A takeover overlay experience that displays a 3D model of an available home and a collapsible sidebar with details about the home’s layout, design package offerings, and finishes. Just like traditional virtual tours, this home visualization tool allows you to “physically” navigate around the house via the sidebar as well as by clicking on hotspots throughout the 3D model. Additional functionality includes accessing detailed information about the materials and finishes of the home and their location within the floorplan, favoriting specific design packages featured in the home, and exploring the community that the home resides.
This project offered a unique opportunity for blue sky thinking and visual exploration as the product would be completely net new for the client to develop and launch. Over the course of 12 weeks, we went through several phases of design exploration, user testing, and detail design before landing on the final information structure, visual paradigm, and design library.
We interviewed eight users between the ages of 35 and 61 years old. Four of them had recently purchased a home and the other four were in the initial phase of exploring homes to buy. In all of the interviews, we tested the visualization tool in two different formats:
The main takeaways from user testing were:
As the industry continues to embrace digital transformation, the home-buying process is becoming more efficient, empowering buyers with the information they need to make confident decisions and find their dream homes. Through our immersive visualization tool that leverages 3D modeling and a partnership with Modsy, we successfully addressed the challenge faced by home builders in advertising yet-to-be-built homes. By providing potential buyers with a high-fidelity walk-through experience and detailed information about finishes and amenities, this tool has the potential to streamline the home-buying process and help buyers to make more informed decisions. The positive feedback from user testing reinforced the importance of our design choices, with users expressing appreciation for the ability to explore materials and finishes within the 3D tour. The high task completion rate and user autonomy in navigating the interface further validated the usability and effectiveness of our solution. Moreover, we successfully managed user expectations, ensuring that they understood that success within the tool lied within it’s browsing functionality, rather than customization. The project's impact on the real estate market has the potential to be significant as it enhances visibility, convenience, and trust for home buyers. Our collaborative efforts and dedication to user-centered design have resulted in a successful product that meets the evolving needs of the industry. We look forward to seeing our tool in action, transforming the home-buying experience and helping buyers find their dream homes.