“Approximately 160,000 new immigrants have arrived in the Greater Toronto Area in 2021. The city's population is expected to increase by 50% over the next 25 years.”
Housing Crisis
The rapid rise in housing prices poses a challenge, How can we construct more affordable housing in vacant urban spaces in a more cost-effective manner?
The University of Toronto's Research
Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design conducted the Housing Multitude and Rehousing Program, studying renovation and additional plans for single-family houses to accommodate more people within communities.
Toronto Multiplex Policy
The study has shaped Toronto's multiplex policy, addressing the housing crisis. Allow people to build additional housing units on their property, including rooftop units and so on.
My Contribution
In my capacity as the Housing Multitude Digital Media Outreach & Website Designer, I noticed public interest in this project & policy. However, many are uncertain about how to obtain more information. Therefore, I carried out this proposal of Rehousing App.
My individual contributions include conducting user research, designing the user experience and interface for the platform, prototyping, motion design, and creating the web pages for the HousingMultitude website.
Copyright
❗*The copyright for all rehousing program information, housing type studies, architectural drawings and renderings belongs to the @HousingMultitude Team and @Rehousing Team led by Professor Richard Sommer and Professor Michael Piper. These materials were not created and owned by me, I obtained permission to use them in my high-fidelity design.
❗*The video was created and is owned by @Rehousing Team : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdCYbFr332E&t=15s
01-Utilize an innovative and game-like interactive to learn more about the rehousing program Information.
02-Present a tailored housing design package index page, facilitating swift access to information on size, budget, and 3D models.
03-Offer a user-friendly design customization tool to facilitate faster communication with contractors.
04-Match users with local contractors effectively, offering inclusive and accessible filtering options.
05-Instantly access government subsidies and loans with a click, along with personalized budget proposals.
The LOOP
The project aims to create an inclusive platform for the public to learn about self-developed housing regulations and Rehousing program's design packages. I actively engaged with key stakeholders through primary research, housing industry background research, prototyping, and multiple rounds of usability testing.
Public interest in multiplex policy is high, but many individuals are uncertain about how to obtain more specific information, such as their house type, regulation, government subsidy…..
To discover opportunities
I utilized 4 research methods to dive deep into the problem.
Goals
HMW advertise the rehousing program to the public in a way that provides accessible and engaging information for those in need?
Persona & User journey
Stakeholders & User persona
The majority of those requiring housing renovations are middle-aged individuals from various cultural backgrounds, primarily first-generation immigrants. They utilize housing additions to generate extra income or accommodate their children. However, their knowledge of regulations and digital information platforms is limited.
Key Insight from House owners
MArket Research
Product opportunity gap
To identify potential market segments based on customer needs using the PESTLE framework, I identified a gap in the market for housing platforms that offer regulation information, professional assistance, and self-design packages.
HMW from insights
How might we centralize customized details (regulations, subsidies, design packages) into one accessible & inclusive platform, ensuring effective communication of this policy to the public?
product requirement
Userflow
To ensure accessibility for the every age group, I made the call-to-action Highly Prominent.
With one exciting click, the app identifies your house type, recommends construction packages, regulation, prices, subsidies and customize for your housing add-on!
Reflection
Result
User feedback emphasized positive reactions to the engaging app interaction and the user-friendly approach to learning about academic programs and house types.
Improvement could be done
An issue surfaced regarding the colour of the 'view more' button, which, according to feedback, was too close to the background colour, impacting visibility, particularly for the elderly, I need to update the design system and colour palette.
Despite this problem, the app was recognized for addressing accessibility gaps with the potential to provide inclusive information beyond government and official websites. Additionally, the potential AI smart house assessment feature received praise for its time and cost efficiency.
Moving forward
Moving forward, there are plans to conduct more usability tests to further enhance accessibility. Moreover, a commitment is made to develop a more comprehensive contractor management interface in the future.