Juwai, China's leading Overseas Property Searching Online Platform, serves as a bridge connecting Chinese property buyers and investors with overseas properties. It enables Chinese buyers to access overseas properties in Chinese, while allowing global agents to showcase properties to Chinese buyers. This eliminates language barriers and navigates around the Great Firewall of China.
However, the mobile app had not been updated for a long time and was left abandoned. Juwai made the decision to revive the app by giving it a fresh update. The main goal of this Juwai app redesign project is to improve the app's performance, enhance user experience, increase traffic, and enhance conversion rates by aligning with the changing requirements of our property buyers. In this project, my role was the UI and UX designer, overseeing the entire design process.
First, we thoroughly analyzed the current app. We studied the main screens and brainstormed ways to improve them. We also read the comments from real users on the App Store.
Next, we interviewed Chinese buyers (our app users), project stakeholders, and property agents who sell properties on our app. This helped us understand the goals for our app: user goals, product goals, and business goals. From these interviews, we discovered diverse needs and processes among property buyers. We then created four personas to represent these buyers: an investor, an immigrant, a mother wanting to send her child abroad, and a retiree/life enjoyer.
We analyzed user journey maps from these personas and conducted card sorting to identify pain points and understand the steps users took to achieve their goals. Once we had all this information, we moved on to designing the wireframes and the final screens.
Our app has undergone a series of significant enhancements to improve the property search and buying experience for our users.
First, we introduced three new onboarding pages at the app launch to inform users about the latest updates. These pages highlight the improved interfaces and added features designed to support users throughout their property journey.
The redesigned homepage caters to the diverse needs and preferences of our users, showcasing how our app supports their buying journey from various angles. It acts as a comprehensive hub, guiding users through their property search with ease.
We also revamped the search page, with categorized filter options that help users refine their property searches effortlessly. A prominent search box at the top allows users to quickly input their queries and find relevant results.
The details page has been enhanced with virtual property tour options, including virtual reality (VR), videos, and photos, providing an immersive exploration experience. Buyers can delve into detailed information about pricing, location, interior design, and nearby amenities, with additional suggestions for nearby properties to keep them engaged.
Additionally, the editorial page now categorizes news and reports based on buyers' interests, making it easier to find relevant information.
Lastly, we implemented a single enquiry module across the app, streamlining the user experience, simplifying maintenance, and ensuring a consistent interface throughout the app.
