Designing the resident experience from move-in to move-out, and the UX for PoC participation
UX Design
Time frame: 16 weeks
Client: Major Manufacturer
Role: UX Designer
Skills: Research, Journey Map, Concept Plan, UX Design, Prototype
(Due to circumstances, only a summary is provided.)
Summary
We worked on the overall resident experience for a smart city development project by a major manufacturer. We designed the resident experience across the entire journey, from move-in and daily life in the city to participation in Proof of Concept (PoC) programs and continued engagement after move-out. We designed the experience with a focus on the resident journey across the entire lifecycle.
Objective: Organize the resident experience from move-in to move-out and design the UX for PoC participation
Duration: 4 months
Team: 6 members
Role: UX Designer
Responsibilities: Research, UX design, product features, prototyping
Challenge
As the smart city prepared for its opening, different teams were planning city operations and various PoC programs. Although many PoCs were being planned, the resident experience had not yet been organized from a user perspective, making it difficult for residents to naturally participate in the PoC programs.
The project required organizing the customer journey and touchpoints from a user perspective rather than only from an operational perspective. The goal was to create a system that encourages residents to naturally participate in the city and its PoC programs.
Solution
We organized the overall resident experience, from move-in to continued engagement after move-out. We defined key touchpoints at each stage of the journey and explored ways to make participation in PoC programs more natural for residents.
We proposed initiatives for each phase, including a PoC participation system, city information services, resident meetups, and a community network after move-out. These proposals were designed to help residents become familiar with the city and encourage active participation throughout their experience.
Process
01. Understanding the Project
We organized information about the resident experience in the smart city to understand the project background and key challenges. We identified the challenges in encouraging residents to participate in PoC programs and explored experience opportunities.
02. Defining the Experience Goals
Through discussions with the client, we defined experience goals from a resident perspective.
The resident journey was divided into four phases: Before (Before Move-in), During (Living in the City), Graduation (Move-out), and Alumni (After Move-out). We identified residents’ needs and expectations for each phase.
03. Stakeholder Mapping & User Flow
We organized the relationships between the stakeholders including residents, companies conducting PoC programs, and the city operating company.
To visualize the resident experience, we mapped the overall user flow and identified the key challenges in each phase, as well as how residents would interact with PoC programs throughout their journey.
04. Concept Development
Based on the journey map, we defined the experience value that supports an ongoing relationship between residents and the city.
05. Mapping the PoC Participation Journey
Based on stakeholder interviews and existing information, we organized the resident journey into phases such as Awareness, Consideration, Participation, and Continued Engagement. For each phase, we identified user actions, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. We also defined three user types based on their level of interest and created a PoC journey for each type.
06. Identifying the Challenges
Barriers to PoC Participation
Through the journey mapping, we found that the resident experience had not been sufficiently organized from a user perspective, making it difficult to encourage participation.
1. Awareness, Consideration, and Application
Limited opportunities to learn about PoCs create psychological barriers to participation, making them seem unfamiliar or complicated.
2. Participation
The tasks and steps during participation are not clearly organized, making the experience confusing and burdensome.
3. Continued Engagement
Even after participating in one PoC, it is difficult to connect users to the next one, and the relationship often ends as a one-time experience.
Overall, the participation experience is fragmented, making it difficult to provide a consistent experience from awareness to participation and continued engagement.
07. Exploring UX Solutions
Designing an experience that supports PoC participation
To help residents naturally encounter PoC opportunities in their daily lives and support their journey from awareness to participation and continued engagement, we identified challenges at each phase and explored UX solutions.
1. Awareness, Consideration, and Application :
Lower the psychological barrier and encourage participation.
• Recommend relevant PoC programs based on users’ interests.
• Clearly explain the purpose, benefits, and level of effort required.
• Reduce uncertainty through information sessions and inquiries.
• Enable a fully online application process.
2. Participation :
Help residents move smoothly to the next step.
• Clearly present the next task and required actions.
• Visualize participation progress.
• Provide notifications and reminders for upcoming tasks and deadlines.
3. Continued Engagement :
Encourage ongoing participation.
• Visualize achievements and badges.
• Recommend future PoC programs based on participation history.
• Maintain ongoing communication with residents through city updates.
To support these experiences continuously, we explored a participation platform that connects every phase of the journey within a single service.
08. PoC Participation Platform
Exploring a product that supports continued participation
I explored a resident-facing system to support continued participation in PoCs, rather than treating each PoC as a one-time experience. I made participation status and next steps visible, and focused on creating a UX that makes it easier for residents to stay engaged.
1. Discover and Apply for PoCs
Goal: Reduce uncertainty before participation and lower the barrier to getting started.
Features: PoC recommendations, search, detailed information, and online application.
2. Manage Participation
Goal: Help residents move smoothly to the next step.
Features: Task management, progress tracking, and notifications.
3. Encourage Continued Participation
Goal: Support ongoing participation beyond a single PoC.
Features: Achievements, badges, recommended PoCs, and participation history.
Dashboard
The dashboard brings together participation status, upcoming tasks, and recommended PoCs, allowing residents to quickly access the information they need. It also displays completed PoCs and earned badges to encourage continued participation.
PoC Information
The list view makes it easy to compare recommended PoCs and their summaries. The detail view clearly presents each PoC’s purpose, participation benefits, and expected level of effort, helping residents feel confident when deciding whether to participate and apply.
Conclusion
At the beginning of the project, we interviewed the client to understand the vision for the smart city and the behaviors expected of residents. We mapped the resident journey across each phase and explored experience design and a participation platform to support PoC participation.
A key aspect of this project was designing experiences that encourage continued engagement with the city even after residents move out, while creating opportunities for residents, developers, and city operators to co-create value.
The user-centered experience design also contributed to aligning project direction within the client organization and supporting collaboration across teams.
Key Outcomes
• Designed a concept for a sustainable innovation network centered on the city.
• Created a comprehensive customer journey covering the entire resident experience from recruitment to post-move-out.
• Organized fragmented operational plans across departments into a unified, resident-centered view.
• Proposed initiatives to increase residents’ motivation to participate in PoCs and support their challenges.
• The proposals were used as core materials for sharing design policies and promoting cross-department collaboration within the client organization.
Reflection
This project reinforced the importance of designing experiences from a resident-first perspective, rather than solely from an operational standpoint. By considering the perspectives of multiple stakeholders and structuring the entire journey comprehensively, we ensured a more efficient project execution. However, challenges remain in terms of operational costs and long-term impact evaluation of the proposed initiatives. Moving forward, continuous validation and refinement based on resident feedback will be essential. We aim to apply these insights to future projects to create even more sustainable and engaging smart city experiences.