Clutter offers moving and storage services, from full-service to self-pack options. In 2021, they launched a marketplace with third-party providers to test regions before building warehouses. The flow required optimization: users had to select a brand first, then a location, following a rigid path that caused high drop-off rates. The goal was to shift to a facility-first experience, letting customers vet facilities and amenities upfront.
I was the sole designer for the pod, partnering with 5 developers, a product owner, and Turtle Design agency. I leveraged market research and competitive analysis to design concepts, advocated for user testing to reduce performance risks, and implemented improvements based on findings. I integrated closely with the team to ensure design consistency and continued as their dedicated designer into subsequent projects.
The booking flow was making decisions for customers before they could make their own. Users were forced through a rigid linear flow based on zip code input that limited user control, and a brand-first selection that required choosing a facility before seeing available units, ignoring budget and other amenities. The goal was to enable early configuration, personalize results, and surface unit attributes upfront to help users find the best match faster.
Market research and past user studies revealed that users spent an average of 95 hours in the flow before booking, for those who ultimately reserved units. This meant that they were researching elsewhere before committing. In Clutter's 2019 customer survey, cost and location were the top decision factors. Climate control and specific dates ranked lower. These insights reframed the design priorities early.
Competitive analysis of rental and storage platforms surfaced consistent patterns among the strongest experiences: easy search with quick results, flexible map and list views for comparison, and overlays that helped users refine choices at each step. Successful platforms offered flexible filtering options rather than linear progression.
Common gaps included mobile usability issues and inconsistent location pin markers. These findings directly shaped the concepts.
Early concepts focused on streamlining the experience through short questionnaire steps to reach results quickly and flexible interaction on the result page for personalized control. Despite the timeline not including user testing, I advocated for validation to reduce performance risks given the new features and flows. After initiating discussions with the product manager, we agreed to conduct remote unmoderated tests to evaluate content comprehension, card and map interaction, and overall flow impressions.
Participants were satisfied with the layout, flow, and overall length, completing tasks smoothly. However, they were confused by location pins and unit numbering, assuming a one-to-one relationship between pins and units rather than one-to-many. Participants also wanted a dedicated unit page with details including amenities, reviews, facility options, and clearer guidance on next steps in the reservation process.
I addressed these findings by clarifying pin context to show multiple units per location, adding more detailed amenity information to unit cards, and indicating next steps on confirmation pages. Refinements were made during technical reviews with the development team.
Users complete a Size Selector Questionnaire covering area code and storage size. These inputs organize available units on the result page, setting relevant context before any browsing begins.
A/B testing showed positive results across the board. Marketplace funnel reservations increased 12.5% compared to Clutter-owned self-storage units. The simplified contact form drove an additional 8% increase in reservations compared to the multi-step version. Together, the results confirmed that putting facility context and user control earlier in the flow led to stronger engagement and higher conversion.