Senior Product Designer

Redesigned Home Search Experience

Quantify risks & costs for businesses and their customers in the housing sector

Design Resources: 1
Engineering Resource: 3
Delivery: 4 months

background

Revamping the Home Search Experience to Reduce Drop-Offs

Upon joining DwellAware as Senior Product Designer, I was tasked with completely redesigning the home search experience due to significant customer drop-offs. User sessions revealed many users quitting mid-funnel, and UserTesting data suggested that the search and browsing experience was frustrating for users.

Design Framework

Double Diamond

I chose the Double Diamond framework to address the drop-offs systematically. This approach allowed us to thoroughly explore the problem space before focusing on solutions, ensuring we designed a user-centered, intuitive home search experience. It guided the process through discovery, defining user pain points, ideation, and ultimately, delivering an optimized solution.

discovery and findings

Identifying User
Pain Points

Leveraged competitive analysis, user feedback (via UserTesting.com), and funnel data from MixPanel, which indicated that home buyers prioritize the following key property details:

  • Location (Map and Address)

  • Visuals (Images)

  • Key Metrics (Beds, Baths, Square Footage)

  • Property Scoring (by DwellAware)

Through an analysis of platforms like Zillow, Redfin, and Airbnb, I identified the importance of displaying these details prominently. This led to positioning property listings on the left side of the UI. User testing revealed unmet needs, with the previous design scoring a 6 out of 10, shaping our improvements for a more user-friendly experience.

define

Prioritized Search, Usability, and User Engagement

Creating a seamless home search experience that prioritized key user needs: easy access to identify the location of the house, visuals, and property details.

Additionally, improving usability and engagement across the platform became a top priority, ensuring users could navigate smoothly and complete their home search journey without friction.

Develop

Information Architecture, UX Flows, Sticky Notes and WireFrames

Deliver

Intuitive User Experience Across Devices

The high-fidelity designs deliver a seamless and consistent user experience across desktop, mobile, and iPad platforms.

These final designs ensure that users can easily engage with the platform, regardless of the device, enhancing their home search experience at every touchpoint.

Impact

30% Engagement Boost and 20% Churn Reduction

The redesigned platform boosted user engagement by 30% with improved usability and navigation. NPS jumped to 8.5 from 5, and churn dropped by 20%, demonstrating stronger user retention and satisfaction. These metrics confirm the success of our design strategy.