Diamond Ram Realty wanted to create a new & more efficient website to replace their previous design. The previous website was created by a graphic designer resulting in low usability, poor conversion, over usage of colors, lack of necessary functions, and was a bulky design that slowed down the website down due to none of the media being compressed. Diamond Ram wanted a design that would be appealing, high functioning, and would ultimately require less time to maintain. They also wanted the site to feel quick and snappy, while also creating a pleasing user experience.
Research
I was able to conduct individual interviews with 12 different participants in person. The participants ranged in age from 27-62 years old. I also looked at the digital products other brokerage firms in the area have launched for their users, so that I may grasp a better understanding of how to best design this website.
A recurring theme throughout the interviews was that all users enjoyed the ability of being able to view properties online through the use of any platform. Many of the participants worked an office job with hours of 9am-5pm. Having access to viewing different properties and selecting a brokerage was more convenient for their lifestyle when its easily accessible via internet.
Define
After researching and interviewing users it was concluded that the real estate website was overwhelming with visual stimuli, unprecisely thought out, and lacked user centric design. The appearance as well as functionality of the website affected how the users interacted with the platform, which often resulted in distrust for the brand and low engagement percentages.
Thus, it was important to be intentional with the design of the website and prioritize the visual and functional design of the web page. I wanted to create a clean, professional and engaging website that is able to showcase the brokerage gracefully.
Project Goals
01.
Create a responsive real estate website that is personable
Diamond ram realty desired the ability to be viewed on all platforms, allowing them to maximize their ability of reaching their target audience in more ways than one. While also having a design that would be inviting to all demographics.
02.
Increase functionality of the website in order to drive higher engagement on pages
The website beforehand was bulky, long, and very hard to scan through to find the most important information. I created a new site with a clear customer journey, easy to find buttons that deepen the users experience, while still creating an aesthetic product.
03.
Design a quick and maintainable site that completes both user and businesses goals.
They wanted a product that would be snappier, modern, and allow for better user engagement. Upon viewing their analytics they concluded that users weren’t engaging on the pages that they need conversion the most.
Home Page
I designed the homepage as a central hub for a user to immediately begin their Diamond ram journey. The initial hero screen is a slideshow that showcases the brokerages finest homes that are for sale. With a “view listings” button to persuade users to further their journey and view the houses that are currently being displayed.
As users scroll down to continue their path, they’ll be introduced with 3 user motivators. These motivators clearly state their intentions all while encouraging the user to choose exactly what they’re looking to compete while utilizing this website. The homepage also includes a brief description of the company’s mission, and a section that displays the agents of Diamond Ram.
Sell page
The sell page was designed in a fashion to connect users to the Diamond Ram agency. Selling one of your largest assets requires a great deal of help and by filling out the contact form, users will be able to connect with a listing agent within a timely manner. This page also includes dialect of some of the benefits potential sellers will receive by following through with this brokerage.
Meet the agents
This page gives users the ability to also “shop” for an agent they’d like to work with. It portrays all the agents of the brokerage with a brief description of their strengths, niches, and highlights as well. It includes all of their social media tags so that users can follow them more closely, and their contact information.