How can Home Reno stay relevant and drive sustainable growth amidst industry downturns in Singapore?
Business Capstone, Jan 2025 - Apr 2025
My role
Lead UI/UX Designer
What I did
User Research
Usability Testing
Ideation
Prototyping
UI Design
UX Design
Brand Design
Software
Figma
Microsoft PowerPoint
Results
Demonstrated a hi-fi working prototype (web and mobile version).
Problem
Home Reno was struggling with a lack of consistent, high-quality leads in an increasingly saturated market. Through our research, we identified a critical gap: while Home Reno’s team had a strong command of Mandarin, their website was available only in English, missing out on a significant target audience.
My role was to lead the redesign of the website and mobile experience, ensuring the interface was intuitive, bilingual, and strategically optimised to capture and convert high-quality leads.
Primary Research
1. Survey
We conducted an online survey with 55 Chinese-speaking respondents to better understand their preferences, needs, and pain points across their past, present, and future home renovation journeys.
2. Zoom Interviews
To gain deeper insights, I conducted qualitative interviews with six participants (two couples and two individuals) via Zoom to uncover their decision-making process, search behaviours, and criteria for selecting a renovation firm.
Furthermore, I asked them to go through Home Reno's current website using the think-aloud process.
3. Main Findings
3.1. The top three factors influencing their decision to engage with renovation content are the design portfolio, before & after photos, and cost guides.
3.2. Participants also noted that the site’s outdated and unappealing aesthetic created a poor first impression, making them less likely to consider Home Reno for their renovation needs.
So, How Can...
Home Reno stay relevant and drive sustainable growth amidst industry downturns
in Singapore?
Ideation
Analysing Home Reno's Current UI
Website: Key Changes and Features
Home Reno's Current Landing Page
The landing page is the user's first point of contact, making first impressions critical. Home Reno's current landing page offers no option to switch to a Chinese-language version to cater to its key audience segment, and features an immediate call-to-action (CTA) without any visual appeal to build trust or convey brand identity.
Home Reno's Redesigned
Landing Page
I redesigned the landing page to make a stronger first impression by incorporating a full-width contextual image and dual primary CTAs that emphasise both consultation and quotation. This creates a more trustworthy, visually engaging, and conversion-driven experience for users.
The user can toggle between two languages efficiently, catering to Home Reno's target audience: the Chinese-speaking segment.
A fixed action button is placed at the bottom right of the screen to provide quick access to key actions like booking a consultation, improving accessibility and supporting task efficiency without disrupting the user's browsing experience.
Home Reno's
Current Portfolio
The existing portfolio section consists of a single static image with a “View Gallery” overlay, which lacks interactivity and discoverability.
When clicked to find out more of their project details, there are missing links and incomplete details, disrupting the entire user experience.
Home Reno's
Redesigned Portfolio
I redesigned the portfolio section into a horizontal carousel placed just below the landing page, as based on user research, prospective clients prioritise viewing a company’s past design work. Each project is presented as a scrollable card, and when hovered, contextual information about the renovation appears.
For the redesigned portfolio detail page, I adopted a story-driven structure to keep users emotionally engaged and immersed. Each project begins with an introduction to the homeowners (using placeholder names) and their renovation goals, followed by a showcase of Home Reno’s design solution.
To encourage continued exploration and increase session duration, I added a recommendation section, which suggests related projects to keeps users within the Home Reno ecosystem. This design enhances narrative flow, supports user retention, and reinforces Home Reno’s portfolio strength through contextual storytelling.
User Testing
From Doubt to Trust
We conducted a comparative usability test with 20 participants. All respondents preferred the new version, stating that it better reflected Home Reno’s image as a credible and experienced renovation firm. Many also shared that the new design gave them greater confidence in the brand and that they would now consider Home Reno for their future renovation projects.
Takeaways
1. A Website Is a Bridge Between Awareness and Action
This project reinforced the importance of designing websites not just as static showcases of information, but as strategic tools that guide users toward meaningful action. Every element on Home Reno’s new site was designed to move users seamlessly from browsing to booking. A well-designed site can shape perception, build trust, and convert interest into engagement.
2. Less Is More
Instead of overwhelming users with too much information, I focused on simplifying the interface to highlight what really mattered to them. From the streamlined call-to-actions to the clean visual hierarchy, every element served a purpose. Simplicity not only improved usability but also created a more calming and confident experience for users.
3. Talking to Real Users Always Reveals What Metrics Cannot
While analytics can show where users drop off, only real conversations can tell you why. Interviews and surveys with Home Reno’s target audience helped uncover overlooked pain points and deeper emotional triggers like the need for trust and relatability. Overall, understanding the user shaped my entire design process, ensuring that every decision was grounded in real needs, not assumptions.
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