PGG
A comprehensive, investor-focused website designed for PeaceGroveGroup, a new property investment company. This website serves as both an informational hub and a lead generation tool, aimed to attract and engage a diverse audience of potential investors with a range of different portfolios, from beginners to experienced professionals.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Project Duration
September 2024 to November 2024
My Role
UX Designer designing a website for PeaceGroveGroup from the conception to the delivery.
Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
The Challenge
Design a website to engage potential investors, capture leads, and build the necessary trust and credibility.
The Goal
The goal is to redesign PeaceGrove's website to attract and convert potential investors. The new site will focus on lead generation through a downloadable eBook and newsletter sign-ups, while enhancing credibility with testimonials and transparent investment information, ultimately driving the company’s financial growth.
The Oppurtunity
Create a website, to enhance user engagement of experienced/novice investors and achieve PGGs business goals.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
RESEARCH
Initial Problem Discovery
As a newcomer in the property investment sector, PeaceGroveGroup must establish trust and visibility in a landscape dominated by established firms. Potential investors often feel overwhelmed and uncertain, particularly since traditional platforms lack personalised support and clarity.
My analysis of the original PeaceGrove website revealed deficiencies in modern design and user experience, with a confusing layout that hinders information accessibility and engagement. Furthermore, while PGG has a vibrant social media presence, and this does not align with its brand identity on the website; elements like the logo need refinement to reflect professionalism and reliability.
Enhancing the website’s usability and visual coherence across platforms is essential for building brand recognition and credibility, thereby attracting a broader audience of investors.
So to define the problem, unlike the successful property investment platforms, PGGs current website falls short because of the sole focus on metrics instead of the user experience. This oversight leads to lower user engagement and can ultimately hinder investment growth
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
To ensure a balanced focus on both user and business needs, I started by conducting interviews. This included:
User and Stakeholder Interviews: One-on-one interviews with two property investors (one novice and one experienced) to gain diverse insights into user expectations, pain points, and motivations. Additionally, I held two interviews with the PGG directors to align the findings with the company's business objectives.
Interview Goals: The primary aim of these interviews was to identify the frustrations and needs of potential investors while understanding how PGG's business goals could be effectively integrated into the user experience.
This combination of user and business-focused research ensured that the design decisions would strike a balance between creating a user-friendly experience and achieving PGG's strategic objectives.
Interview Findings
User Interview Findings
"To be quite honest I found myself wasting time sifting through the websites content just to locate key information. As a busy investor, I need a more consistent way to access the information I require ASAP."
"The website doesn't have enough regular updates on their new properties or investment opportunities for me. The lack of fresh content really makes me question If i should trust them."
“Obviously PGG is new, but the current design of the site feels unprofessional. A more polished and intuitive interface would make me feel more confident in engaging with the site and the company”
Stakeholder Interview Findings
“Our website is pretty basic as it was made on Podia, and we don’t have the resources to improve it right now. It’s functional, but we know it could be much better”
“We've started creating resources like an eBook to engage potential investors, but with our limited budget and tight resources, it's taking longer than anticipated to complete. Ideally, we'd like to bring in a professional, but we need to secure the necessary finances first”
“At the end of the day, our main goal is to raise funds and keep the business growing.”
USER PAIN POINTS
Information Accessibility
Investors with experience and money won't have time to fully read through the website, so they need to be able to find the information they’re looking for quickly
Lack of Updates on Properties and Deals
To start attracting investors whether they’re experienced or not, trust and credibility needs to be built through transparency
Website design is crucial as it's the first thing users see, shaping their first impression. A well-designed site boosts brand perception, increases trust, and enhances the overall user experience.
Website Design
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
To design an effective user experience for PeaceGroveGroup (PGG), I conducted a detailed competitor analysis. This included both direct competitors, such as established property investment firms, and smaller-scale companies. The objective was to understand what makes these websites successful in attracting and retaining investors and how their user flow contributes to engagement.
Key Findings:
Trust-Building: Successful competitors use e.g. clear investment opportunities, customer testimonials, statistics, and case studies to strengthen credibility.
User Flow: Effective user flows start by addressing user needs (educational content or investment opportunities) and lead seamlessly to a CTA (e.g., contact forms).
Descriptiveness: Websites that articulate their services and value clearly using concise language gain better engagement.
Visual and Brand Consistency: A consistent visual theme across desktop and mobile platforms enhances brand recognition.
USER PERSONAS
I developed two user personas to represent the ideal PeaceGroveGroup (PGG) investors, synthesising insights from comprehensive research that included problem discovery, stakeholder interviews, user surveys, competitor analysis, and the identification of major pain points. These personas embody the key characteristics, preferences, challenges, and behaviours of both novice and experienced property investors. By grounding the redesign process in these personas, I aimed to ensure that our design choices aligned with real user needs and created a more engaging, trust-focused experience for PGG’s diverse target audience.
Emily Rose, 29
Marketing Manager
Novice
London, UK
Emily has a stable career in marketing but is new to property investment. She has some savings and wants to start investing to build long-term wealth. She’s eager to learn about property investment but lacks experience and confidence.
Frustrations
Overwhelmed by Information: Emily finds the amount of information about property investment overwhelming and doesn’t know where to start.
Lack of Experience: She is worried about making mistakes due to her lack of experience and knowledge in the property market.
Time Constraints: With a busy job, Emily struggles to find time to research and manage investments, making her hesitant to start.
James Brooks, 42
Business Owner
Experienced
Manchester, UK
James has been in the building industry for over 20 years and has a deep understanding of property maintenance, construction and investment. He has money he wants to invest and is trying to expand his property portfolio .
Frustrations
Limited property options: Frustrated by the limited selection of investment properties currently available.
Time constraints: Has a busy schedule and needs concise, relevant information without having to sift through unnecessary details.
Difficulty in finding reliable partners: Skeptical about new companies and concerned about the trustworthiness of their offerings.
Inconsistent market data: Annoyed by conflicting market predictions and data from different sources, making it harder to make informed decisions.
USER JOURNEY
I created a user journey to map out how a potential PGG investor would navigate their current experience on the site, aiming to understand the highs and lows of their emotions while exploring investment opportunities and resources. This comprehensive visualisation offers valuable insights into the investor's journey, enabling a targeted redesign to enhance user engagement, build trust, and ensure satisfaction throughout their investment decision-making process.
Emily Rose, 29
Goal: Find information about investment opportunities on the PeaceGrove website. I.E Researching opportunities, Evaluating credibility and making and informed decision
User Action Journey
User Feelings Adjective
IDEATION
MOODBOARD
After mapping the user journey, I researched top property investment sites with strong UX and UI design to guide my ideation process. Inspired by effective, professional designs, I integrated key elements into PeaceGroveGroup’s site, like shortening PeaceGroveGroup to PGG for a polished look, and identified areas to streamline for a more engaging, user-focused experience.
Old Logo
New Logo
NOW LET’S START SKETCHING!
Drawing from my previous UX research, I identified the essential screens needed for the PeaceGroveGroup website and sketched them on Figjam to visually lay out the key user journey and functionalities. These initial concept sketches were then transformed into low-fidelity wireframes to bring the user story to life and align with PGG's objectives.
LOW-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
During the Low-Fidelity stage, a lot of time was dedicated to ensuring that the UX of the PGG websites aligns with the users' needs in terms of usability and functionality. Here is a quick look at Low-Fi design.
HI-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
Throughout the process of refining PGG’s design, I began exploring high-fidelity concepts to bring the site’s potential appearance to life. I drew inspiration from property investment websites like North Property Group, combining current UI trends with a unique visual style tailored to PGG.
DESIGN
AND BREAAAATHEE… HERE ARE THE MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS & DESIGN DECISIONS
For the high-fidelity prototype, I conducted an unmoderated usability testing with novice and experienced investors. The study included five participants, which took place remotely in London. This approach allowed for flexible participation from busy, experienced investors who may have been unable to attend an in-person study.
Here, I’ll highlight four key design decisions that were implemented based on user feedback to better align with user needs and PGG’s brand identity.
After thorough user testing throughout the process, here are the biggest areas I improved to satisfy user needs and wants.
REDUCING SCROLLING TIME
After extensive user testing with both novice and experienced investors, one of the primary improvements focused on reducing excessive scrolling to enhance user experience.
Minimising Scroll for Key Content: Users expressed frustration with having to scroll too much to reach essential information. By optimising the layout and prioritising key content at the top, we ensured users could access valuable insights without delay.
Engaging Visual Presentation: This design keeps users visually engaged while presenting critical information quickly, particularly beneficial for busy investors who need immediate, accessible insights to make fast, informed decisions.
Second-Round Usability Test Results:
87% of participants found key information within the first scroll in the new design (compared to 42% in the old design)
76% reported feeling more confident in understanding PGG’s value proposition after scrolling through the homepage.
64% appreciated the flexibility of multiple contact options, with many favouring the "Send a Message" feature.
Colour Design Choice
The next key design decision focused on selecting a colour scheme. Through colour theory research, I discovered that a darker shade of green symbolises a strong stance on "continuous growth and learning," aligning perfectly with PeaceGroveGroup’s mission. I also paired accent color of dark gold for the call-to-action (CTA) elements to symbolise stability, wealth, and prosperity, reflecting PeaceGroveGroup’s commitment to fostering growth and financial security for investors, while also adding a touch of elegance and trustworthiness to the brand identity.
Accessibility also was prioritised in the design, ensuring the colour choices would be visually inclusive for all users.
Designing with Accessibility in Mind
Recognising the critical importance of inclusive design, PeaceGroveGroup aimed to address accessibility needs directly within the platform. Drawing inspiration from accessibility-focused UX practices, we introduced a dedicated accessibility button.
User-Centric Insights: Usability testing highlighted the need for better accessibility options, aligning with PeaceGroveGroup's standards.
Strategic Design Decision: An accessibility button was implemented to improve ease of navigation and usability for all users.
Inclusive Mission: This feature reflects PeaceGroveGroup’s commitment to working with "Anyone, including YOU," by removing barriers and promoting equitable access across the platform.
The Important New Additions!
For the PGG website, two key pages were added to enhance trust and engagement: the About Us page and the Investor's Guide page.
About Us Page: To enhance transparency and credibility, An About Us page was added to showcase who the company directors are, their expertise, and PGGs mission. This humanises the brand and builds trust with potential investors.
Investors Guide Page: Serving as an educational resource, this page offers valuable insights and guidance for investors, empowering them to make informed decisions. By equipping users with knowledge, PGG aims to strengthen the trust and confidence of its investor base.
About Us Page
Investors Guide Page
SIMPLE, CONSISTENT & USER FRIENDLY!
To ensure a seamless experience, I refined the page design based on user feedback, achieving a professional, aesthetically pleasing look that flows smoothly across the site. Early usability testing identified the need for consistent design elements, which was critical to the user experience:
Visual Consistency: Sections like "Why Choose Us" on the homepage and "Why Brighton" on the projects page now maintain a uniform layout and style, providing users with a cohesive experience across different sections.
Streamlined Contact Options: Another usability finding highlighted inconsistent "Contact Us" placements across pages. Now, the "Contact Us" section appears consistently on every page, making it easier for users to get in touch and supporting PGG’s business objective of attracting and working with investors.
MOBILE DESIGN
The mobile version of the PGG website is a fully responsive adaptation of the desktop experience, designed to provide a seamless, consistent user experience across all devices. Recognising that many experienced property investors are often on the go, optimizing for mobile was essential. Like the desktop version, the mobile site maintains PGG's mission to build trust and credibility, ensuring that users receive a professional, reliable experience regardless of their device. This consistency supports PGG’s core goal of engaging potential investors, effectively balancing business objectives with user needs.
THE FINAL DESIGN
REFLECTION
NEXT STEPS
Launch Site: The website needs to be launched in order to get a better feel of the how much better the users are finding the site
Marketing: Run Instagram and google ads to drive traffic to the website.
Regular Updates: Regular update the site with new property listings, news, and educational resources to keep the content fresh and engaging.
More Usability Tests: Conduct another round of usability testing potentially with a more equal amount of novice and experienced to get a better and more well rounded responses
WHAT I LEARNED!
Balancing business and user needs was a significant challenge. Ensuring both perspectives are effectively represented required ongoing stakeholder communication to align design decisions with business goals.
Maintaining consistent design elements across the site is essential. This approach, inspired by other successful sites, enhances user experience by delivering a cohesive feel and also supports business objectives.
A simpler and better looking, design can enhance professionalism. In future projects, focusing on simplicity will help achieve a polished, user-friendly experience.