Decorai
Will that couch match my walls? Where should I place that table? That’s where Decorai comes in. Using AI, it recommends furniture that complements your existing decor while staying within your budget. Not sure where to place a new table? Decorai suggests the ideal arrangement that maximizes space efficiency, making home design effortless.
Project Details
PROJECT TYPE
UX Design / Mobile Design
TIMELINE
2024
01 Problems
It's difficult to…
02 Research
Background Research
While the U.S. furniture retail market saw steady growth in 2019, the surge in remote work and e-commerce in 2020 led to a sharp increase in demand. However, supply chain challenges in 2021, shifting consumer priorities in 2022, and economic downturns in 2023 resulted in a gradual decline in sales.
The global furniture market—valued at $579 billion in 2023—is projected to reach $873 billion by 2030, with 35% of sales expected to come from online purchases despite recent challenges, according to USA Today’s article From the Big Box Boom to the Online Shopping Explosion. As 2024 approaches, modest growth is anticipated amid shifting consumer behaviors and ongoing economic uncertainties. Retailers that integrate technology into their shopping experiences are well-positioned to succeed in this competitive market.
User Survey Results
Survey results from 50 people reveal that they often struggle with choosing items that match their existing décor and ensuring proper sizing, which leads to long decision-making times. Additionally, they find that current platforms lack personalization features.
User Interview
To gain a deeper understanding of the customers, I interviewed ten individuals from various professions, ranging in age from 21 to 65. The interview was structured with open-ended questions to encourage them to share all aspects of their habits and pain points.
Findings & Assumptions
ASSUMPTION 1
People primarily use the AR feature to scan their rooms and determine which furniture will complement the existing pieces in terms of design and style.
FINDING 1
People also use AR features to check whether furniture will fit in specific spots in their rooms, allowing them to save time by avoiding the need for manual measurements.
ASSUMPTION 2
People buy new furniture even when they don’t necessarily need it, mainly to refresh the mood and style of their rooms.
FINDING 2
While people do buy new furniture to change the atmosphere of their rooms, they typically opt for affordable items like lamps or curtains rather than expensive furniture, such as sofas.
ASSUMPTION 3
People rely heavily on online reviews and ratings when purchasing furniture, decorations, and home appliances.
FINDING 3
People tend to buy inexpensive furniture online after carefully reading reviews. However, when purchasing more expensive furniture, they prefer shopping in-store.
Business Goals
03 Analysis
User Persona #1
ABOUT
Ashley lives in a dorm and loves inviting friends over to hang out. Her room is her personal space where she enjoys expressing her creativity, but she often feels unsure about her design choices. With a limited budget, she regularly buys small decorative items to change the feel of her room.
BEHAVIOR
Ashley shops for furniture online, primarily through her smartphone.
She frequently browses furniture apps but feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of options.
She prefers to buy affordable items such as lamps to refresh the mood of her space.
OVERVIEW
NAME: Ashley Moore
AGE: 22
LOCATION: Chicago, Illinois
OCCUPATION: College Student
QUOTE: "I often feel lost when trying to figure out what will match my room. I wish there was something that could help me decide more easily."
PAIN POINTS
Ashley often feels insecure about her design choices and worries whether new items will match her existing decor.
She struggles with optimizing her space.
The large number of options online makes it difficult for her to make confident decisions.
NEEDS
Guidance on how to match new items with her existing decor and wall colors.
Easy-to-use tools to visualize furniture placement in her room without needing manual measurements.
Affordable and creative design solutions that fit her limited budget.
User Persona #2
ABOUT
Mark works from home and spends most of his day at home, so having a beautiful space is important to him. With his busy schedule, he prefers online shopping. Recently, he’s been frustrated because finding a new fridge that fits both his space and style has been difficult.
BEHAVIOR
He works from home and spends most of his time there, so creating a beautiful room is important to him.
He prefers online shopping over in-store visits due to his busy schedule.
He only buys new furniture and appliances when the existing ones are either too old or broken.
OVERVIEW
NAME: Mark Williams
AGE: 42
LOCATION: San Jose, California
OCCUPATION: Software Engineer
QUOTE: "I want my home to look nice, but I don’t have the time to deal with measurements or read through countless reviews."
PAINS
He dislikes spending too much time trying to figure out which furniture will complement the rest of the pieces in his room.
He finds it difficult to measure and determine which fridge will fit perfectly in the kitchen.
He gets annoyed when reviews don’t accurately reflect the quality of the actual product.
NEEDS
He needs to buy a new fridge that fits perfectly into the available space in his kitchen.
He wants a kitchen table that complements the rest of the appliances and furniture in his kitchen.
He prefers to purchase home appliances from trusted brands, as he believes they offer higher-quality products.
“How Might We” Questions
04 Branding
Colors
Typography
05 High-Fidelity Wireframes
Feature 1
Select the type of furniture (e.g., coffee table) you’d like to add to your room and set your budget.
Feature 2
Take a photo and scan your room.
Feature 3
The AI recommends a coffee table that matches the style of your current room and fits your budget.
Feature 4
View the item details and add it to your cart.
06 Prototypes
Key Features
Survey
Select the type of furniture you’d like to add to your room and set your budget.
Take a photo and scan your room.
Recommendation
The AI recommends a coffee table that matches the style of your current room and fits your budget.
View the item details and add it to your cart.
Conclusion
As I wrapped up this project, I realized just how common it is for people to feel overwhelmed when buying furniture online—uncertain about how new pieces will look, fit, or match their existing decor. Through surveys and interviews, I saw that even the simplest decision could take hours, and returns were often a frustrating outcome. That’s why creating Decorai felt so crucial. With its AI-powered visual previews, personalized recommendations, and automated space planning, Decorai can take the stress out of furniture shopping.