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ReColor

Refreshing Colour with Asian Paints 

Client

Asian Paints 

Year

2022- 23

Category

Digital Experience Design

Type of Work

User Research,

UX Design,

Design Management

Duration

15 Weeks

"Not just on redesigning but on creating the best strategic move to reform the application, ReColor."

I have had the privilege to work on 'Colour with Asian Paints.' This application holds a special place in customer engagement and lead generation for the company.

The project commenced with the concept of thorough analysis followed by a strategic overhaul of the application.

Visualize your dream home

Prologue

The 'Colour with Asian Paints' app is a comprehensive tool available at the Play store/App Store that empowers users to visualize and experiment with different color combinations for their homes. With over 2200 shades, textures, stencils, and wallpapers to explore, the app provides an immersive experience that helps users make informed decisions about their interior décor.

 

The idea behind 'Colour with Asian Paints' is to make the process of reimagining a home enjoyable and effortless. The color transformation becomes a breeze, with the ability to experiment with a vast spectrum of colors and visualize your creative ideas. Given the sensitivity of certain details, I've shared only a glimpse here. For any more details, please get in touch.

The Scope

  • Analyzing the application

  • Conducting usability tests

  • Performing user research

  • Creating a detailed design plan and direction

  • Developing wireframes

  • Technical Feasibility Study 

  • Providing design system suggestions

Process Overview

The project emphasized the critical importance of analyzing user pain points while comprehending the underlying business goals for addressing them. Given that it was a live project, the stakes were considerably high, necessitating decisions grounded in a scientific approach. Consequently, the process entailed a comprehensive study of both business requirements and user needs to align design solutions with the dual objective of meeting both sets of needs effectively.

01

Project Inception

At the outset of this project, the business recognized the need to tackle the challenges within the 'Colour With Asian Paints' app. They keenly observed user feedback from both the Play Store and the App Store, which clearly illuminated the usability issues.

Additionally, their first-hand experience as users emphasized the importance of addressing these issues. It was then that I stepped in, entrusted with the task of crafting a strategic plan to enhance the app's current state.

"Whether you're a seasoned designer or a DIY enthusiast, the 'Colour with Asian Paints' app is an invaluable tool for visualizing beautiful and personalized living space."

Key features of the app include

Virtual room painting

Upload a picture of your room and try different paint colors on the walls to see how they would look in real life.

 

Color combinations explorer 

Browse through a curated collection of color palettes and schemes to find inspiration for your home décor.

 

Texture and wallpaper options

Discover a variety of textures and wallpapers to add depth and dimension to your walls.

 

Expert advice and tips

Access helpful guides and tips from Asian Paints experts to ensure a seamless painting experience.

02

Philosophical Approach

The core objectives revolved around enhancing the searchability of the catalogue, extending the window of user engagement, and significantly elevating the completion rate. It was an exhilarating journey, one where we embraced these challenges with determination, knowing that our efforts would lead to a more user-friendly, engaging, and efficient app experience

I took this philosophy to heart and applied it to the project. My method involved three key steps:

 

  1. Who decides what is ‘preferred’ and how?

  2. What is an accurate representation of the ‘existing situation’?

  3. Is it possible to envisage all possible courses of action? And on what criteria will you evaluate these and choose one?

03

Initial Research

Commencing this project without a clearly defined problem statement, our initial focus lay on enhancing the app's overall quality. To chart a path forward, I embarked on an exhaustive secondary research journey, beginning with an in-depth examination of user feedback on the Play Store, where the majority of our users voiced their opinions.

As we started the project, the first step was to break down the app's screens and elements, sketching out possible user journeys as per what the business team had in mind. To stay up-to-date with the latest tech trends, we did a deep dive into the competition. Since our app was a bit older, we wanted to find out what new tricks and features users loved in other apps. We checked out their user reviews and feedback on app stores to spot any pain points.

"Design wisdom begins by listening to the user's voice, ensuring that every stroke on the canvas echoes the resonance of their feedback."

Also, I delved into a meticulous examination of the app's screens, user journeys, and the strategies previously implemented. In collaboration with the business team, I probed deeper to gain a profound understanding of both the business objectives and the users' goals for the app. This holistic exploration formed the cornerstone of our efforts to revamp and elevate the 'Colour With Asian Paints' app.

In the next phase, we did a thorough analysis of our app. We used the NPCI pillars and the VIMM model as our guides. This helped us get a clear picture of where we stood and paved the way for making the 'Colour With Asian Paints' app even better. 

04

Strategic Direction

We aimed to give the app a fresh look while making sure it aligned better with what users and the business wanted. To guide us, we followed Schon's versatile and flexible framework, which welcomed a wide range of ideas and didn't stick to a rigid path. This approach allowed us to embrace diversity and bring the 'Colour With Asian Paints' app into a new era with confidence and adaptability.

05

User Insights

Through user interviews, I collected firsthand insights. Homeowners expressed their concerns about technical issues with visualization and paint calculation, the app's ambiguous UI, and a lack of confidence in the chosen colors. Professionals and color consultants echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the need for different lighting options and more effective sharing features.

Here is the consolidated insights gathered from various users.

Here is what the professionals like Architects and Interior designers had to say. 

Here is what the color consultants at Asian Paints mentioned.

07

The Persona

We then defined a new user persona, Annie, to guide our design decisions based on a real user's needs. Annie, a 35-year-old financial advisor and consultant, represented our target audience.

"User personas are the compass guiding us through the intricate journey of creating experiences tailored to real needs and aspirations."

08

Solving Problems

Lets have a look at the key problem statements we have addressed.

Aesthetic changes to the interface. 

How might we bring more aesthetic balance to the application interface for improved navigation and user interaction?

 Redesign essential user journeys.  

How might we enhance user journeys to facilitate better user experiences, ultimately improving engagement and retention?

 New business goals and technology.

How might we adopt emerging technologies and align with evolving business goals to stay relevant and add value to both users and the organization?

We aimed for simplicity, preserving the app's core structure while giving the user interface a fresh look. I reimagined user journeys, fine-tuning entry and exit points to streamline the experience. This approach not only added more value to both the users and the business but also set us on the right path to success.

A mindful approach to gauge the feasibility and gather valuable user feedback, I took the bold step of creating visual representations of selected screens based on the new wireframe. This quick and innovative move allowed us to test our ideas and get a sense of how users would respond, ultimately shaping the path forward for our project.

With input from both potential users and the technical team, I went ahead and crafted wireframes for all the user journeys. This step allowed us to solidify our plans based on real-world feedback and technical insights, bringing us one step closer to making our vision a reality.

After thorough discussions on wireframes, we have collaboratively established the design direction with the visual design team. Here's a sneak peek into our agreed-upon vision

09

Outcome

Milestones achieved 

1. Aesthetic changes to the interface

2. Redesign essential user journeys

3. New business goals and technology 

Usability improvements  based on,

Choices: Meaningful choices on the screens, keeping the range of choices available focused towards guiding users to explore.

Disclosure: Showing enough information on screens and keeping the structure consistent to help people understand what kinds of information they'll find easily as they explore.

Exemplars: Describing the contents of categories by showing curated images and examples of the contents. Addition of visually engaging icons and keeping the consistency throughout.

Catalogue searchability

+ Improved search functionality across the catalogues.

+ Increased interactivity and play.

+ Redesigned interface for improved discoverability.

Increased the engagement window and value

+ Improved focus and introduction of trends and categories.

+ New tech additions and further path to grow.

+ Request status and tracking bring in the value.

+ More media elements for visual engagement and better communication.

+ Contextual placement of form-fills. 

Improved completion rate

+ Focus on assisting and encouraging the users.

+ Improved journey and UI components with tech.

+ Simplified Color library addition and color selection.

+ Contextual leading towards form-fills.

10

Learning

Managing and driving a design project from start to finish was a comprehensive UX role. Collaborating closely with a dynamic business team in a predominantly business-focused organization highlighted the critical need to incorporate business metrics into the design elements. It became evident that a scientific approach with concrete numbers and data held greater weight than mere hypotheses. These valuable lessons emphasized the importance of marrying design with quantifiable outcomes for successful project delivery.

00

Thanks to

Team Asian Paints Digital

Asian Paints HQ, Mumbai, for their support and confidence in me. 

Vinayak, Nithin, Ipsita

Dear co-interns from NID for your feedback and support.

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