Brand and UI redesign
Summary
Employer: Housemates
Role: UI/UX Designer
Product: B2C Student accommodation marketplace, B2B marketing pages
Users: Students, Accommodation Providers, Affiliates, EdTech, Student Platforms
Entering a new year within a startup means more opportunities for investment, partnerships and more students to provide accommodation for. The business tasked me with rejuvenating our brand in a short space of time, as it was felt we could better promote ourselves and appeal to students.
Housemates websites consisted of a B2C marketplace where students can find and book accommodation as well as a B2B website to promote ourselves in order to help form partnerships and attract investment.
Research
To better understand how our brand and UI could be improved, I collected feedback from a variety of stakeholders and users utilising methods such as surveys, interviews and user testing for both qualitative and quantitative insights.
I also carried out competitor analyses on B2B and B2C competitors as well as investigate popular websites used by students.
Findings
The overall themes in the feedback from B2B stakeholders was that our brand seemed too "playful" and didn't match with our forward thinking goals. When compared to other tech companies such as Stripe and Duffel, it was felt we were falling behind.
The overall themes in the feedback from B2C users, predominantly students, was that our marketplace was not as appealing as other websites they use. It was clear from my analysis that there should be different branding for both B2C and B2B due to the contrast in target users and goals. Our B2C marketplace needed to be more in line with websites aimed at 18-24 year olds such as ASOS, VOXI and TIKTOK. Where brighter colours and sharper edges are more predominant. Our B2B website needed to be more vibrant, but sensible in order to emphasise professionalism.
Ideation and iteration
I began by exploring ideas, utilising the feedback collected and taking inspiration from competitors and popular student brands. I worked closely with the business to ensure our core brand was carried through the designs and collected feedback from stakeholders and students on various proposals.
Outcome
A modern take on our brand to better appeal to students and stakeholders while retaining the Housemates heritage.
