Prior to joining PropertyAccess and taking over UI/UX and development, they've had already developed a website. It met basic requirements like offering agents a monthly subscription, which allows posting of listings.
However, the overall design was somewhat based on biases and unverified information. This resulted in a product that didn't completely capture the interest of our target user groups. Hence, the need to understand their perceptions and needs.
User Interviews
I led user interviews to learn how people engage in real estate activities. This includes what they like and dislike, and what they need. We had 3 user categories: seeker, owner, and agent.
We did the interviews through voice calls, while a few participants opted to submit their answers by email. We recorded each interview so we could focus on listening, not on note taking.
The interview protocol included 8 to 10 questions depending on the user category. On average, an interview lasted about 30 minutes, which is 15 minutes short of the target duration.
I chose affinity mapping as the method of analysis. This is because of the ethnographic nature of user interviews. I listened to each interview recording. I also wrote notes about user insights and feedback on sticky notes on an average of 1 per minute of recording.
After the notetaking, I posted all sticky notes on a whiteboard. I organised them into groups based on similarities in context.
The findings add to and confirm what the team currently knew about users' needs and wants. While some invalidated ideas that were thought as accurate.
Some UI/UX Design Decisions
Well thought out user interfaces are valued. Target users trust a website with texts in plain and conversational English.
The hero section of the landing page was changed to drive most of the users' attention to the search widget and the priming image of the family.
Renters and buyers search by location, not necessarily by property type. A location is usually chosen because of its proximity to the seeker's workplace, hence its familiary. Because of this, the map was removed from the search results / listings archive views.
The faceted search bar was also redesigned and streamlined, while enlarging the property cards (4 per row if rental, 3 if for sale) and displaying important info by order of importance. Larger cards were designed for properties for sale to allow more focus on each property.
If you're interested to know what are the rest of my design decisions, feel free to get in touch with me. You may also check the old site archived by Wayback Machine.