Project 01, Product Design
Gnohome
Redesigning Search for a Real Estate Marketplace Platform, turning a cluttered, frustrating property search into a seamless, trust-building experience.
01, Overview
A Platform Built for Listings, Not for People
Gnohome had the inventory but not the experience. Despite an extensive property catalogue, engagement and conversion were stalling, because the platform was built around listings rather than the way people actually search for a home. Filters were too broad, listings were inconsistent, and trust eroded at exactly the moment users were ready to act.
As Design Lead, I led the rebranding of the visual identity and creation of a design system, established research and design operations, provided mentorship to the design team, set up cross-functional collaborative workshops, and made individual contributions to multiple feature redesigns.
02, The Problem
Navigating Frustrations in the Home-Buying Journey
I ran research with 150 participants that surfaced three recurring pain points quietly destroying engagement. The goal became clear: redesign the platform to enhance usability, improve search and filtering, and simplify the inquiry process.
65%
reported difficulty finding relevant properties due to limited filter options
55%
found navigation unclear, causing them to abandon their search early
40%
expressed frustration with inconsistent property details, reducing trust
Inconsistent Property Information
Property information quality and completeness varied widely across listings, causing trust issues and user frustration. Users couldn't rely on the data they found, making them hesitant to reach out to agents or commit to viewings.
Complex Search & Filtering
The existing search and filtering options were complex and less user-friendly, resulting in confusion and reduced engagement. Users needed advanced filtering, predictive search, and real-time updates to find what they were looking for.
Limited Mobile Responsiveness
60% of traffic was mobile, yet the experience was slow and non-intuitive. Users encountered broken layouts and unclear navigation, directly driving higher bounce rates and limiting engagement.
03, The Solution
Search Built Around the Home Seeker
I anchored the redesign in Aaron Walter's hierarchy of user needs, functional, reliable, usable, pleasurable, and sequenced the work to fix the foundations before adding delight. I ran collaborative sketching sessions with design, engineering, and product to co-create a contextual search experience accessible seamlessly from any page.
How Might We
“Simplify the property discovery process, making it more efficient and enjoyable for users?”
How Might We
“Refine search filters so users can precisely and effortlessly find properties matching their specific criteria?”
Functional & Reliable
A comprehensive UX transformation unifying the search experience, fixing broken flows and establishing consistency across the platform.
Accurate Property Discovery
Enhanced reliability through standardised, up-to-date property information with clear data quality indicators to rebuild user trust.
Intuitive Navigation
A user-friendly interface enabling easy navigation with streamlined filters, predictive search, and real-time updates.
Delightful Experience
Personalised recommendations, smooth micro-interactions, and contextual search, accessible seamlessly from any page.
04, Final Design & Outcome
A Platform That Works for Its Users
Post-launch, the team gathered user feedback and monitored key performance metrics. The collaborative effort successfully unified the platform, harmonising high-fidelity design with robust functionality. Real-time updates and enhanced search capabilities ensure users enjoy an intuitive and effective property search experience.
18%
Increase in average session duration
19%
Rise in property inquiry conversion rate
29%
Faster relevant property discovery
33%
Growth in mobile user engagement
11%
Increase in returning users
40%
Surge in user feedback & ratings
Measured over the first 90 days post-launch versus the prior quarter, using product analytics and a post-launch user survey. Percentages reflect relative change from baseline.
“The recently launched Gnohome website received many positive responses from users, significantly contributing to the success of the business, the UX improvements elevated user satisfaction and positively impacted every key business metric.”