→ Establishing the brand design guidelines.
→ Establishing an efficient workflow with developers, marketers and photographers.
Chase Evans
Timeline
2019 – 2020
Type
Real Estate
Redesign a real estate and lettings agency website based in the dynamic city of London.
Company
Challenges & Responsibilities
→ Increasing the number of property enquiries.
→ Improving information hierarchy and structure.
→ Conducting a comprehensive UX audit.
Role
UX/UI Designer
The current state
So, here's the scoop on the Chase Evans website before I got my hands on it. Imagine a place with no basic user-friendly UX and UI, a bunch of reds and greens that clashed like it was a color party, and a game of hide-and-seek to find the search bar. Sounds like a challenge for a designer, right?
Let's boost sales, rentals, and most importantly, stand out from the competitors with a fresh new look.
UX audit
Before diving into the transformation, let's break down the current state of the Chase Evans website. This UX audit aims to uncover areas for improvement, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly digital experience.
Top pain points
The search bar is challenging to locate, impeding user navigation.
Multiple usability issues hinder a smooth user journey, specially on the nav-bar.
Multiple uses of clashing reds and greens disrupt the color scheme.
Low-quality images throughout the website impact visual appeal.
Design inconsistency across various pages creates a disjointed experience.
Lengthy and complex product descriptions hinder user readability.
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons lack visibility and effectiveness.
Stakeholders workshop
During a crucial stakeholder workshop, I laid out the real issues affecting the Chase Evans website. I walked everyone through the pain points, explaining how these were not just digital glitches but actual roadblocks impacting our sales and lettings.
We had an honest conversation about making things better, focusing on what needed fixing to boost the website's performance. This discussion became the starting point for a collaborative plan to enhance the website and ensure a smoother ride for our users.
Focal points
Improved user navigation
Enhance the website's interface and focus on clear menus and optimised search functionality.
Modern visual appeal
Address colour palette issues
and establish consistency for a
fresh and appealing look.
Spotlight on sales & lettings
Boost visibility and highlight key offerings to guide users efficiently through property listings.
Collaboration is everything
Reshaping the Chase Evans website was a collaborative journey at its core, with marketers, developers, and content creators as key allies throughout every phase of the redesign.
In-depth competitor research provided valuable insights that shaped our strategic edge in the digital space.
Working seamlessly with marketing, we melded design with compelling copy, creating a narrative that not only showcased properties but resonated with our audience.
The collaborative effort extended to wireframes
and information architecture, ensuring a blueprint prioritising user-friendly design and seamless navigation.
This collective endeavour underscores the power of collaboration in crafting a digital experience that exceeds expectations for Chase Evans.
Preparing the designs
After mapping out our ideas, the next step was turning them into reality. We took our wireframes and turned them into visual designs, preparing them for implementation.
Unexpected disruption 🦠
During the progression of the project, an unexpected twist unfolded with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as the designs were taking shape and the implementation phase was on the horizon, the impact of the pandemic led to an abrupt halt.
Four months into this period of uncertainty, unfortunately, the circumstances led to my redundancy. Despite the setback, the groundwork laid for the project stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts and dedication poured into reshaping the Chase Evans website.
Takeways
Despite unexpected disruption, this project offered valuable takeaways.
The collaborative redesign process showcased the power of teamwork, driving creative solutions and shared insights. The stakeholder workshop and competitor analysis emphasised the importance of open communication and strategic insights.
In summary, although my journey was cut short due to unforeseen circumstances, the experience provided valuable insights, marking a positive start to my professional career in the dynamic city of London.