Chorganized
Solving chore-related tensions amongst roommates with a digitized management system.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
1 month
Tools
Figma/Figjam
Methods
User research, journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing
Context
It's just chores but…
Chores and cleanliness are the most common points of conflict for people living together. Between busy schedules, conflicting expectations, and a lack of accountability, the built up tension seems inevitable.
Maintaining traditional chore systems such as charts, assigned responsibility, or unspoken rules tend to go unenforced. Since there are no concrete motivations or guidelines, chores are often forgotten or ignored.
What can I do as a product designer?
How might we foster a sense of teamwork and cooperation in order to achieve a harmonious household dynamic where roommates no longer have to deal with conflicts surrounding chores?
Solution
Organize your household with a digital chore manager
Everyone does their share
An automated chore list is evenly distributed among roommates each week, ensuring that everyone shares the workload equally on a rotating basis. I used color coding to personalize the chores, helping each individual take responsibility for their tasks.
Create and manage chore list
Add, edit, and delete chores as needed. Keeping track of all chores means everyone remembers what needs to get done. This can help households planning and reduce argument as expectations are clear on what needs to get done.
It’s purely business
The app will keep a thorough record of what chores were finished and who has yet to finish their tasks. The idividual will no longer have to play the bad cop!
Research
Finding the most common points of conflict
Starting broad, I conducted a survey to see where the most common roommate conflicts stemmed from. Amongst all the issues, there was one that stood out most prominently.
56% of respondents on the survey reported that conflicts over chores and cleanliness are a common source of tension in shared living situations.
Equipped with this data, I decided to focus on pursuing this particular problem and dig deeper on how these issues impacts their lives and how they cope with them.
This showed me that while many households tried to establish a system, participation is short lived and begins to decline.
The lack of communication and accountability along with the mental strain of maintaining a chore system leads to heightened resentment and tensions.
Which leads me to wonder…
How might we ease the mental strain of maintaining a chore system and improve the communication and accountability between roommates?
Designing
Designing the core flows to address the drop in chore completion.
Identifying the point of decline provided insight into what preventive measures were required to prevent chore incompletion. Roommates need a system that handles the logistic of the chore system, which in turn allows them to focus solely on finishing the chores.
"We wanted detailed steps to establish clear guidelines."
"We want a rewards and consequences system."
"We want to remind each other to complete a chore."
Final Screens
Create new chores + manage the masterlist
View and edit your chores as needed on the Chores page. Never forget to add even the most obscure chores to your rotation!
Get reminded, be rewarded
Chorganized will remind you to finish chores before the deadline so you don't incur a penalty, and make it very obvious when you've missed one.
Remind your roommates!
Don't be afraid to address your chore related concerns through the app by nudging. There's also an option to include additional notes for more details.
Challenges
Gamified cleaning with robot personas
Another angle I tried exploring was gamifying the chore system through personal cleaning robots avatars. Through the pixel currency rewarded upon completing chores, participants can decorate their robots with items to show off their efforts. I wanted to challenge myself in making the app more fun and therefore intriguing for users.
However, due to time constraints, I found that fleshing this idea out to it full potential would be difficult. Usability testing also revealed that while participants did find the idea fun, they felt it was distracting from the overall goal of managing chore systems, especially for their busy lifestyles. They also felt the incentive and accountability aspect was not strong enough to motivate them to complete their chores.
Reflections