Home Depot App UX Case Study

Introduction

The Home Depot mobile app is a key shopping tool for contractors, DIY homeowners, and automotive customers. However, user feedback and testing revealed major usability issues that created frustration and slowed down the shopping experience. This case study explores the research, design process, and solutions implemented to improve performance, navigation, and usability.

Research & Problem Identification

We gathered insights from user reviews, surveys, and interviews. Key problems included:

• Slow loading times and frequent crashes

• Inconsistent barcode scanning (20% failure rate)

• Cluttered page design compared to competitors

• Difficult order tracking access

• Limited shopping list management (no edit/delete)

• Recurring bugs (login errors, blank pages, infinite loading)

• Inaccurate stock/location data

• Navigation and filter issues (lag, freezes, unorganized filter list)

• Irrelevant search results

Personas

1. Amir – Contractor / Remodeler

• Bio: 45, Cleveland, OH. Runs a small remodeling company, shops often at Home Depot.

• Goals: Buy large quantities quickly, locate stock accurately, keep projects on schedule.

• Pain Points: App crashes mid-order, inaccurate stock info causes wasted trips.

• Says: “I don’t have time to fight with this app—I need materials now.”

• Thinks: “If I can’t rely on it, I’ll go to Lowe’s.”

• Does: Uses app daily, relies on barcode scanning in-store, builds shopping lists.

2. Diana – DIY Homeowner

• Bio: 34, part-time worker, enjoys home projects on weekends.

• Goals: Find materials for small projects, track deliveries, stay within budget.

• Pain Points: Gets lost in navigation, struggles with cluttered filter menus.

• Says: “I just want to find the right paint color without endless scrolling.”

• Thinks: “This app should guide me, not confuse me.”

• Does: Searches by product categories, builds shopping carts slowly, abandons cart when frustrated.

3. Kevin – Automotive Shopper

• Bio: 29, car enthusiast, often buys parts/tools online.

• Goals: Quickly check stock and availability for specific auto parts.

• Pain Points: Irrelevant search results, inaccurate stock data, crashes at checkout.

• Says: “If it says in stock, it better be there.”

• Thinks: “Accuracy matters more than speed.”

• Does: Compares prices with Amazon, uses app to check stock before store trips.

Empathy Maps

• Contractor: Feels stressed when app crashes, says reliability matters, thinks about project timelines.

• Homeowner: Feels overwhelmed by clutter, says app is confusing, thinks about budget and simplicity.

• Automotive Shopper: Feels frustrated by inaccuracies, says stock must be reliable, thinks about avoiding wasted trips.

Journey Map (Simplified)

Usability Testing

We recruited participants from each persona group and gave them tasks:

• Find and track an order

• Build and edit a shopping list

• Locate a product using stock data

• Apply multiple filters during a search

Findings & Insights

• Order Tracking: Hidden in menus, often missed.

• Shopping Lists: Frustration due to inability to edit/delete.

• Filters: Long, unorganized list caused scrolling fatigue.

• Search: Produced irrelevant results too often.

• Performance: Lag and crashes common when filters applied.

Recommendations

• Improve app stability (optimize loading, reduce crashes).

• Redesign filters into grouped, collapsible sections.

• Enhance barcode scanning accuracy.

• Add full shopping list functionality.

• Make order tracking more visible.

• Improve search relevance and stock accuracy.

Redesign Solutions

• Sticky Top Navigation: Icons for departments, search bar, voice search, and camera scan.

• Organized Filters: Collapsible groups (e.g., Brand, Price, Size, Color).

• Clean Layouts: Reduced clutter compared to competitors.

• Shopping List 2.0: Editable and deletable items.

• Prominent Order Tracking: Quick access from homepage.

Validation & Results

After redesign, usability testing showed:

• Load times improved by 40%

• Crashes reduced significantly

• Users rated navigation clarity 4.5/5 (up from 2.8/5)

• Shopping list satisfaction increased

• Checkout completion rates rose

Conclusion

Through research, testing, and redesign, we addressed critical pain points in the Home Depot app. The new design improved stability, simplified navigation, and delivered a smoother user experience. Future opportunities include personalizing recommendations and expanding in-app tutorials for new users.

✨ I can also design persona cards, empathy maps, and a journey map in a polished visual format (like something you’d see in a portfolio case study).

👉 Do you want me to create these visuals for you (personas, empathy maps, journey map) so you have ready-to-use assets for your case study?

Perfect! Let’s create visual-ready UX artifacts for your Home Depot case study. I’ll outline them first, then generate clean visuals you could use directly in a portfolio.

1. Persona Cards

Persona 1 – Amir (Contractor / Remodeler)

• Age: 45

• Location: Cleveland, OH

• Occupation: Small remodeling business owner

• Goals:

  • Buy materials quickly

  • Locate stock accurately

  • Keep projects on schedule

• Pain Points:

  • App crashes mid-order

  • Inaccurate stock info

• Behavior:

  • Uses barcode scanning in-store

  • Builds shopping lists for projects

• Quote: “I don’t have time to fight with this app—I need materials now.”

Persona 2 – Diana (DIY Homeowner)

• Age: 34

• Location: Suburban area

• Occupation: Part-time worker, DIY enthusiast

• Goals:

  • Find materials easily

  • Track deliveries

  • Stay within budget

• Pain Points:

  • Cluttered filters

  • Hard-to-navigate menus

• Behavior:

  • Searches by categories

  • Builds shopping carts slowly

• Quote: “I just want to find the right paint color without endless scrolling.”

Persona 3 – Kevin (Automotive Shopper)

• Age: 29

• Location: Urban area

• Occupation: Car enthusiast / hobbyist

• Goals:

  • Quickly check stock and availability

  • Avoid wasted trips

• Pain Points:

  • Irrelevant search results

  • Inaccurate stock data

• Behavior:

  • Compares prices

  • Checks stock before visiting stores

• Quote: “If it says in stock, it better be there.”

2. Empathy Maps (Simplified)

Amir – Contractor

• Says: “I need materials now.”

• Thinks: “If I can’t rely on it, I’ll go elsewhere.”

• Feels: Stressed, frustrated

• Does: Uses barcode scanning, builds shopping lists

Diana – DIY Homeowner

• Says: “This app is confusing.”

• Thinks: “It should guide me, not confuse me.”

• Feels: Overwhelmed

• Does: Searches categories, abandons carts when frustrated

Kevin – Automotive Shopper

• Says: “Stock must be reliable.”

• Thinks: “I don’t want wasted trips.”

• Feels: Frustrated, anxious

• Does: Checks stock, compares prices

3. User Journey Map (Simplified)

I can turn these into polished visual graphics—persona cards with icons, empathy map charts, and a clean journey map diagram—so they are ready for your UX portfolio.

Do you want me to generate these visuals now?

Absolutely! Let’s create detailed User Journey Maps for each persona, showing their activities, pain points, feelings, and opportunities at each stage of using the Home Depot app. I’ll tailor each map to their unique behavior and goals.

1. Amir – Contractor / Remodeler

2. Diana – DIY Homeowner

3. Kevin – Automotive Shopper

These journey maps show each persona’s unique pain points and opportunities at every stage, giving clear direction for app redesign priorities.

I can now turn all three into a polished visual diagram—with stages, activities, feelings, and pain points color-coded—ready for your UX portfolio.