Modernize provides quality educational content to inspire energy-efficient home improvement ideas, and helps to connect homeowners with their network of industry-leading contractors to get projects done.
Role: Visual Designer (within a collaborative team consisting of a UX Researcher, Visual Designer and VP of Product)
The Problem: Modernize, previously known as "Home Improvement Leads", needed a consumer-facing identity to help establish their new name within the home improvement industry. Modernize had a unique position in the market, solely focusing on four trades for energy-efficient home improvement projects: solar, windows, hvac and roofing.
Objective: Communicate a clear, consistent brand message by establishing visual brand guidelines for internal and external use.
Modernize Visual Identity Guidelines
Core Trade UI Guidelines
Windows Calculator
Role: Product Designer
The Problem: There are two types of users that navigate to the Modernize website: a homeowner ready to hire a contractor for a specific job or a homeowner just doing some research for a project they might have in mind. For those homeowners in the research phase of their journey, most of them just want a ballpark cost for their project before they commit to talking to a contractor. How can we provide these users with a ballpark quote and help provide some education to give them confidence to speak to a contractor?
Objective: Create some organized, educational content for types of windows and design a calculator with real contractor data to immediately calculate ballpark quotes for windows projects
Process:
- Run usertesting.com initial test on current windows blog pages for insights on how to improve
- Gather contractor requirements for quoting windows jobs
- Understand what information is required for a lead for modernize's contractors
- Interview homeowners who have completed windows projects or who are looking to start a windows project
- Comb through windows cost data to understand different combinations that affect cost
- Research every type of window, how they open and close, and the pros and cons of each
- Provide a competitive analysis of other project cost calculators (HomeAdvisor, Houzz, Thumbtack, etc.)
- Launch version 1 of the calculator and track the amount of quality leads it helps drive
Intro to Types of Windows
By conducting a usability test on the current "window type" page, the majority of users were frustrated by the lack of images and navigation. In order to drastically reduce bounce rate, I created icons to use as buttons (as seen here) to direct homeowners to the right pages in order for them to easily conduct their own research.
Window Type Pages
When synthesizing feedback from users, we concluded that we must display how the different types of windows open and close, the average cost, along with the pros and cons for each type.
Windows Calculator Page 1
Users stated in testing they would rather see real photos of windows instead of icons, by selecting their type of window and entering their location, Modernize can provide them with a quick estimate.
Windows Calculator Results
Users can get an immediate ballpark cost by simply providing their zip code and number of a specific window type. They can get a more customized quote here by selecting their material quality and frame materials.
Next Steps: Study qualitative data to insure we reduced bounce rate from original page and gather data on lead quality from calculator traffic. Establish new goals and continue to iterate.