Realestate.com.au
Role
Digital Designer
Year
2018 - 2020
Project
Property Developmets
Organisation
REA Group (realestate.com.au)
Research-driven design for engaging lifestyle content
Working closely with a small team of UX designers, I conducted research, competitor analysis and user testing to propose feature enhancements and design recommendations for the lifestyle and news articles on realestate.com.au as well as ideation sessions with the team to bring the content into app.
Understanding content engagement across platforms
User testing emerged as a pivotal phase in our design journey to understand the diverse needs and preferences of individuals in varying stages of their property journey. Our approach was holistic, encompassing not only the direct interaction with our platform but also observing user behaviours across a spectrum of mediums, including Pinterest, YouTube, magazines, podcasts and home-lifestyle websites.
Through observation and inquiry, we delved into the dynamics of user engagement with the content and how each medium was used throughout their current property journey. Users expressed an inclination towards sharing information and articles within their social circles, video content emerged as a dominant theme (particularly among individuals harbouring aspirations of renovation) and a preference for platforms that had streamlined content and intuitive experiences.
Driving user engagement
Through a comprehensive analysis of news and lifestyle websites coupled with user testing, I identified key areas for enhancement within the lifestyle and news article pages. Focusing on the pillars of article shareability, traffic drivers, video integration, captioning and categorisation. Honing in on these aspects would have the most significant impact in user engagement and accessibility.
The above figure illustrates my proposed wireframe design focusing on the top-of-story configuration. The design encourages article shareability with the introduction of social share icons; suggested articles and videos above the fold to drive traffic to related content and video captioning which includes a play-time duration to improve accessibility and drive engagement.
A visual facelift
Changing the font headings to Museo was a strategic decision aimed at aligning article pages with the overarching branding of the website. Consistency in font usage across different sections of the website is crucial for brand recognition and establishing a cohesive visual identity. The switch to Museo enhances readability, as it avoids the complexities of the italic display fonts that were being used, ensuring clarity and legibility of headings. Additionally, the adjustment in font sizes improves accessibility.
The colour green was used throughout the Lifestyle pages (seen in the before navigation panel). We chose to change the green colour to red to unify the visual identity with the rest of the website and strengthen brand recognition. The switch to red not only reinforces brand consistency but also mitigates the risk of confusion with competitors.
Enhancing app experience
Next, we needed to incorporate the Lifestyle and News section into the app. Whilst I was working on the web design enhancements, the lead UX designer had been working on some prototypes for app. We worked together on testing these prototypes with members to gain valuable insights and enhance the UX of the designs. Using these insights I worked with the UX designer on solutions to further improve the user’s experience with interacting with the lifestyle and news artcles.