Industry
Commercial Real Estate
Client
Tradestars
Tradestars (Real Client Project)
In collaboration with Tradestars, we redesigned their website using a full UX process to clearly communicate their value proposition and optimise the studio discovery journey; resulting in an effective homepage & clear navigation that supports higher conversion rates.
UX SKILLS
THE CHALLENGE
THE SOLUTION
DISCOVER
The Key Research Methods We Used To Understand Tradestars And Their Users:
Analytics Report
UX/Content Audit
Competitor Analysis
Heuristic Evaluation
User Interviews
IA (Card Sorting)
Implications for Design:
We need to consider designing stronger value messaging, clearer navigation with visible action-oriented CTAs, and a mobile-first layout that prioritises key content scanning and quick interactions.
ANALYTICS REPORT:
CONTENT AUDIT FINDINGS:
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
HEURISTIC EVALUATION
I assessed the Tradestars website against Jakob Nielsen’s usability heuristics to identify usability gaps and opportunities for growth.
Me on the right, interviewing Matt on the left.
Lack of Trust Signals
“I’d feel better hearing from other people who’ve used the space.”
“Seeing who's behind the brand, testimonials, or real-use cases would build trust.”
Unclear & Inconsistent CTAs
“I feel like there’s a step missing in between… I don’t want to take a tour right away.”
Key Information not immediately accessible
“It felt like I had to dig to find the information I needed”
“I didn’t realise some key content was on other pages until later.”
Overwhelming Mobile Experience
“I wanted a clear starting point to browse spaces.”
Long scroll; wanted details at the bottom.
Confusing and Unclear Navigation
"Where do I actually find spaces?"
"I need a photography studio, not just a size filter."
Confusion About the Core Offering
“Is this co-working or private?"
"What is a co-warehouse?”
Key PainPoints we found from the Interviews:
We conducted usability testing with 12 participants on Tradestars’ original mobile website to understand how users interpreted the offering, navigated the site, and attempted to book a studio.
USER INTERVIEWS
Aligned With User Mental Models
Organized navigation around the way users naturally think:
Find a Studio → How It Works → Why Tradestars. This flow mirrors the decision-making journey (discover → evaluate → enquire), making the site easier and more intuitive to use.
Simplified Structure, Faster Access
Reduced deep nesting and long scrolling paths by grouping related content together (e.g., studios by use, booking steps, and services). This made it easier for first-time visitors to find key information without backtracking.
Clearer Labels, Less Confusion
Replaced vague terms like “Available Studios” and “Extras Hire” with intuitive labels such as Find a Studio, Pricing, and What’s Included, so users immediately understood what each section contained.
IA (Card Sorting)
DEFINE
With the Discovery phase complete, we had uncovered clear evidence of where users were struggling, from unclear messaging and confusing navigation to an overwhelming mobile experience and lack of trust signals.
In the Define phase, we synthesised all of our research into clear, actionable insights that the team could leverage to frame problem statements to guide our ideation and design sessions.
User Persona
User Journey Map
Problem Statement and HMW
Ideation (Crazy 8's)
Feature Prioritisation Matrix
To keep our research insights at the heart of the design process, we created a user persona. This helped us distill the key needs, goals, and pain points of many users into one representative character : Xanthi, ensuring our design decisions stayed focused and user-centered.
USER PERSONA
USER JOURNEY MAP
PROBLEM STATEMENT & HMW
IDEATION (Crazy 8's)
FEATURE PRIORITISATION MATRIX
DEVELOP
In the Develop phase, we translated our ideas into initial prototypes, making targeted improvements based on the pain points uncovered in Discovery and Define. We then tested these prototypes with users through usability testing to validate what was working, identify what still needed refinement, and ensure our redesign decisions were addressing real user needs.
Design Studio
Initial Prototypes
Usability Testing
Key Ideas from our Design studio for the redesign of the homepage and booking a studio flow.
Design Studio
With our top ideas prioritised, we began redesigning the homepage and “Find a Studio” flow. We started with simple sketch wireflows to map the journey and then developed low-fidelity prototypes for usability testing. Our design decisions were directly informed by the insights gathered in user interviews, focusing on clarity of the offering, easier navigation on mobile, and stronger trust signals.
Initial Prototypes (Homepage and Find a Studio Flow
Impact
The homepage now communicates Tradestars’ offering instantly, reduces confusion, and provides clear, reassuring pathways for both new and returning users to explore and book studios.
What We Did
Introduced a search bar for users who already know what they’re looking for.
Improved homepage copy and CTAs to make the value proposition clear: private studio rentals.
Added a Browse Studios button linking directly to the central listings page.
Introduced an FAQs section for quick answers to common questions.
Restructured the layout for mobile, reducing clutter and guiding users toward action.
Added testimonials and trust signals (e.g., Trustpilot) to build credibility early.
What We Heard
Users felt unsure what Tradestars actually offered; many mistook it for coworking. They wanted faster ways to act, reassurance through reviews, and less overwhelming content on mobile.
Impact
Added a search-by-use dropdown in the homepage hero so users can quickly jump to studios by what they need.
Simplified the flow by showing listings directly on the studio type page, with location as a filter rather than a separate step.
“I wanted a search function so I could just type in photography.”
“It would be great to search by what I need the space for like classes or workshops.”
Users also found the old flow too long, having to pick a studio type, then a location, before finally seeing listings.
To ensure our redesign supported a smoother journey, we mapped out a new user flow for Tradestars. This flow illustrates how users would navigate from landing on the homepage or an ad through to finding a studio and making an inquiry or booking a tour. By simplifying the pathways and reducing unnecessary steps, we aimed to make the process more intuitive, especially on mobile.
Users can now search by use directly from the homepage, view listings in fewer steps, and access clearer contact options; making the journey faster, simpler, and more reassuring.
User Flow
For usability testing, we used a mix of moderated and unmoderated methods. In the moderated sessions, we ran scenario- and task-based tests on the redesigned homepage and “Find a Studio” flow, which allowed us to observe user behaviour in real time and uncover navigation pain points. For the unmoderated tests, we used Maze to run 5-second tests on the studio listing card content, helping us quickly validate whether key information was clear and immediately noticeable. This combination gave us both depth and speed in evaluating our design decisions.
Usability Testing
What's Working Well
Users quickly understood that Tradestars offers private studios, not coworking.
Trust signals (testimonials, logos, reviews) and the FAQ section built confidence.
The new flow felt logical and easier to navigate, making booking clearer.
What Could Be Improved
Some users preferred browsing for studios while others preferred searching for specific studios by use so we decided to have a centralised browse studios page but also specific studio pages.
Users wanted availability calendars on listings to book tours faster.
Pricing often got lost — needed to be more prominent.
Users were quite keen on wanting to see ratings and transportation as well links on the studio listing cards
What's Working Well
Users liked having multiple ways to find studios (browse and search).
Search dropdown to search studios by use, new dynamic filters, and improved design of the studio listing cards made it easy to compare studios.
Flow felt clear, structured, and reassuring, helping users move forward with confidence.
DELIVER
During the process of double diamond we were following, we delivered 3 client presentations, first one to share our initial discovery phase findings, second one to show the progress on our work in the define and design stage and the final one was a full circle presentation covering all stages of the process until handover.
Final Prototype
Client Feedback
Conclusion
Key Learnings
Key Ideas translated from our Design studio for the redesign of the homepage and booking a studio flow + introduction of a central brose studios page for general browsing.
Final Prototype
Overall, the client was very happy with the progress and direction of the work. They appreciated the clarity the redesign was bringing but also highlighted areas to refine further:
Client Feedback
For Tradestars, the impact is significant:
Conclusion
Users now understand the offering within seconds.
The mobile experience feels easier and more inviting, addressing 85% of their traffic.
Clearer flows and trust signals mean users feel confident to enquire and book.
Instead of pushing bookings, the site now starts conversations, turning visitors into qualified leads.
Key Learnings
Gained first-hand experience working on a real client project and delivering concise presentations under tight timelines.
Learned to adapt quickly: we had to fast-track user recruitment by phoning candidates instead of emailing, which secured us multiple interviews within 2 days.
Collaboration worked well by dividing tasks by strengths and using a Kanban board to stay aligned.
There were also important takeaways for improvement. We could have been more direct with each other at times while still maintaining boundaries, asked for more feedback on completed work, and ensured that when new approaches were suggested, they were backed by action and output.
Overall, this project taught me the value of clear communication, structured teamwork, and adaptability; all crucial for delivering quality work in a fast-paced client setting.
