• Client: A leading offline remodeling company in Korea was facing declining market share as consumers shifted toward online-first competitors.
• Role: UX Consultant (End-to-End involvement from research to launch and refinement)
• Timeline: April 2022 - July 2022, Mar 2023
• Team: 1 Fellow UX consultant, 2 integrative consultants from McKinsey overseeing overall product strategy, Cross-functional team with PMs, developers, and designers from the client side

✴️ Brief:
This project focused on digitally transforming a traditional remodeling business to attract younger customers and reclaim market share. While the company had been a dominant force in offline remodeling, it struggled to remain competitive in an increasingly online-driven market. Our goal was to revamp their online presence through innovative digital solutions.

To drive this digital transformation, we applied a user-centered design approach focused on uncovering customer needs and aligning them with business goals. 

Our approach included:

We used different methodologies to shape our user research approach.

User Research Approach:

• In-depth Interviews: Conducted in-depth interviews with existing and potential customers to understand their needs and pain points.
• Persona Development: Created personas representing different customer segments, focusing on younger, tech-savvy homeowners.
• Journey Mapping: Mapped the entire customer journey to identify friction points in the remodeling process.

After speaking with 10 recent remodeling customers and 10 potential ones, we discovered key insights that highlighted common challenges in the remodeling journey:

1. Customers found it frustrating and time-consuming to get initial estimates due to offline processes, and they often struggled to find the right contractors for their projects.
2. When faced with too many design choices and unable to visualize the final outcome, customers felt uncertain, which led to a drop in confidence and more people pulling out before signing contracts.
3. Scattered communication through offline meetings, text messages, and phone calls caused misunderstandings that affected both customer satisfaction and trust throughout the process.

To tackle these pain points, we organized brainstorming workshops that brought together all teams involved in the project. These sessions helped us gain deeper insights and generate a wide range of ideas to address the key challenges.

The workshop process included: Empathize - Idea Generation - Idea Voting - Feedback

The workshop not only resulted in consensus on 12 actionable ideas but also significantly boosted all teams engagement. This enhanced collaboration enabled faster and more proactive decision-making throughout the project.

With those initial ideas, We conducted 3 rounds of user testing to refine our ideas. 

1. We used hand sketches in interviews with 8 users, which helped narrow down the concepts from 12 to 7. 
2. We tested initial mockups with another 8 users, gaining valuable insights for further iteration. 
3. Finally, we validated second mockups through interviews with 8 more users, capturing consumer desirability to prepare for the prioritization workshop.

After completing the iteration process, the next step was to prioritize the ideas based on key criteria to guide further development. I led a prioritization workshop with the CTO and product leaders, evaluating ideas through three lenses:

1. Desirability – How well the idea meets user needs and drives engagement.
2. Viability – The potential business impact and alignment with strategic goals.
3. Feasibility – The technical complexity, operational challenges, and resources required for implementation.

Each idea was rated as high, medium, or low across these criteria, with scores of 5, 3, and 1 assigned respectively. We then mapped the total scores to establish a clear priority order for development.

Through this prioritization process, we identified 3 key features to include in the final MVP.

1. 48-Hour Online Quotation with 3D rendering to streamline and simplify the estimation process. (High-High-Med, 13)
2. Expert Matching Tool to help users easily find and connect with high-quality remodeling professionals. (High-Med-High, 13)
3. Remodeling Manager for seamless online communication and project management throughout the remodeling journey. (High-High-Med, 13)

We presented the final concept, along with the prototype, to the CEO, Head of Digital Transformation, and CTO, successfully securing alignment. After final alignment, I collaborated with the client’s design team to refine the details for the final handoff, and development began agilely, starting with the completed components to meet the February launch schedule.

The launch in February 2023 had an immediate and transformative impact. Within 100 days of the platform renewal:

• 31% monthly increase in new customer sign-ups
• 30%+ monthly growth in MAUs
• Successfully targeted millennial customers, with 75% of new members in their 20s to 40s
• Enhanced the client’s online presence, making them competitive in the digital remodeling space

During this project, we spent a 🥵 hot and passionate summer ☀️ at the client site, where the air conditioning barely worked. Despite the heat, working closely with the team and the client created an unforgettable experience. I learned so much throughout this project, and my key takeaways are:

• Got another hands-on experience taking a product from ideation all the way to launch—seeing ideas come to life was incredibly rewarding.
• Learned how to facilitate workshops and bring together cross-functional teams, from CTO to PMs and designers, making sure everyone was on the same page.
• Sharpened my skills in storytelling for C-level pitches, crafting compelling narratives with prototypes.
• Discovered how to balance User needs, business goals, and technical constraints by diving deep into continuous research and iteration—it was all about finding that sweet spot where everything clicked!