To test and interact with the app, please click the link down below:
I. Introduction
PLUTUS is an application designed to efficiently create a Home Ownership Planner for aspiring homeowners. Its primary purpose and goal is to help users effectively save to make a down payment on their dream home.
In considering how homeownership is often regarded as the ultimate hallmark of financial prosperity, the inspiration for the application’s name derives directly from the ancient Greek god Plutus– who is historically known as the god of wealth, prosperity, and abundance.
II. Roles and Responsibilities
I conceptualized and designed PLUTUS entirely on my own from start to finish.
I worked on PLUTUS throughout my enrollment in Google's UX Design Professional Certificate program. After completing the program in about two months, I worked on creating this detailed case study for PLUTUS that holistically showcases my skills in the areas of Research, App Design, Art Direction, Visual Identity, Brand Development, Research, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving.
III. Problem Statement
In 2024, the dream of owning a home is more difficult than ever before– especially for Generation Z (individuals born between 1997 and 2012) and Millennials (individuals born between 1981 and 1996). According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), Gen Z made up only 4% of all homebuyers in 2023 and Millennials only represented 28% of all home buyers.
Furthermore, studies conducted by Hommati show that 97% of Gen Z want to own a home and 87% want to own one before turning 35 years old. In light of this revelation, this case study will focus primarily on the Gen Z user/audience. Although there are resources such as financial planners that can help with the goal of homeownership, this can be a costly option for individuals with a tight budget. As a result, many Gen Z naturally gravitate towards mobile banking and budgeting applications for assistance. However, many of these applications currently do not offer services to help users achieve specifically homeownership.
IV. Goals
- Develop a Home Ownership Planner that navigates aspiring homeowners how to effectively save and successfully make a down payment on their dream home.
- Implement inclusive design principles and provide accessibility features that enable a wide audience of users to use the application comfortably.
- Ensure that the entire app conveys my core values of empathy, honesty, and inclusivity.
- Create an aesthetic interface with sensational imagery that celebrates minimalism and modernism.
V. User Personas
Since studies conducted by Hommati show that 97% of Gen Z want to own a home and 87% want to own one before turning 35 years old, the user/audience focus of this case study will be on Gen Z. The user journey to goal will be explored through my Gen Z persona, Aria.
User Journey Map
User Journey: Aria
VI. Early Ideation
VII. Testing
After completing my low-fidelity prototype of the app, I recruited five individuals who gladly participated in my usability study. Three of these participants are part of Generation Z and the other two are Millennials. Their assigned goal was to create a Home Ownership Planner on their own.
Low-Fidelity Prototype:
User Pain Points + Design Flaws
Main Findings
- Several users spent more time than expected on the homepage figuring out how to start the process of creating a planner.
- Some users stated that they did not like the presentation of so many questions crammed on a single page.
- On the User Overview/Consent page and pages with questions some users tried to zoom in on the text.
Insights
- Homepage lacks visual hierarchy; making it difficult for users to immediately begin their journey to goal .
- Putting too many questions on a single page causes frustration and disrupts smooth user experience.
- Text and buttons are too small on pages with questions for users to answer comfortably with ease.
VIII. High-Fidelity Prototype
To test and interact with the app, please click the link down below:
Interface Updates
IX. Conclusion
From the start, I really enjoyed developing PLUTUS out of my unwavering determination to introduce an app that helps aspiring homeowners achieve their goal of homeownership by saving enough to make a down payment on their dream home. As an individual who shares the exact same goal, I was fully committed to creating a reliable application that users can conveniently use on their mobile devices.
Although I faced many challenges in the creation of this application, I continued to trust in the process and strove to make the best judgment possible in order to produce the best result. In designing this application around the values of empathy, honesty, and inclusivity my hope is that it will encourage all users to remain optimistic and achieve their goal– no matter how difficult it may seem.
X. Visual Identity
In the brand logo, the letter “P” serves as a double entendre– representing both the ancient Greek god Plutus and notion of “positivity”. The addition of the plus sign (+) is a design decision intended to clearly communicate the idea of positivity to the viewer. To further reinforce the idea of positivity, the color yellow was specifically chosen as it symbolizes joy, happiness, optimism, and hope.
© 2024 PLUTUS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
