designer
have a look at my portfolio on your desktop device
