CITY OF BOSTON
A digital guide empowering first-time homebuyers to successfully navigate and succeed in the complex Boston housing system.
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Boston is experiencing a housing crisis. Over the last five years it has become the 2nd most expensive city for renters and 10th most expensive for buyers in the US. My Scout Design team partnered with the City of Boston's Home Center and Housing Innovation Lab to research this crisis and create an intervention that assists homebuyers.
SCOPE
UI/UX Design
Research
ROLE
Project Lead
YEAR
2024
Stakeholder Diagram
THE
CHALLENGE
Research the Boston housing crisis and the experiences of those buying homes to build an intervention that alleviates the complexity and mystique associated with homebuying. We focused on prospective homebuyers most in need of extra assistance: first-time homebuyers, transplants, immigrants, etc.
Empathy Maps
Interview Map
RESEARCH
After preliminary exploration into the stakeholders involved in the Boston homebuying system, we continued our research through surveys and interviews. We surveyed 35 potential homebuyers at the onset of their journey through a Homebuyer 101 course. Then, we interviewed homebuyers, homeowners, and experts in the field to delve deeper into the main obstacles keeping Bostonians from purchasing a home.
User Personas
User Journey Map
Service Blueprint
The research revealed three main struggles: information disarray, general confusion about the process's order, and what actions need to be taken at each step. Additionally, the financial and informational resources available are scattered across many institutions. Prospective homebuyers desire an accessible guide with a step-by-step walkthrough of the homebuying journey and a consolidation of both information and resources.
Site Map
DESIGN
Implementing our research into a tangible intervention began by determining that this guide would be a COB-associated website. The main purpose of the website is to break down the homebuying journey into steps with clear action items. Additionally, it centralizes the resources and assistance programs available to homebuyers via non-profit organizations and varying levels of government.
