Smart Dream Home – Enhancing Housing Accessibility Through User-Centered App Innovation

Smart Dream Home is a forward-thinking startup developing an innovative mobile application designed to guide newcomers and homebuyers in Canada through every stage of the housing journey—from research and budgeting to purchase and settlement. The organization’s main activities center around designing an intuitive, data-driven digital platform that simplifies the often-overwhelming process of finding, financing, and settling into a new home. However, as a new product targeting a highly diverse and complex user base, Smart Dream Home faces a key innovation challenge: transforming raw ideas about user needs into a validated, user-friendly, and emotionally engaging experience. Traditional market research and product testing are not sufficient to capture the real challenges faced by newcomers and first-time buyers, who vary widely in digital literacy, cultural expectations, and housing priorities. This project aims to address that gap by introducing a structured user testing and customer experience research framework that integrates qualitative and quantitative insights directly into the product development cycle. The innovation lies in developing a continuous feedback and co-creation model where real users are not just test subjects but active collaborators in shaping product usability and emotional resonance. This approach goes beyond typical app development cycles, embedding empathy-driven design and behavioral insights into Smart Dream Home’s technology roadmap. To achieve this, expertise is required in marketing research, UX/UI testing methodologies, data analysis, and human-centered design, alongside strong communication skills to interpret complex feedback and translate it into actionable improvements. By developing this research-driven innovation process, Smart Dream Home will be able to refine its product with precision, increase user adoption, and position itself as a trusted digital companion for homebuyers across Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Heather Harrison

Student:

Partner:

Smart Dream Home

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Program: