SonarHome: Rebranding and Redesigning a Real Estate Platform
SonarHome
Role
Lead Product Designer
Project Timeline
2021
Industry
SaaS, Property Management
Team
PMs, Developers, Researchers, I LIKE ART Agency (Branding)
Tools
Figma, Sketch (for a short time), Hubspot
online
SonarHome is a pioneering real estate technology platform, dedicated to providing accurate, data-driven property valuations that streamline buying and selling experiences.
Established in 2017, SonarHome operates across Poland, Hungary, and Romania, and continues to expand into new markets. The platform uniquely leverages sophisticated algorithms and comprehensive market insights to deliver precise property estimates, empowering clients to make informed decisions swiftly and confidently. This project involved a comprehensive rebranding and redesign aimed at enhancing user experience, strengthening brand consistency, and optimizing conversion rates through a refined, mobile-first digital presence.
The Problem
Challenge
SonarHome’s online platform lacked a cohesive visual identity, clear user flows, and a responsive design strategy, significantly affecting user engagement and conversions.
Impact
SonarHome’s online platform lacked a cohesive visual identity, clear user flows, and a responsive design strategy, significantly affecting user engagement and conversions.
Key Research Insight
User interviews revealed a strong need for clear guidance during the apartment valuation process, with 60% of users expressing confusion about their next steps after obtaining initial property estimates.
Hero image
My Approach & Solution
To effectively address the issues identified, I adopted a structured, collaborative approach centered around user experience research, strategic ideation, and meticulous execution. This allowed for a clear alignment of user needs with business goals, ensuring comprehensive improvements throughout the SonarHome platform.
Research & Discovery
Conducted user interviews and mapped extensive user flows to understand pain points clearly.
Collaborated closely with stakeholders to align on vision and business goals.
Competitive benchmarking informed best practices for valuation flows and dashboard designs.
UX Strategy & Ideation
Developed comprehensive user personas emphasizing mobile-first interactions.
Established a clear information architecture emphasizing the free valuation feature as the primary entry point.
Wireframed multiple user journey variations, iteratively refining through feedback sessions.
Execution & Implementation
Collaborated with I LIKE ART Agency to create a modern, impactful rebrand, including a new logo and consistent visual identity.
Built a robust Design System in Figma, ensuring scalable, consistent UI across platforms.
Designed a responsive, intuitive user dashboard facilitating easy access to valuation results and next-step recommendations.
To address these challenges, we redesigned the onboarding flow for Guesty Lite and Pro, introducing a step-by-step experience that focused on simplicity, clarity, and ease of use.
Homepage
The Impact
The redesigned user flow and clear, guided interactions significantly reduced confusion, making the valuation process faster and more intuitive.
Conversion (valuation completion)
Before:
62%
After:
86%
Improvement:
+24%
Bounce Rate
Before:
65%
After:
30%
Improvement:
-54%
Time to Complete Valuation
Before:
4m 10s
After:
2m 20s
Improvement:
44% Faster
Business Impact
Enhanced user engagement and valuation completions directly contributed to increased lead generation and strengthened partnerships with real estate agencies.
Mobile App - User & Dashboard
Lessons Learned & Takeaways
What did I learn?
The critical importance of user research in uncovering unexpected pain points that significantly affect conversions.
Early collaboration between branding and product design teams ensures a cohesive final product.
The power of iterative testing and feedback loops in refining designs for optimal user experience.
What would I do differently?
Engage stakeholders from branding and marketing much earlier to align visual and strategic goals effectively.
Implement more extensive usability testing at earlier stages of design to catch potential issues sooner.
Allocate additional resources and time to mobile-specific interactions, given their significant role in user engagement.
Key Takeaway for Future Projects
Effective UX design hinges not just on visual appeal but fundamentally on reducing user uncertainty. Prioritizing clarity, simplicity, and consistent communication throughout the user journey can significantly enhance user satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, business outcomes. Every design decision should aim at eliminating friction and confusion, resulting in measurable and meaningful user engagement.
Summary
This project comprehensively transformed SonarHome’s digital presence, including a complete visual rebranding and a user-centric redesign of key platform features. The refreshed branding conveyed trust and innovation, while the redesigned user interface optimized user journeys and significantly improved property valuation processes. By implementing a robust, scalable design system and prioritizing mobile-first interactions, the project significantly enhanced the user experience, resulting in measurable improvements in conversion rates, user satisfaction, and reduced bounce rates. The successful collaboration across branding, product, and development teams created a unified vision, positioning SonarHome as a forward-thinking, user-friendly real estate platform.
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