Connecting domestic workers with residents
A broadcasting system that connects Residents of a society to reliable househelp quickly whenever required in a few easy steps. through third party services like mygate and automated calls
DURATION
1 Month
TEAM
4 Members
CONTRIBUTION
UX Research
Service Design
Interaction Flowchart
Blueprint Design
Dashboard Design
Unorganised sector
An issue all of us saw in our own homes, trouble finding house help when required. How do you tackle the uncertainty of finding someone from an unorganized sector like domestic help.
We noticed househelp rely heavily on personal connections and luck to find work, This process is time-consuming and unreliable, leaving many without stable jobs or income.
vast majority of households find domestic workers through word-of-mouth, employing them directly from the informal market.
Understanding the ecosystem of the current Househelp Sector
Mapping out the all the actors, actions, and flow involved within the current ecosystem. To help us get the understanding of the overall system of the current househelp service market. The focus here is more on the details for househelp and residents part in the eco-system, which would help us to stick with our project’s objective.
Domestic work is a major source of employment for women from rural India. Women accounted for 75% of the increase in the total number of domestic workers in India.
Who do you ask?
Understanding current maid management systems, challenges faced by residents and househelps in societies and why the sector is so unorganised and informal. We understood the issues faced by the stakeholders we identified as key players in the system
Househelp
Residents
Society Guards
Housing platforms
Tier 1 Cities:
As third party service providers like MyGate are more prevalent in these cities along with a high number of working class families and apartments that would require maid services most.
Methods
Interviews
Contextual Inquires
(Societies with MyGate)
Shadowing Maids
Stakeholders
Residents
Househelp
Watchmen
MyGate Employees
Sample Size
24 Residents
6 Maids
3 Societies (with MyGate)
2 Societies (without MyGate)
Resident
Do residents trust house helps found online?
Do residents rely on word-of-mouth instead of existing apps? Does this work for them?
How do cultural habits (e.g., meal times) affect househelp demand?
How does the demographic difference affect the demand for househelp?
Househelp
Why do house helps still go door-to-door?
Do house helps struggle with work during off-peak times? How can we help?
Does the current word-of-mouth system work for them? Would they adopt different systems?
Mamatha
21 / Female
Househelp
Mamatha is a hardworking woman that has recently moved to a big city and is trying to start working as soon as possible. She is willing to learn as much as she can to get the job done.
User Traits
Experience
0 yrs
10+ yrs
Networking
0 connections
30+ connections
Language Proficiency
0 languages
5+ languages
Literacy
Basic
Proficient
Shakuntala
36 / Female
Househelp
Mamatha is a hardworking woman that has recently moved to a big city and is trying to start working as soon as possible. She is willing to learn as much as she can to get the job done.
User Traits
Experience
0 yrs
10+ yrs
Networking
0 connections
30+ connections
Language Proficiency
0 languages
5+ languages
Literacy
Basic
Proficient
Anjali Seth
38 / Female
Resident
Anjali is a working mother, the whole family has just moved to a new city. She is looking for a full time cook and nanny that can help out with the load of cooking for a family everyday.
User Traits
Hours Free (for herself)
0 hrs
12+ hrs
Networking
0 connections
30+ connections
Language Proficiency
0 languages
5+ languages
Literacy
Basic
Proficient
Kalpa Vira
47 / Female
Resident
Anjali is a working mother, the whole family has just moved to a new city. She is looking for a full time cook and nanny that can help out with the load of cooking for a family everyday.
User Traits
Hours Free (for herself)
0 hrs
12+ hrs
Networking
0 connections
30+ connections
Language Proficiency
0 languages
5+ languages
Literacy
Basic
Proficient
Riya Jain
26 / Female
Resident
Priya is a marketing professional living alone in a new city. She is looking for a part-time cleaner and cook to help maintain her apartment and prepare simple meals after her busy work hours.
User Traits
Hours Free (for herself)
0 hrs
12+ hrs
Networking
0 connections
30+ connections
Language Proficiency
0 languages
5+ languages
Literacy
Basic
Proficient
R
E
S
I
D
E
N
T
No time to search for the right house help (compromise quality)
Can’t find available house help without having personal connections
Trust and community connections play a big role
Technically challenged & language barriers
Get all their work from word-of-mouth and known network
No verification or identification process
HOUSEHELP
We studied existing platforms that connect households with domestic workers, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis helped us understand the market landscape and pinpoint gaps in the existing solutions
Revised Problem Statement
How might we create a platform that effectively connects residents with trustworthy househelp based on their preferences while empowering domestic workers with consistent job opportunities?
Solution Building Blocks
Based on the identified challenges from the stakeholders, we had brainstormed on the ideas for the new service through affinity mapping. While brainstorming on the ideas, it is important for the service to maintain a balance between the resident and househelp.
INTRODUCING
Imagine Uber but for Maids.
Sahayak enables residents to book reliable househelp through housing/service apps, matching them based on preferences like work type, timing, and ratings.
Househelps receive work notifications and can accept work directly, with ratings updated through a fair, performance-based system.
Domestic Help | Sahayak | Residents
We outlined user journeys for both residents and househelps, detailing their experiences from initial contact through service delivery. This mapping highlighted critical touchpoints where we could enhance user experience.
How We work?
Sahayak is a B2B Service which collaborates with housing platforms like MyGate to leverage their database while enhancing their feature set with our service. It caters to both intangible and tangible aspects of domestic help in Tier 1 city societies with such applications.
Service Blueprint for househelp service
To effectively connect residents and househelp through a broadcasting system
To ensure effective matching between residents and househelps, we designed an algorithm flow chart that outlined the decision-making process for pairing users based on preferences such as work type, timing, and ratings. This algorithm would enable quick and accurate matches, enhancing user satisfaction.
But in the occasion that this algorithm isn’t able to follow through, a service recovery (service encounter) flow was also designed
Raise a request
Residents can raise a request through their society’s respective housing management system, (for this instance we’ve taken MyGate)
App Prototype
Automated Communication
ID Card
Dashboard
Intangible Aspects
Edge Cases
None of the maids accept the request
Maids are busy.
Sorry (Name),
there are currently no available maids responding to your request. Please search again and wait while we find the right fit or you can try again later.
Cancel Request
Search Again
Cancellation of request after acceptance
Type of work
Are you sure?
If you cancel your request now, your will be disconnected.
Cancel request
Find Help
Step 1:
Click on ‘Find Help’ button to get started
UI designed to seamlessly blend Sahayak's features into MyGate's ecosystem, while keeping a defined identity for ourselves.
App Screens [MyGate x Sahayak]
Step 2:
Filter according to your preferences
Cleaning
Cooking
Step 3:
Wait for a househelp to accept
Your maid has confirmed!
Dashboard for Sahayak Employees
Comprehensive dashboard for Sahayak employees to manage society-specific data, monitor service requests, and analyze performance metrics.
Identification Card
Allows for easy identification of house help
Provides an sense of empowerment to maids.
Easy access to their digital information via QR Code.
RFID for attendance marking at gates
Intangible Aspects
Medical Checkups
Tie-up with NGOs offering free medical health checkups to domestic workers
Connecting an NGO with its nearby societies associated with Sahayak
Help in the physical and emotional well-being of househelp which they usually resistant.
Financial Guidance
Maids can call the helpline for any financial guidance
Integrating with banks, and financial advisors for regular awareness about government schemes and and welfare programs
Empowering maids by equipping them with financial knowledge
Let’s see if it works
Conducted user testing to evaluate interface usability, service flow efficiency, and overall satisfaction for both residents and maids by collecting both qualitative and quantitative feedback from relevant stakeholders.
Methods Employed
1
Usability Testing
MyGate Collab Prototype with Residents
2
Wizard of Oz
Automated call and messages with Househelp
3
Speedboat
Group Discussion
Usability App testing Insights
Usability Testing was done with residents using the prototyped app screens which helped us identify pain points in the interface design and workflow interactions.
Usability Testing
Usability Testing was done with residents using the prototyped app screens which helped us identify pain points in the interface design and workflow interactions.
Research goal #1
Research goal #3
Research goal #2
Observe how intuitively users can select preferences, view available maids, and finalize requests.
Determine how easily residents can navigate and use the new “Get Help” section within MyGate, powered by Sahayak and how they browse the catalogue
Find areas of friction, such as confusion in flow, unclear instructions, or overwhelming options and assess how residents perceive the service’s value compared to standard options
Method of Testing and Sample Size
Task Given
Participant Recruitment
Moderated Remote: 12 residents
In-Person Usability Testing: 20 residents
In-Person Recruitment
Residents of societies currently using MyGate, with varied demographics
Task 1: Request Immediate Help from a Maid
Scenario: Imagine it’s the weekend, and your regular maid is unavailable. You urgently need help with house cleaning. Use the app to request immediate help.
Final Design
With inclusivity and technological literacy in mind, automated calls with response option ensures easy and efficient communication with maids.
Automated Communication [Messages and Calls]
Househelps receive work alerts directly on their phones—no more waiting for word-of-mouth leads.
