Design Lead (I led end-to-end redesign and migration of the website)
1 PM, 2 Engineers, 1 Designer
2024 Q2-Q3
Research, Interaction Design, Product Thinking
Short on time? I got you covered.
Led the redesign and migration of Student Housing website for the University of Guelph.
Driving a 27% decrease in bounce rate, 35% drop in call inquires, and 22% reduction in email inquiries.
Managing different stakeholder priorities, navigating time and resource constraints effectively. Gained experience in securing buy-in from engineers.
The problem
The Housing website was last updated in 2012 and failed to support the universities growing needs, creating friction for users and operational inefficiencies for staff.
Identifying Stakeholder Goals
Conducted 5, 1-1 interviews with internal leadership to gain a deep understanding of: high-level goals, resources, timeline, competitors, key metrics
Gathered 70 survey responses from other campus partners like admissions, colleges to get feedback and build early relationship
Impact on Student Recruitment
"We've noticed a significant impact on our recruitment numbers due to the lack of clarity around housing eligibility requirements"
- Assistant Registrar, Admissions
Usability Concerns
User Behavior & Patterns
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01
Primary users
75% visitors on our site are Future residents
25% visitors are current residents
Secondary users
The frontline housing staff who answer inquiries from parents and students via calls and emails
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02
User Behavior: Users hardly stayed on the page and decided to click on contact information
Hypothesis: Users are not able to quickly find the information on building features and amenities
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03
User Behavior:
Selects a residence from the top navigation.
Scans the page for 1.5–2 minutes.
Chooses another residence from the menu.
Repeats the scan for 1.5–2 minutes.
Navigates back to the previous residence.
Hypothesis: Users are trying to compare residence buildings
Redesign Goals
We identified 3 priorities that directly address both user pain points and business needs
Housing site should align with Admissions site
Reduce call and email inquiries
Reduce number of repeated questions
Reduce the impact on student recruitment due to lack of content clarity
Easy way to find building amenities and features
Find a better way to compare different residence buildings
Hard to understand residence eligibility information
Competitor Analysis (Part 1)
During our stakeholder interviews, we identified our 3 biggest competitors and conducted a competitor analysis to understand what other universities were doing well and where there was room for improvement.
Compare Residences based on student type (undergraduate, graduate)
Amenities displayed looks very cluttered
Application steps divided based on the student type (Undergraduate, international, graduate, upper year)
Two different websites for current and future/prospective students
Residence Fees table divided based on Room Type
Competitor Analysis (Part 2)
Airbnb presents amenities in a clear, icon-based format, making them easy to understand at a glance.
They also group similar amenities together, further improving readability and organization.
Building Custom Components
This design also categorizes amenities into Building Features and Room Features, making it easier for users to find relevant information at a glance.
Site Mapping
After multiple brainstorming sessions with the team, we ideated on the optimal navigation structure. We drastically revamped the navigation, ensuring content is placed where it makes the most sense.
We also spent significant time analyzing data - identifying the most viewed pages and categorizing them under the "Applying" section, while organizing the rest of the content to better serve current students.
Design Decisions & Metrics
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01
A much cleaner view of what each community offers. Each community page includes a Building Profile and Room & Building Features, helping students quickly select their preferred residence.
22% reduction in email inquires
35% reduction in call inquires
/
02
We made it easier for them to quickly compare residence buildings and find the right fit. This also significantly reduced students jumping back and forth between different residence pages to compare options.
Received 5,000+ visits in the first month, with users spending an average of 3 minutes comparing options
32% reduction in bounce rate on Residence Pages
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03
We made the application process extremely straightforward by breaking it down into three simple steps:
Things to know before Applying
Application Key Steps
After applying what's next
80% users clicked on the apply button within 10 minutes of browsing the site
32% less questions received regarding application process
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04
We structured our fee breakdown by Room Type, as pricing primarily varies based on whether a student selects a single, double, or triple room - with singles being the most expensive and triples the most affordable.
What's included in the residence fees? Do we have to pay extra for utilities?
We enhanced transparency by clearly outlining all costs, including any hidden fees students should consider when deciding between on-campus and off-campus housing.
42% less inquires asking clarity on fee structure
25% increase in trust & student satisfaction
Mobile Designs
All the pages are now device-compatible, resulting in an increase in our accessibility score from 72% to 97.9% for AA-level accessibility (surpassing the 90% benchmark)
