Challenge Summary
Welcome to TrueValue Ultimate Companion Mobile App Design Concepts Challenge!
TrueValue is one of the world’s largest, member-owned cooperative hardware stores and they have asked you to help build a world class mobile app companion for the ultimate customer experience. We are looking for a rich set of features with a special focus on “Young Achiever” audience (age 25-34). Your task, if you choose to accept it, is to design features of a mobile app that combine classic home improvement tools as well as innovative new ideas. Below is a list of potential features we would like to build in the app however you are encouraged to explore your creativity and add your own.
In this contest we are looking for DESIGN CONCEPTS on how this Mobile Application could work. What should the user see and experience when using the application?
Round 1
Submit your design for a Checkpoint feedback:
1. Please show the early draft of your ideas for the 2 main features.
- If you have time - please provide us with a click map for your design.
- Readme.jpg : Provide notes about your submission.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow! Use correct file numbering. (00, 01, 02, 03)
Round 2
Final Design plus Checkpoint feedback:
1. Please show the early draft of your ideas for the 2 main features.
2. Any additional screens, views, modals, pop-ups or interactions that show more details of the app.
- If you have time - please provide us with a click map for your design.
- Readme.jpg : Provide notes about your submission.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow! Use correct file numbering. (00, 01, 02, 03)
Challenge Description:
True Value is looking to design a mobile app to help drive consumer engagement and increased awareness of True Value stores and websites.
We are looking for the [topcoder] design Community to help us with planning our new "user experience" (UX).
Branding Guidelines:
The following list maybe helpful to gain more insight on True Value:
- True Value Company: www.truevaluecompany.com
- True Value Ecommerce Site: www.truevalue.com
- True Value content sites:
-- True Value Project: www.truevalueprojects.com
-- True Value Paint: www.truevaluepaint.com
- True Value Rewards: www.truevaluerewards.com
- True Value Customer Satisfaction: www.feedback.truevalue.com
- Individual Store Microsites: http://ww3.truevalue.com/mountprospect/Home.aspx
- True Value Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrueValue
- True Value Twitter: www.twitter.com/truevalue
- True Value YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TrueValueHardware
- True Value Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/truevalue
Design Goals:
- How should this application be designed?
- How quickly the user can find what he wants? What should the priority features be?
- How quickly can the user understand and interact with the app?
- The application should be easy to use.
- Think simple but effective solutions! Have fun creating this - let us know how you think it should work!
- We want this to be MODERN application design!
Target devices:
- Mobile Resolution: Design for iPhone 6 Retina Display 750px x 1334px.
Make sure you create graphical elements in “vector” format, so when resize for retina versions, graphic still look sharp! It will be great if you can also provide the landscape version.
Features:
1. Mobile tool belt – capabilities that you traditionally find in a physical tool belt/box and tools to help get the job done:
A- Conversions – metrics.
B- Calculate – material needed for wood flooring, carpeting, etc based on size of room, fencing.
C- Bubble level.
D- Ruler.
E- Smart Measure.
F- Light – flashlight.
G- Nuts & bolts – size, shape, thread count.
H- Note page - Some type of note pad so that the customer can keep track of other results found using the tool belt (i.e. measurements, the type of bolt they need, etc.).
I- Estimating lawn and garden bag needs.
J- Estimate bolt size/type from photo.
K- Estimate dimensions from photo.
L- etc.
2. Scan UPC of an item in a True Value store to get more information and then show what’s available in store or on the package.
3. Create and Save Projects - Search for / recent projects / popular projects / find tools needed for project / videos (how-to's) / build shopping list based on project – email yourself a list:
A- TrueValueProjects.com - content website.
B- TrueValuePaint.com – content website.
4. E-Commerce Site - Ability to search, identify, add to cart and purchase right from the app:
A- TrueValue.com – research, purchase.
5. Store Locator - Maps / find closest True Value location.
6. Take a photo / send to local True Value store for ideas / send to social media to brag.
7. Project Videos - Ability to search and watch project related videos (You Tube Videos).
8. Push Notifications – offers, seasonally relevant reminders (e.g., change your furnace filter).
9. Special Offers Offers generally available and targeted to specific customer as identified in our campaign management tool (Adobe Campaign).
10. Loyalty/Rewards - True Value Rewards (integration with loyalty program capabilities including point balance, past purchases, update profile, etc) – new truevaluerewards.com website is being overhauled, we can send images of what the new site will look like.
11. Social Media links - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+.
12. Product Reviews - Ability to read and submit product reviews. (This can be part of E-commerce site).
13. Gift card section where you can check your balance and/or purchase a gift card.
14. Bonus Points to design a Gamification element where the consumer can accumulate points and awards to be used to purchase products and get discounts. (Anyone that completes this task as part of the challenge gets $100.)
15. Myhouse manifest - a feature that will allow you to track specific models or sizes of consumable products you have in your house so you are sure to buy the right type when you are in the store. For example a list of lightbulbs types and sizes per room, Furnace filter sizes, paint colors by room. etc. (Anyone that completes this task as part of the challenge gets $100.)
16. Store proximity indicator and reminder - Let’s assume you drive within a few miles of a TrueValue store and you have a garbage bags in your shopping list. A push notification might popup and say “You are 2.4 miles away from TrueValue would you like to pick up some garbage bags” to which you reply yes and a map gives you directions to the store.
Requirements:
- You should pick two or more of the features above or come up with you own and create designs for them. You can take either the quality approach and create designs for just 2 features and be very detailed, or you can take the quantity approach and do as many as you can. Both approaches are valid however it might be easier to make fewer more details.
- Include a written narrative that describes the usage and details of your design.
Important:
- Keep things consistent. This means all graphic styles should work together.
- All of the graphics should have a similar feel and general aesthetic appearance.
Target audience:
- Consumers in the United States, people looking to manage, plan and accomplish all of their home maintenance and improvement projects including home, lawn, garden projects, repairs and home improvements.
- Special focus on “Young Achiever” audience (age 25-34) as they enter the home improvement category. This group are moving out on their own or purchasing their first home. This audience may not have a lot of experience in fixing / remodeling apt/house and less likely to own tools. Current awareness with this group is low and many do not understand what True Value stores and websites offer.
Judging Criteria:
- How well you plan the user experience and capture your ideas visually.
- Cleanliness of your graphics and design.
- Creativity and ease-of-use is key to the success as it must be engaging to users.
- Your design should possible to build and make sense as a mobile application
Submission & Source Files:
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission File
Submit JPG/PNG for your submission files.
Source Files
All original source files of the submitted design. Files should be created in Adobe Photoshop and saved as layered PSD file, or Adobe Illustrator as a layered AI file.
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify your graphics (sizes or colors) or modify overall colors. We may ask you to update your design or graphics based on checkpoint feedback.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.