The Home Depot App
First of all, the Home Depot app my favorite app. I LOVE the in-store search feature. It not only tells you what’s in stock at any store, but exactly where to find it, down to the aisle and bay number (every aisle is separated into “bays” every 8 or so feet).
They even have in-store maps to help you find products if the aisle / bay system doesn’t do it for you.
I can’t get enough of it, I wish every retailer had similar apps.
Improvements!
Given that I use it a bit, I’ve noticed a few things that could further improve the app. Here they are:
1. Clear search only when there is a search to clear
This is really not a big deal, but I find myself tapping the “x” in the search field all the time attempting to clear out the previous search.
Only thing is, there is no previous search, just the placeholder text. But I never read the placeholder text, I just see that there’s text in the search field and a clear search “x,” so I sometimes tap that little “x” like five times before I realize what’s going on.
The clear search “x” should only appear when there is actually text to clear.
2. Saving to lists
The save to list feature is an excellent aspiration, and I would probably use it a lot if it were designed slightly better.
I never really go to Home Depot just to browse. I typically have a clearly defined list of products I’m looking for when I walk in, and often, I’ve already searched for the products on the Home Depot website or app to find a location that has it all in stock.
Recently, I’ve started using the “add to my list” feature to accomplish all this, because it consolidates all the information I need in one place, instead of using a list-making app for my list and the Home Depot app to find it all in the store.
But, it’s not all that easy to use.
- It’s buried pretty far down the page (as is the “add to cart” button… this whole section could use a bit of re-ordering)
- it looks disabled (gray on gray), and
- once you tap on it…
you’re given two options, which is a bit confusing. What’s the difference between Add to Shopping List and Add to My Account? Unclear.
Accessing lists
Getting to the list section is pretty good — it’s in the Account section, which is exactly where I’d expect to find it, but this huge banner prompting users to sign in / create an account / etc. is a bit jarring, and could surely be pruned down to something both less intrusive and more effective.
3. Summoning
One feature Home Depot desperately needs (i.e. I desperately need when I’m in Home Depot) is the ability to summon help.
The app has done an excellent job of enabling me to be almost completely independent while shopping at Home Depot, with one great exception: cutting things.
Just yesterday I went to Home Depot to buy some webbing (think backpack straps), but it comes in a huge roll, and you have to get it cut to the length you want, then you pay by the foot.
Problem is, I can’t cut it myself. Employees have to do the cutting.
Same with wood, chains, electrical wire, cables, etc.
So every time I need to get something cut, I have to either
- wait around at the cutting station until an employee shows up, or
- leave my stack of wood at the saw and wander around until I find an employee.
Even when I do find an employee, however, they often aren’t able to cut for whatever reason, so they leave to find someone who can, and I continue to wait.
Yesterday while I was standing in front of the roll of webbing waiting for an employee to saunter by, there was another man behind me who needed some cable cut, who had been there for longer than I had.
We flagged down one employee, who said he couldn’t cut for us and walked away, then two more employees who also said they couldn’t cut for us, until finally we convinced one of them to go get the guy that could cut.
It’s a somewhat painful process.
So here’s my proposition: the app should include the ability to summon someone to cut things.
A simple function to summon help to your cutting location.
