Harmitect
Overview
Duration: 2 month Individual Project
Harmitect is an online platform that allows architects promotes their working efficient and build a better relationship with their clients
Background
In most of architecture design business, architects provide their clients with certain design scheme as service based on their requirement, it always starts with bidding, the process is illustrated as below.
However, the relationship between architects and their client is a problem that is perplexing numerous architects. From desk research, a lots of architects are feeling stressed and disrespected from their clients
User Research
Then I have organized some users interview to find out the particular problems that architects are facing while conducting the architecture design and getting alone with clients.
From the interview, I found that there are several things that exist in architecture design business and have negative influence to architecture design with clients, those are listed below.
Architects sometimes cannot accurately capture clients’ preference.
Architects feel uncomfortable when client push them to work regardless of time availability.
Time arrangement by clients is based on the time announcement from certain superior department like land bureau from government.
Everyone in the company tries to bid the project from clients, which leads to paying less attention to designing as well as unsatisfied of clients
Problem statement
Solution & Ideation
From the interview and desk research, I used ecosystem map to dig into them and tried to find out solutions, for it is shown as below.
According to According to ecosystem map, the connection between colleagues and bidding is additional, for letting architects get involve in bidding is unnecessary. Besides, The connection between superior departments(like land bureau) and architect could be added in order to resolve the time arrangement problems.
Furthermore, I also tried to co-design with architects to figure out some solutions, from Figma meeting result, architects demonstrates that n the process of serving clients, architects could based on clients’ preference to do a bit more than what clients asked them to in the previous meeting, which will create a buffer zone while clients urge them to do jobs next time.
Core user scenario & Solution defined
At this step of solving problems, I decided to build a online service platform in terms of the problems that above.
Core user scenario 1
After starting designing for clients, Government will simultaneously announce the time of next meeting to both architects and clients on the platform, therefore architects don’t have to be pushed to work regardless of their time availability.
Core user scenario 2
In this scenario, Bidding process will be transparent and standardize in platform, for every company has to send their particular bidding groups on the platform in order to bidding successfully, which will restrain every staff of architecture company trying to bid.
Core user scenario 3
In this scenario, on the platform, an architect from other firm who used to serve certain clients will be distributed to help the architects how to do a bit more based on clients’ preference as a phase of design is about to be done, which will create a buffer zone while clients urge architects to do jobs next time.
Core user scenario 4
In this scenario, The preference of clients will be informed to architects by showing previous projects in platform so that architects could better understanding clients’ preference.
The solutions are defined as below.
Prototype
Based on the scenarios above, I started to work out the initial wireframe. And the final result, after several rounds of iterations, is as shown below.
After few rounds of iteration, the key design improvement are illustrated as below.
In the "About” section of top navigation bar, users are able to log in or sign up to their accounts associate with the architecture company they are working in. After logging in, users’ current projects and previous projects are listed via display navigation approach, in order to express a relative clear way of displaying among projects that have no hierarchy with each other.
In the bidding section of the platform is standardized and transparency, which are constituted by two parts, the first part is that architects are able to choose certain architecture skill based activity to earn the score of bidding, which will be a criterial of evaluation while clients selecting the architecture company, activities are also listed via display navigation approach. Another part of bidding section is architecture company are able to join the current bidding projects that they are interested in, then they are asked to finish a bidding design test in limited time, by clicking the start to start the test and click finish if they finish in advance, one test could be done simultaneously by multiple architecture companies.
In the ‘Clients’ Information’ section, architects are able to check the projects they are currently designing for clients, by clicking into the projects, they would see the requirements of clients from last meet-up. By scrolling down the page, architects can also check clients’ previous projects as well as their preferences in order to improve their current projects. In the interface of clients’ previous project, some key information like site analysis, floorplan, section drawing are displayed in order to help architects to figure out clients’ preference.
In order to do a bit more based on clients’ requirement, architects are able to ask for architects from other companies that used to served their current clients in the “External assistance” section, by selecting particular projects they are working on, after entering the project, architects are asked to uploads clients’ requirements and their latest works based on that, then the system will randomly match the architects that are willing to help them out, architects have choice to accept them or keep seeking. Besides, the one who offers help could also earn the score for bidding.
In ‘Time Announcement’ section, certain department will release the time of next meet up on the platform, while architects and clients could simultaneously receive the time around 3-4 days before meet-up, after the time is released, architects and clients are able to talk to each other on the platform about the progress and plans for the next meet up. The talking interface will be an additional interface out of the all sections, architects and clients are able to view the talking interface via ‘time announcement’ section and ‘clients’ information’ section.
Final Design
From there, I condensed and combined the ideas I generated into 5 main features which I took to prototyped at higher fidelity, as explained below:
When users start to use the platform, they will be asked to log in or sign up into the system, where they can check their personal files and works their teams are currently working on.
Users can do bidding in the Bidding section. In Bidding section, users can be led into two parts, the first part is to conducted various activities to earn the bidding scores, which will be one of the important evaluations when clients choose architecture companies. The second part is to do bidding, architects are allowed to upload the bidding files into the box, including design proposal, architectural drawings, etc.
While working on the project, users are allowed to look through clients’ requirements of their current project in the “Clients’ information” section, after choosing the project, they will see certain requirements listed in the box. in this interface, users can also scroll down to see clients’ previous projects to explore their preference, the architecture information and details will be shown after selecting the particular project, the right side of clients’ previous project interface are other projects from the same architecture company.
The time of next meet up with clients are shown in the “Time Announcement” section, where both architects and clients will receive it at the same time. Once the time is announced, architects are able to talk with clients in the chatting box, which can also be accessed anytime by clicking the chatting icon at the upper right of the website.
In order to avoid being over-pushed, architects are allowed to working on projects a bit more based on clients’ future possible requirements. After selecting particular project, architects are asked to upload clients’ requirements from last meet-up as well as their works, then the system will match the architects that used to served clients to help them out, information of the matched architects such as their companies and projects and rate are shown at the matching page, users can choose either accept matched architects or keep seeking others. Besides, architects who successfully offering help in this section will also some scores for bidding.
Reflection
Don’t be afraid to challenge the critical problem and always focus on users’ needs.
Try to find the design solutions through stakeholders and think about the relationships in the stakeholders map.
Considers gains for both parties while designing for business.