Tooli
Roles : UX / UI design, Branding
Tools : Figma, Photoshop
Type of project : Concept
Project overview
Tooli is a fictional app for renting tools among neighbors. It connects people who own tools they rarely use with those who want to tackle DIY projects but don’t have the space or budget to buy them. The app fosters mutual support within neighborhoods and allows owners to earn a little extra income from their unused tools.
PROBLEM
Young adults living in small apartments in the city want to save money by tackling their own DIY projects, but they face several obstacles.
They don’t have the space to store bulky tools.
Their budget is limited and doesn’t allow them to invest in expensive tools.
Rental costs at hardware stores are often too high.
In the city, many don’t own a car, which makes transportation difficult.
As a result, many projects are abandoned due to a lack of convenient and affordable access to the right tools.
GOALS
research
For this personal project, a single interview was conducted, which was then used to identify the pain points and needs of the target audience.
In the city, young adults often don’t have a car to transport tools over long distances
A desire for independence or discomfort with having to ask family or friends for help every time they need a tool
Lack of space or budget to own tools
Discouragement due to the high cost of renting tools from a store
A feeling that there is no simple, local solution
Young adults aren’t in the habit of renting tools from stores
All of this can discourage them and prevent them from carrying out their projects, due to a lack of accessible solutions
«Honestly, I've often lost the motivation to work on these projects. It's a shame because sometimes, I do have the time and I'd really like to do them. But then I lose my motivation.»
- Participant
Based on these observations, I extrapolated the needs of a broader audience and created a persona and a user journey map.
- Doesn't have the necessary tools
- Some stores don't have a website
- Has to call several stores to find out about their inventory
- She doesn't have a car, so she has to take public transportation to the store offering the necessary tool
- Finds the rental expensive
- Little information was available online about the daily cost
- Store employees have only a vague knowledge of the tool
- Can't get a demonstration in-store
- Has to work around the store's opening hours
- Has to take public transportation again to return the tool
- Offer a wide catalog of tools through the app
- Offer a simple interface for searching available tools
- Offer a neighborhood map showing users offering tools near her
- Rank people offering the necessary tool by distance
- Provide all relevant information at the time of rental
- Offer a low-cost community tool-lending service
- Lenders are encouraged to properly explain how to use the tool to ensure it is returned in good condition
- Lenders are knowledgeable about their tools
- She can agree with the person renting the tool on when it will be returned
- Thanks to the interactive map, she chose to rent the tool from a lender near her
Insights
IDEATION
Several ideas have been explored to address these needs:
Interactive map showing the tools available in the neighborhood.
A rating and review system to build trust.
A page dedicated to tool handoffs, facilitating the exchange and creating a shared record by requiring both users to confirm the handoff. This could help resolve any disputes.
Built-in messaging to facilitate communication.
Instructional video on the safe use of tools.
Using these ideas, I created a few user flows and a site map.
User flow
Make a reservation
User flow
information architecture
Conception
paper Wireframe
lo-fi mockup
The best sketches were turned into low-fidelity mockups
design system
hi-fi mockup
home
The home page displays notifications, frequently used actions, recent DIY articles, and quick access to the discount confirmation page.
search
With the search pages, users can easily find tools near their home by browsing categories or exploring a map of their neighborhood.
tool details
The tool's details page allows you to view:
basic information about the tool,
the tool owner profile,
a safety video on how to use it,
as well as DIY articles that feature it.
You can also use this page to request to rent the tool.
Expected Results
next steps
Add a section for owners to manage their inventory and revenue.
Consider a feature that allows owners to rent out their workspace for projects that require more space.
What I've Learned
Although renters were given priority during this process, tool owners were still taken into account. One of the main things I learned is the complexity of designing for two user groups with different needs.