Real Estate

Oakwood Homes

Oakwood Homes

How I helped a top-11 national homebuilder turn a fragmented buying journey into a safe, premium, and confident experience

How I helped a top-11 national homebuilder turn a fragmented buying journey into a safe, premium, and confident experience

I led the redesign of Oakwood Homes’ digital platform — a Top-11 U.S. homebuilder — creating a seamless online experience that enables users to configure and purchase homes entirely online.

Product

Desktop, Tablet, & Mobile

Skills

User Research & Testing

Product Design

Interactive Prototyping

Design Systems

My Role

Lead Designer

Year

2024

Your online home search should feel as confident as holding the keys.

Your online home search should feel as confident as holding the keys.

Problem

Turning uncertainty into confidence

Oakwood Homes was struggling with conversions and attracting new users, but the deeper challenge wasn’t design responsiveness — it was trust. For first-time buyers making one of life’s biggest financial decisions, confidence is essential. The goal was to create an intuitive, credible experience that removes friction and gives users the assurance to complete their purchase online.

Research

Where users hesitate

Stage 1

60.07% of users fall within one standard deviation of the mean time it took for users to browse an available home

37 participants in a controlled group of 26 - 49 years of age

Sx = 28.43s
μ = 32.17s

Sx = 28.43s
μ = 32.17s

Lower Bound:
32.17s − 28.43s = 3.74s

Lower Bound:
32.17s − 28.43s = 3.74s

Upper Bound:
32.17s + 28.43s = 60.6s

Upper Bound:
32.17s + 28.43s = 60.6s

32.17s ≤ 60.07% of users ≤ 60.6s

Stage 1

79.87% of users fall within one standard deviation of the mean time it took for users to configure and buy a home

37 participants in a controlled group of 26 - 49 years of age

Sx = 85.95s
μ = 126.25s

Sx = 85.95s
μ = 126.25s

Lower bound:
126.25s − 85.95s = 40.3s

Lower bound:
126.25s − 85.95s = 40.3s

Upper bound:
126.25s + 85.95s = 212.2s

Upper bound:
126.25s + 85.95s = 212.2s

40.3 s ≤ 79.87% of users ≤ 212.2s

Solution

Designing for clarity and control

User testing revealed that hesitation wasn’t caused by lack of features, but by moments of friction and uncertainty throughout the journey. To improve completion confidence, the experience was redesigned to make navigation clearer, decisions easier, and key information always accessible.

Key improvements included

Clearer CTAs on the homepage

Accessible filters within the Find Your Home experience

Incentives redesigned to give users control

Added sorting with a clear H1 on the map interface

Persistent reference buttons for pricing and packages

24/7 AI Integrated Live Chat Support

Research

Improvement after iteration

Stage 2

91.24% of users fall within one standard deviation of the mean time it took for users to browse an available home

37 participants in a controlled group of 26 - 49 years of age

Sx = 18.12s
μ = 34.05s

Sx = 18.12s
μ = 34.05s

Lower bound:
34.05s − 18.12s = 15.93s

Lower bound:
34.05s − 18.12s = 15.93s

Upper bound:
34.05s + 18.12s = 52.17s

Upper bound:
34.05s + 18.12s = 52.17s

15.93s ≤ 91.24% of users ≤ 52.17s

Stage 2

93.68% of users fall within one standard deviation of the mean time it took for users to configure and buy a home

37 participants in a controlled group of 26 - 49 years of age

Sx = 42.31s
μ = 104.6s

Sx = 42.31s
μ = 104.6s

Lower bound:
104.6s − 42.31s = 62.29s

Lower bound:
104.6s − 42.31s = 62.29s

Upper bound:
104.6s + 42.31s = 146.91s

Upper bound:
104.6s + 42.31s = 146.91s

62.29s ≤ 93.68% of users ≤ 146.91s

Takeways

Confidence drives conversion

Designing for first-time homebuyers isn’t just about usability — it’s about trust. By reducing friction, clarifying decisions, and keeping key information accessible at every step, the experience shifted from uncertain to reassuring. The result was measurable improvement in task efficiency, fewer hesitation points, and a platform that better supports users through one of life’s biggest purchases.

By turning hesitation into confidence, the experience didn’t just become easier to use — it became easier to trust. And when users trust the journey, they’re ready to complete it.