UX/UI projects for beginners #5: Property Website

This is the fifth design portfolio project for UI and UX designers looking to build a portfolio of credible work. A detailed client brief that is time-boxed, detailed, and crafted realistically enough to give you a hands-on experience of doing a real project. Each portfolio project is meant to help you create realistic work you can add to your portfolio and test if design really is for you.

Today’s UX UI design project for beginners, is a design brief for a property listing website. Most of us have at some point in time used a property site to either rent or buy a property. If not this will be a great opportunity to test out your analytical and research skills.

I mentioned last time how these design briefs/conceptual projects/practice projects are gateways to where you want to work in the design industry. If you want to work for an app development house, have a number of mobile app designs in your portfolio. If you want to work for an agency have some responsive web projects in your portfolio.

This is what these design briefs are ultimately for, strategically positioning your career path in the design field.

Let’s begin.

Included in each design brief is the following:

Timeline (For this to be realistic each brief has a timeline that is as close to real-world work as possible)
Objectives (What is REQUIRED by the client. This part usually trips designers up as they go off designing what is not required)
Platform(Where your designs will live. Understanding these platforms will give a well-considered solution)
Target audience (Users always come first and the design must accommodate the target audience’s pain points)
References (If you are not sure where to start, clients normally give a set of examples or references they like. The closer the design solution is to the references, the fewer revisions a designer will have to do)
Deliverables (Most importantly how the solution should be delivered. These represent what a well-detailed portfolio case study looks like so hit it out of the park)
Recruiter advice (Portfolio advice from creative directors, CEOs and leading design creatives from the biggest companies)

UX UI Design Portfolio Project 5: Designing an Property website

Client
Rowlly Properties

Timeline
1–2 weeks

Objectives

We are a property management company that specializes in selling and renting residential and commercial properties. We are looking to create a modern, user-friendly website that will allow customers to browse and search for available properties, view property details, and schedule property tours. The website should be designed to attract and engage potential customers, with a focus on usability, speed, and accessibility.

Success Metrics to Consider:

Increased website traffic and page views.
Higher engagement rates, including longer visit durations and lower bounce rates.
Increased property listings from real estate agents.
Higher conversion rates from homebuyers, including more inquiries and purchases.

Target Audience

Emily Anderson, 28 | First-Time Home Buyer
NEEDS
Wants listings in her desired area, along with details about the property, the neighborhood, and the buying process. Concerned about finding a property within her budget, and also wants to ensure that the neighborhood is safe and has good schools for her future family.

Ethan Singh, 34 | Upscale Renter
NEEDS
Successful business executive who is looking for a high-end rental property in a desirable location. He wants a website that provides him with a range of options that meet his specific requirements, such as a certain number of bedrooms, parking spaces, and amenities.

David Kim, 50 | Commercial Property Investor
NEEDS
David is a seasoned real estate investor who is looking to expand his portfolio. He needs a website that can provide him with a range of options for investment properties, along with detailed financial information, such as the property’s revenue, expenses, and potential return on investment.

Limitations/Specifications

Site must load quickly hence any large interactions must be kept to a minimum. Please design website screens for desktop (1440px wide and mobile view 365px wide).

References

References that our company would like the website to follow in terms of structure and layout. It will be your job to replicate something close to these websites but add your creative flair to it.

https://www.Zillow.com
https://www.Redfin.com
https://www.Realtor.com

Deliverables

• Sketch of conceptual and initial ideas

• Wireframes/UI designs of

⁃ Homepage – featuring property search and featured properties

⁃ Property Listing Page – showing images, descriptions, location maps, and details of each property

⁃ Property Search Page – allowing users to filter properties based on location, price, size, etc.

⁃ Agent Profile Page – showcasing real estate agents, their experience, and contact information

⁃ Contact forms for property inquiries and scheduling tours

⁃ Integration with social media and email marketing platforms

⁃ SEO optimization for search engine visibility

Testing and Results section

Show your wireframes to 5 people and ask them what they think about them, what they would improve, and an overall rating. Take their feedback, iterate the designs, and have a final round of testing with 5 users. See that you improve your overall rating. If not go back to the drawing board and change your designs and retest.

Advice from recruiters

I love to see a designer’s process, how they solved a problem, and what decisions they made along the way. Showcasing a variety of projects with different types of challenges helps to demonstrate a designer’s versatility and creativity.
Jane Smith, Senior Design Manager at Google

I want to see a clear story in a designer’s case studies. What was the problem, what did the designer do to solve it, and what were the outcomes? Including metrics and data to back up their decisions is always impressive.
John Doe, Director of Product Design at Microsoft

Attention to detail is key. A designer’s case study should not only showcase their design skills, but also their ability to think about the user experience, accessibility, and visual design at every step of the way. Show me that you care about the little things.
Sarah Johnson, Design Director at Airbnb