Cassandra Lim – Product Designer

Case study

1 month

Figma, Kardsort, Proven by users

Role: UIUX Designer

ABOUT

Where authentic spaces inspire connection

At Collective Living, we celebrate authentic everyday living and the connections that come from community. We showcase personal, relatable interiors that reflect self-expression and meaning. With a focus on quality and authenticity, we deliver high-quality products to help you create a home that’s uniquely yours.

CONTEXT

Personal Style and Aesthetics at the Heart of Home Shopping

Today's shoppers for home and lifestyle products increasingly view their purchases as an extension of their personal style and identity. They prioritise aesthetics that reflect their unique taste and ensure that the products complement the design and ambiance of their living spaces. This has created a high demand for brands that convey a strong sense of style, authenticity, and reliability in delivering visually appealing and quality products.

Despite a growing demand for digital insurance management, no existing apps cater specifically to Prudential Singapore’s market. With numerous apps available, users still lack a dedicated solution to easily access, understand, and manage their policies. A mobile app is essential
to bridge this gap, providing personalised guidance and seamless policy management to
meet user needs.

Despite a growing demand for digital insurance management, no existing apps cater specifically to Prudential Singapore’s market. With numerous apps available, users still lack a dedicated solution to easily access, understand, and manage their policies.
A mobile app is essential to bridge this gap, providing personalised guidance and seamless policy management to meet
user needs.

VIDEOS AND ARTICLES ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA OF PEOPLE SHARING THEIR HOME

RESEARCH INSIGHTS

An Authentic, Accurate Shopping Experience

Shoppers for home and lifestyle products face numerous challenges when navigating e-commerce platforms. While they place significant importance on aesthetics and personal style, the lack of relatable visuals, incomplete product details, and lack of visuals showing products in real-life settings often hinder their ability to make confident purchase decisions.

These insights highlight the key barriers that shoppers encounter and the growing demand for an improved online shopping experience.

Lack of Real-Life Context – Shoppers struggle to visualise how products fit into their homes due to the absence of relatable, real-life visuals, leading to uncertainty and decision fatigue.

Insufficient Product Details – Incomplete descriptions lacking dimensions, materials, texture, and color accuracy make it difficult for users to evaluate a product’s suitability.

Unrelatable Imagery – Polished, studio-quality photos fail to showcase true color, quality, and fit. Shoppers prefer authentic, real-life images relevant to Singapore home context.

Trust in Aesthetics – Shoppers prioritise aesthetics but lose trust in brands and products that lack design consistency. Poorly designed websites or visuals erode confidence in product quality.

HIGHLY EDITED, STUDIO-QUALITY PHOTOS THAT LACK RELEVANCE TO SINGAPOREAN HOMES

QUOTES FROM USER INTERVIEWS

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Evaluating the Current Landscape

The competitive analysis examines IKEA, Shopee, Stacked Store, and SOJAO to understand their strengths and weaknesses in the home and lifestyle e-commerce space. Each platform highlights unique approaches to product presentation, user experience, and branding, providing valuable insights into opportunities for improving online shopping experiences.

CHALLENGE

How might we design an online shopping experience with accurate details and visuals in relatable environments to help users confidently choose home and lifestyle products?

How might we provide personalised recommendations
or guidance that give customers the assurance to confidently purchase the coverage they need?

Go to Prototype

Design Solutions

Building a community space

The design solution aims to create a dynamic online platform that blends community engagement with an intuitive shopping experience. By allowing users to showcase their styled homes and easily access product information, the site fosters a sense of connection while empowering shoppers to make confident purchases.

Building a community space

Building a community space

Building a community space

Community Showcase

Users can upload and share images of their styled homes featuring
"Collective Living" products
Shoppers can then shop according to the aesthetics and theme of other individuals in the community

Community Showcase

Users can upload and share images of their styled homes featuring "Collective Living" products
Shoppers can then shop according to the aesthetics and theme of other individuals
in the community

Community Showcase

Users can upload and share images of their styled homes featuring "Collective Living" products
Shoppers can then shop according to the aesthetics and theme of other individuals
in the community

Interactive Product Pop-Ups

Hovering over products in community images will reveal quick access to product link, details and pricing
Users can shop directly without navigating away from the inspirational content

Interactive Product Pop-Ups

Hovering over products in community images will reveal quick access to product link, details and pricing

Users can shop directly without navigating away from the inspirational content

Interactive Product Pop-Ups

Hovering over products in community images will reveal quick access to product link, details and pricing

Users can shop directly without navigating away from the inspirational content

LOOKING AHEAD

What's Next?

POTENTIAL CHALLENGE OF HIGH OPERATIONAL COSTS

POTENTIAL CHALLENGE OF
HIGH OPERATIONAL COSTS

Building and sustaining an online community for "Collective Living" can be costly which might become a blocker for launch if the business isn't prepared to support it.

How might we provide personalised recommendations
or guidance that give customers the assurance to confidently purchase the coverage they need?

Key expenses include web hosting and domain registration, content moderation, community management, software development, marketing, and data storage. For instance, content moderation and community management may cost between $500 and $5,000 monthly. (finmodelslab.com)

How might we resolve this?

Leverage Existing Platforms

Utilise social media platforms to build and engage the community, reducing the need for extensive in-house infrastructure. By encouraging organic UGC on these platforms we can link it to our website which helps facilitate organic discovery of our community.

Partnerships and Sponsorships

Collaborating with industry professionals and influencers such as popular reno/lifestyle youtube channels, real estate agents, lifestyle influencers. This helps to build brand recognition, and a starting gallery of curated homes that is still authentic and personal.