As the sole UX designer at Proxima HQ, I was tasked with transforming their virtual property showroom from a single-screen experience into a responsive, scalable application suitable for a range of environments, including large showroom displays, desktop, web, and mobile devices.
Originally designed during the COVID-19 pandemic to replicate physical property tours, the app quickly became central to Proxima HQ's real estate clients. My goal was to evolve the product into an intuitive, cohesive platform that empowered realtors and effectively engaged potential buyers.
The Challenge
Initially built for a 65-inch showroom screen, the software needed significant redesign to scale effectively across multiple platforms without sacrificing usability or its compelling storytelling aspect.
Key challenges included:
Creating a consistent and accessible user experience across all devices.
Maintaining and enhancing the realtor's narrative-driven flow, essential for property sales.
Improving usability for realtors to manage listings efficiently.
Making the buyer experience intuitive, with easy browsing and saving capabilities.
Research & Insights
My process began with competitive analysis and desk research, alongside in-depth interviews with Vancouver based property developers and realtors. Early prototypes were validated through beta testing sessions.
These interviews highlighted the crucial role storytelling plays during in-person tours, revealing that realtors naturally guided clients through a structured narrative about each property. This insight became central to the app’s structure, allowing realtors the flexibility to either follow a prepared narrative or quickly address buyer questions as needed.
Additionally, inherited designs lacked scalability and accessibility, particularly problematic for large screens. By observing usage patterns in public spaces, I identified accessibility practices suitable for diverse user heights and physical abilities.
Design Strategy
I developed a unified, scalable design system ensuring visual consistency and seamless functionality across all device formats. While each device-specific flow was carefully optimized, core interactions and components remained consistent, allowing users to transition easily between devices without losing context.
Special attention was given to large-screen usability, incorporating a persistent bottom navigation bar accessible for users of varying heights and those using wheelchairs.
Personas and journey maps guided my approach:
Realtor personas emphasized ease of listing management and effective storytelling tools.
Buyer personas focused on intuitive browsing, saving and sharing listings, and easily comparing property features.
Prototyping & Testing
I iterated designs across all screen sizes, extensively testing realtor and buyer experiences. Large-screen testing in live showrooms uncovered challenges related to text scaling and resolution fidelity, prompting substantial layout improvements.
On mobile and desktop, I ensured critical interactions, such as saving favourite listings and generating sharable summaries, felt intuitive and consistent. Designing the property comparison feature required considerable iteration to effectively handle multiple unit types, layouts, and configurations clearly and usefully.
Accessibility considerations guided all design choices, with rigorous testing for visual contrast, touch-target sizing, and ergonomic usability for seated and standing users alike.
Results & Impact
The redesigned platform directly supported Proxima HQ’s growth, onboarding more than 20 new property development clients across Canada. Continuous feedback from realtors and buyers further enhanced usability, particularly on mobile and web, where buyer engagement was highest.
Stakeholders highly valued the storytelling-centred layout, which closely matched realtors' natural interactions. The scalable design system allowed quick adaptation to emerging user needs and new device formats, significantly streamlining future updates.
Key Learnings
This project deepened my expertise in responsive, scalable UX design. Managing the entire UX process, from research and strategy to UI and system design, was challenging yet immensely rewarding.
A crucial lesson was the indispensable value of user research. Engaging realtors and buyers early uncovered significant usability insights, enabling efficient and impactful design solutions. Integrating research from the start proved essential for creating a thoughtful, user-centred product that met real world needs effectively.
