University Pointe Website Redesign
Academic Project · UX Research · Usability Testing · 2025
Improving apartment search usability through UX research and information architecture redesign
Project Overview
University Pointe is an apartment community near Arizona State University. After personally using the website as a resident, I noticed several usability issues related to navigation, pricing visibility, and apartment comparison.
This project applied UX research methods including heuristic evaluation, surveys, personas, and usability testing to identify usability problems and redesign the browsing experience.
My Role
UX Research
Heuristic Evaluation
Survey Design
Persona Development
Usability Testing
Wireframing
High-Fidelity Prototype Design
Tools: Figma, Google Forms, Maze
Key UX Problems
01. Rental pricing information was difficult to find
Users struggled to locate important pricing and deposit details during testing.
02. Users could not efficiently compare floor plans
The website lacked filtering and comparison tools, forcing users to manually browse multiple pages.
03. Blog content hierarchy was unclear
Important information was buried inside long blog articles with weak visual hierarchy.
UX Research Process
Heuristic Evaluation
↓
User Survey (17 participants)
↓
Personas
↓
Usability Testing (5 participants)
↓
Wireframes & Prototype
Key Findings
Most users prioritized rental pricing and availability information
Users expected faster apartment comparison tools
Navigation labels did not match users’ mental models
Important information was hidden inside blog content
Design Solutions
Redesigned Navigation Structure
Simplified the navigation system to make pricing and apartment information easier to discover.
(Before)
(Before)
(After)
Added Room Filter Function
Created a filtering experience that allows users to compare room types more efficiently.
(Now)
(After)
Added Room Filter Function
Created a filtering experience that allows users to compare room types more efficiently.
(Now)
Reflection
This project helped me realize that usability problems are often rooted in information architecture rather than visual design alone.
Through usability testing, I learned how users’ mental models directly influence navigation behavior and information discovery.
This experience strengthened my understanding of user-centered design and research-driven decision making.
Outcome
Identified 3 major blocker issues
Conducted research with 22 participants across surveys and usability testing
Designed a high-fidelity prototype addressing key navigation and comparison issues