Professional Video Advice for your DIY Projects

Xpert advice when you need it.

DIY Expert is a mobile advice app for users tackling DIY home-improvement projects that connects them with a qualified expert who can help them accomplish their task. The app is designed for users of all skill levels that could use some visual guidance on their specific problem.

What’s the problem?

“Our home improvement advice app users need a way to access professional advice and instruction on basic home improvement tasks because they don’t want to spend the time searching endlessly online or receive incorrect information.

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We will know this to be true when we see how many users use our app to recieve help from an advisor from our app.”

Main Features:

  • Search for an expert for your relevant project

  • Book a video call with selected expert

  • Pay for your call with a credit card

Competitive Analysis

Thumbtack

  • Offers a wide range of services from home improvement services and remodeling to other services like phone repair, app development and tax prep services

  • Offers free cost estimates based on what other customers have paid for similar projects

  • Resource center offers home project guides and articles featuring tips and inspiration

Ways to Differentiate

  • Video chat functionality core to DIYxpert experience eliminates having to set up in-person appointments

Research Takeaways

Based on initial interviews, we learned some insights into what users are looking for from an expert knowledge application. There were many similarities among the users answers and it definitely helped to gather data on different use cases. Many felt that this app would be beneficial for their own uses and it seems to be addressing a gap in the market. Youtube is a primary information source, with younger demographics mentioning also using TikTok. Cost is a defining factor leading to DIY projects, so our app will have to be cost-effective to ensure success. Video guides are generally preferred over written info, but step-by-step guides were mentioned as being helpful as well.

Intro

  • Offers users the opportunity to connect with experts from a variety of fields

  • Book sessions start at 15 minutes for a fee, depending upon expert

    Ways to Differentiate

  • Intro doesn’t have a search function, which is one of DIYxpert’s main features

User Personas

Initial Wireframes

User Testing Results

Initial user testing began with a few core objectives:

  • Determine if participants understand what the app is about quickly and easily (i.e., an application that connects users with a DIY project to an expert that can assist them) and the value it provides.

  • Observe how users explore the app and search for an expert to help them

  • Assess if users can successfully find an expert and book a call

Overview
Overall, the usability test was successful in that most users were able to accomplish their tasks, but also gave insight into some issues that some users may run into when navigating the app. The missing features are the critical changes that need to be made in order to ensure the app meets the desired business goals.

Issue #1: Account setting option not working (high)
Evidence: This was initially a task item, but the functionality was not built out so after the first user test the task was changed. Every user tried the button but it wasn’t active which caused some confusion.

Issue #2: Payment functionality doesn’t exist yet (high)
Evidence: Many users questioned how payments worked and this is a critical part of the functionality so I will have to build this feature out.

Issue #3: Calls Icon is not clear to everyone (medium)
Evidence: A couple users thought the Calls icon was a bit confusing, so switching to something more identifiable as “Calls” or “Phone” could be an easy way to alleviate that issue

Updated Prototypes

Check out the prototype below.

Final Thoughts & Future Plans

DIYxpert has gone through a variety of changes during its development. The initial goal of creating an app that connects an expert with a user has remained the same, but the feature set and functionality has been reworked in response to feedback and challenges that presented themselves during the design process. The overall style of the app went through some iterations as well. The app logo itself took several rounds of design to get to where it is now, and I ended up paring back some of the brand colors as I didn’t find the original batch as useful (or necessary) as I initially thought. As a whole, rhese changes also helped tighten up the overall aesthetic which has been positively received by the users.

The current state of DIYXpert features the baseline initial functionality, but there are future plans in the works to improve the overall experience. These features include:

  • Text Chat Functionality: a potentially less expensive and less time-intensive feature for both the user and the expert would be a text messaging functionality. This would also allow for initial communication that could lead to a video consultation in the future, or possibly work for quick answers to a question a user might just want some simple feedback for.

  • Expanded Search Filters: offering the user more metrics on how to enhance their searches can include more specific classifications for experts (plumbers, electricians, perhaps a ranking system for the level of expertise in these areas) as well as figuring out other ways of sorting. 

If you have any comments or questions on the current state of DIYxpert, please reach out via the contact page on this website!