Ernesti Niemi, Case Study

Huoneisto­keskus & Retta, a real estate brokers new approach.

A consumer-focused real estate platform with substantial estate management and marketing capabilities.

Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site front page Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site front page

A complete visual and functional overhaul of the Huoneistokeskus real estate lease portal into a modern, mobile-first, and value-packed platform. This update was forced by changes to the client's internal organization with the demands being not met by their outdated digital services. The end result combines traditional consumer-based lease announcements with our clients' new real estate management services in one unified package.

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Client

Huoneistokeskus Ltd as a part of Retta Group Ltd

Project role

UX/UI and visual brand theme design

Developer

Into-Digital Ltd

Date

Released to the public in 2023

Mobile mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site search function Mobile mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site apartment bulletin Mobile mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site image gallery

From an outdated and difficult to maintain platform to a modern and functionally loaded service. The merger of a real estate broker and management agents created new business potential for both sides. Having previously worked on Retta real estate management online services, I was well aware of our client organizations' mutual goals.

Tasked with creating a comprehensive visual rebranding, along with a solution for these new cross-service marketing opportunities, and progressing to end-user value-driven lease services. To be successful a thorough competitive analysis and service benchmarks were required.

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UX Design

Focusing on ease of use through rapid prototyping and user flow design

Visual identity

a Total redesign of the visual brand theme achieved by combining brand identities

Modular UI layouts

Layout design with responsive and accessible interface elements and dynamic features

Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site navigation Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site navigation

Given the platform's vast range of offered services and public consumer needs, a clear and informative service structure had to be built. Content had to be separated into informative sections based on use cases and end user needs, coupled with carefully planned cross-service transitions. The solution required a delicate balance between service providers' operational objectives and our end users' life-changing needs.

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Majority of the platform's content was created in a modern, modular, and mobile-first structure, making the information easy to consume and content creation as simple, effective, and versatile as possible. A diverse range of content types, including articles, estate brokers, and housing profiles, were implemented. These robust administration tools were further enhanced with dynamic content relations and integrated cross-service content pulls.

Acting as a valuable source of information and service announcements for consumers and management clients alike, this general content was kept visually clean and clutter free. We opted to focus our resources into user friendly experiences and operationally important functionalities instead of visually innovative and unique layout solutions.

Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site apartment search Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site apartment search

Sorting and presenting apartment lease announcements was approached with careful consideration and effort. Being the core function of the entire project and the single most important feature for our end users, the user experience had to be on point. We organized these listings into clearly defined divisions, complete with category-specific properties and user-friendly search tools.

All of the announcement-specific content was sourced from an external CMS, which required me to identify and account for all potential content variations. To better serve our user, I split this content to be presented in a natural and priority-based order. This whole user flow was thoroughly planned from start to finish - browsing the available supply to internalizing announcement-specific information and making user-initiated sales contacts simple and effective.

Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site apartment announcement Device mockup with a Huoneistokeskus web site apartment announcement

The end results speak for themselves. Despite the fact that the service has only been operational for a short time and the entire business has been suffering from a recession, there has been a clear and noticeable increase in consumer activity and user-initiated transactions. A lot of ideas and new features can always be implemented. Nonetheless, our entire project team has been more than satisfied with the collaboration between all parties and the end result itself.

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Key takeaways and lessons learned.

Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus web page Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus web page

It was vital to understand when, how, and why our users interacted with the product at hand, as well as how to best use this information in advance. What has the most impact on satisfying our stakeholders, and where should we focus our resources.

While combining visual brand identities, I had to strike a balance between meeting external brand objectives and maintaining existing brand expectations. This contrast was carried over to user-specific goals between our clients' business objectives and end-user needs. Finally, I learned how to divide enormous amounts of information into clearly defined need-base portions and direct our users to user profile-specific actions.

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User specific priorities

Balancing corporate goals with consumer need

Supporting visual brand themes

Matching visual themes while preserving existing identities

Situational user flows

Guiding users through need based content relations

Low-threshold engagement through simplified initial contact

Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus web page apartment search Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus web page apartment search

Featured value estates to create commitment through interest

Expanded categorization to guide engaged user onward

Tailored search results with user-defined requirements

Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus detailed apartment search Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus detailed apartment search

Extensive search options to better meet end-user demands

Expanded search options with estate type and location based options

Advanced selections for user specific requirements

Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus search categories Layout image of the Huoneistokeskus search categories

Search options grouped in to theme-based sections

Essential information clearly presented

Informative content divided into tabs by type

Proactive sales engagement direction for end users

Detailed bulletin specific data presented in clean table form

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Expanded information presented in a clear and uniform fashion

Sales contact humanized and always accessible

Selected work from digital services to web applications and social platforms.

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Always open for further discussion.

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+358 40 584 0104
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ernesti.niemi@gmail.com
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