My contribution
Product design
User research
User Interviews
Prototyping
The team
1 × Product designer
1 × Project manager
3 × Developers
2 × QA Engineer
Year
2017
Overview
Back in 2017, I found myself at the intersection of furniture design and new technology almost nobody had experience with. I partnered with Gazzda, a furniture brand known for its very recognizable sleek, minimalist furniture. We were up for a challenge - create a mobile app that would redefine how people shop for furniture.
This wasn't just another e-commerce project. We were diving into the world of AR, aiming to be one of the first to bring this technology to furniture shoppers on a broad scale. The goal? To let customers virtually 'try out' Gazzda's pieces in their own homes before making a purchase.
It was an exciting prospect. We weren't just designing an app, we were crafting an experience that would bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds of furniture shopping. Little did we know then how this project would transform not just Gazzda's business, but the very way people think about furnishing their spaces.
Problem
The furniture industry had a problem with a fundamental issue: the disconnect between how a piece looks in a showroom or online catalog and how it fits into a customer's actual living space. This uncertainty often led to hesitation in purchasing, increased returns, and overall customer dissatisfaction.
We recognized this pain point and saw an opportunity to leverage AR to solve it. They needed a solution that would:
🛋️ Allow customers to visualize furniture in their own spaces
🤔 Reduce the uncertainty in the purchase decision
📦 Decrease return rates due to size or style mismatches
✨ Enhance the overall shopping experience to align with their brand values
Solution & Impact
Our answer to this challenge was the Gazzda AR Interior Design app. This mobile application levarages the power of AR to allow customers to virtually place Gazzda's furniture in their own homes before making a purchase.
Our answer to this challenge was the Gazzda AR Interior Design app. This mobile application levarages the power of AR to allow customers to virtually place Gazzda's furniture in their own homes before making a purchase.
23%
Reduced returns due to size or style mismatch
636
Orders through the app in the first 12 months
$1.1mil
Revenue generated through the app in the first 12 months
Research
Our UX research process was comprehensive, employing a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to gain deep insights into user needs and behaviors.
User personas
Based on our research, we developed three key user personas to guide our design decisions
User interviews
As a crucial part of our design process, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 individuals, all of whom had recently purchased furniture or were actively in the market for new pieces. These interviews were designed to uncover the nuances of the furniture shopping experience, from initial inspiration to final purchase decision.
Alma, 37
Semir, 55
Edvin, 29
These interviews not only validated our initial assumptions about the need for an AR furniture shopping solution but also provided invaluable insights into the specific features and functionalities that would resonate most with our target users. Concerns expressed by our interviewees directly informed our design decisions, ensuring that the app would address real needs in the furniture shopping experience.
Usability testing results
In my experience, you need to test 18 users to have an 85% chance of finding 90% of the problems with the product. We conducted thorough usability testing with our low-fidelity prototype. Here are the key results:
AR Interface:
16 out of 18 users found the AR placement feature intuitive and easy to use.
Users particularly appreciated the ability to move and rotate furniture easily.
2 users initially struggled with scanning the floor, as 2017 LiDAR sensors weren't the best, so users really needed to put some effort to scan the surroundings.
Navigation:
The card sorting exercise led to a navigation structure that 17 out of 18 users found logical and easy to use.
Customization:
All 18 users were excited about the ability to change colors and materials in real-time.
7 users requested the ability to save multiple versions of a customized piece for comparison.
Performance:
Users were generally satisfied with the speed of AR rendering, but 3 users with older devices experienced some lag and overall issues with scanning
Purchasing Process:
11 out of 12 users found the process of locating a dealer straightforward.
8 users expressed interest in a direct purchase option within the app.
Overall Experience:
On a scale of 1-10, users rated their overall experience with the prototype an average of 8.9.
The most common praise was for the app's potential to reduce purchase anxiety and returns.
Based on these results, we made several refinements to our design:
Added clearer visual cues for furniture scale in AR view
Implemented a "save versions" feature for customized furniture
Optimized AR rendering for better performance on older devices
Began exploring the possibility of in-app purchasing for future updates
First version of the app:
Solution
The Gazzda AR Interior Design app was designed with simplicity and functionality in mind. Here's how it works:
Using their device's camera, users scan the room where they want to place the furniture.
With a few taps, they can place virtual furniture in their space, rotate it, and move it around.
The app allows users to change dimensions, materials, and colors of the furniture.
Once satisfied, users can save their designs and share them with friends and family.
The app helps users locate and contact nearby dealers to purchase their chosen furniture or directly purchase furniture if available.
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges we faced was rendering realistic-looking furniture models that would work seamlessly across both iOS and Android platforms. We used SceneKit for iOS and Unity for Android, developing a custom solution to ensure consistent look and feel across devices.
Another hurdle was creating an intuitive user experience for interacting with virtual objects in a real-world environment. We implemented features like shadows and hovering movements to guide users in placing and manipulating furniture naturally.
My take
Seeing the positive impact on both customer satisfaction and business metrics was incredibly rewarding. It really drove home the power of user-centered design in creating meaningful solutions. Who knew sofas could be so high-tech?
This project is a constant reminder of how thoughtfully applied technology can elevate everyday experiences. Now, if only we could apply AR to make assembling flat-pack furniture a breeze , but that's a challenge for another day.