7 days
1 person
startup
b2c
figma
ux research
ux audit
mobile app
heuristic evaluation
benchmarking
user flow diagram
user personas
the challenge
According to Morizon.pl studies only 20% of tenants never had any issues with their flatmates, 22% end up with a serious conflicts, the rest noticed some kind os issues. In many cases flatmates do not have a chance to meet properly in a real life before making a decision to live together.
There are many other issues that can cause conflicts such as being messy, lack of cleaning routine, noise, not respecting privacy, parties, stealing food or even other goods. As well as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes. Just a different way of living and needs that are not verified are causing problems. This is why Live.here was built for.
Livehe.re is a renting platform connecting hosts, tenants and roommates made by a startup. All minimized into a mobile app. Live.here tries to match people using machine learning and gamification. Creators did not want the product to remind of Tinder but it does. Not only by the content but as well by the visual identification.
This audit is a continuation of an expert audit created for INCO Academy’s hackathon purpose. Originally, in a team of 2, for the first time we had a chance to work with a real product during a 5-day sprint. We verified and analyzed over 10 user paths, named the problems, explained their origin, offered specific solutions and rate them by the priority of change. We used in the process Nielsen’s heuristics. All was finished with the presentation and positive feedback from the client.
I decided to continue by myself with the project to create a real audit case with as much as possible at this state. At the first glimpse, app looks great but when dig deeper, it is not. In phase_1, we analyzed 100% of the content as the shortage of time allowed us. This time, I want to do this in more systematic way and focus on details using a wide range of methodologies.tform connecting hosts, tenants and roommates made by a startup. All minimized into a mobile app. Live.here tries to match people using machine learning and gamification. Creators did not want the product to remind of Tinder but it does. Not only by the content but as well by the visual identification.
research x metodologies
All we were given was a brief about the project and a Figma link to not all high-fidelity frames of the app divided into user journeys sections. Unfortunately, after careful analysis it turned out that some screens and features were missing. The prototype was not not provided. At that time, we didn’t have other choice than to evaluate given data as it is. It also means that we were not able then and I am not now, able to run a user testing to prove my point of view at this stage.
The research phase included a comprehensive approach to understanding user needs and market trends. Key activities encompassed:
UX Audit: Heuristics Evaluation
UX Audit: Benchmarking
User Personas
target group
mobile users
millennials & gen z
Warsaw
connectivity and data sharing
digital nomads
Erasmus students
all gender
approx. 19-34 years old who cannot afford their own places yet
goal statement
Live.here wants to let people rent places to live in an easy, pleasant and safe way with the right people.
user personas
pain points
no ability to check content without registering
Overwhelming Functionalities
Complex Information Architecture
Heuristic Issues
inconsistency
all gender
tinder asociación
no user's rating
confusing flow
lorem ipsum placeholders
no loyalty program
not optimised filters
poor ux writing
no visible mode switch
limited slider
no focus on match test
a lot "no" words
mixing languages
big usage of primary (red) colour
mysterious error messages
research outcomes
Live.here has got some competitors outside Poland. Although, they are not that packed with functionalities as Live.here is. It can be beneficial for users but overwhelming too.
Roomies is advertised as UK’s favorite flatmate finder. We can only believe so because the evaluation was stopped at creating account stage. The system did not send a verification code so I was unable to proceed. Although, I can say that not being able to have a look what is inside without account creation is not a good experience. They did not create accessible error messages too as far as I noticed. Roomies does not have a mobile app or at least I was not able to upload it from their website and the apple store. Despite bad experience and first impression, it could be a really strong competitor for Live.here and a great inspiration.
Badi had the highest rating so far. It has got a great visual identification, the flow is easy. Product is available on mobile and desktop. Nevertheless, the mobile do not give you the full experience - home rental opens a website. Unfortunately, there is no user’s rating based on the living experience but there is a lister score - goes up when the account is verified, you answer fast and have successful rentals. You can check the host profile and leave a review. Not sure how the match works there but the app looks pretty straightforward and easy to use.
Ideal Flatmate is much closer with functionality to Live.here. Although it is a desktop app, there is a match test. A view for apartments and users. UI is not exciting thought but it is easy to use and registration process is fast.
There is no direct competitor in Poland. Indirect one are all advertisements portals and Facebook theme groups only. There is no verification profiles, no rating related to being a host or a flatmate and no match test. Although, they packed with various features, it is not overwhelming for an user and the flow is easy.
Live.here is a one-stop-shop for hosts and flatmates. It has got it all but maybe even too much. It is worth to think thought heuristic issues mentioned before, the information architecture and optimizing the view to make this great concept a successful product.
next steps
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