Design Challenge
"How might we design a seamless and trustworthy home maintenance experience that works for homeowners, contractors, and platform admins — across both digital and real-world interactions?"
Problems Identified:
- Fragmented booking → confirmation → execution flow
- No live feedback loop between contractor and homeowner
- No admin visibility for job issues or quality concerns
- Seniors and non-tech users face language & trust barriers
Stakeholder Ecosystem
We identified four key stakeholder groups with distinct needs and touchpoints:
| Stakeholder | Needs |
|---|---|
| Homeowners | Trustworthy help, simple booking, live updates |
| Contractors | Easy job management, clear expectations, payments |
| Admin Team | Oversight of service quality, reports, disputes |
| Family Members | Monitoring elderly parents' home safety |
Current Journey (Before mrfix.homes)
Customer Journey:
Find contractor (Google, Facebook) → Call/text → Wait → No show → Try again → Negotiate cash → Hope it worked
Contractor Journey:
Get work via referrals or gig apps → Constant negotiation → Delays & miscommunication → No reliable payment trail
Admin Experience:
Limited tools → Disconnected from real-time job status → Can't mediate easily
Service Blueprint (After Redesign)
Our service blueprint aligns frontstage (user-facing) and backstage (support) operations:
| Phase | Frontstage (User-Facing) | Backstage (Support Systems) | Internal Ops / Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | User browses app and sees contractor profiles | System recommends top-rated contractors | CMS auto-updates contractor listings |
| Booking | Selects category, adds photos, chooses time | Availability matched via smart calendar | Admin can override or approve jobs |
| Job In Progress | Receives status updates, contractor uploads images | Photo & message exchange logged securely | Admin dashboard shows job heatmap |
| Completion | User reviews contractor, leaves rating | Review sent to contractor profile | QA team flagged poor jobs automatically |
| Follow-up | Gets "Rebook" suggestion or maintenance tips | Feedback loops into suggestions | Data team runs trust/retention analysis |
Multilingual Support
Available at every user-facing step (EN, FR, HI)
Accessibility
Designed for older adults with visual support and family linking
Key Service Design Principles
1. Frontstage & Backstage Integration
What user sees (UI) is tightly connected to what the system and support team do. Example: Contractor uploads a "Job Done" photo → user gets notified → admin sees report.
2. Touchpoint Orchestration
Every step (from booking to review) is planned with clarity and continuity. Email, app, and even optional SMS updates are consistent and language-aware.
3. Trust Through Transparency
Users can track contractor profile, real-time job status, and pricing. Contractors can track payment history and repeat jobs.
Methods Used
Journey Mapping
For homeowner, contractor, and admin flows
Service Blueprinting
Aligning frontstage/backstage operations
Workshops
Conducted 1 co-creation session with 2 landlords + 1 senior
Interviews
12 total (4 seniors, 3 landlords, 3 contractors, 2 internal advisors)
Process Flows
Created scalable system diagrams for MVP + growth
Outcomes
Key metrics showing service improvements:
| Metric | Before | After (Expected) |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Booking Completion | 40% (across apps) | 85%+ in mrfix.homes |
| No-Show Incidents | Unknown | <5% with reminders |
| Job Visibility | None | Live status tracker |
| Complaint Resolution Time | 3–4 days | <24 hours with logs |
Future-Proofing the Service
Planned enhancements to expand the service ecosystem:
Subscription-based maintenance plans
Recurring jobs + preventive care
Emergency Booking Flow
With dynamic pricing & 2X contractor routing
Senior Safety Monitoring
Family dashboard & wellness checks
Offline-friendly version
Simplified SMS & phone call integration
Key Skills Demonstrated
Service Blueprinting
Mapping frontstage and backstage operations
Multi-Stakeholder Journey Design
Balancing needs across user groups
Systems Thinking
Understanding ecosystem interdependencies
Design for Trust
Creating transparency across touchpoints
Accessible UX
Inclusive design for seniors and non-tech users
End-to-End Service Thinking
From first contact to long-term retention
Live Product
The mrfix.homes service is currently in beta testing. Explore the live platform:
Screenshot of the live mrfix.homes service