HomeFirst
Designing a happy home loan experience
Crafted an end-to-end website redesign experience for one of India’s leading home loan providers, HomeFirst.
HomeFirst is a housing finance company built on a single premise: everyone should own their dream home. Spearheaded by technology and personalization, they focus on creating an easy, hassle-free loan process for their target audience.
This very thought demanded a website redesign. With an aim to reach more people, increase brand recall, and create a holistic experience, start to end, we joined hands.
Challenge
HomeFirst was determined to steer clear of traditional, typical information-heavy websites. They were equally sure about the brand’s new positioning: distinctive, connected, and NO stock-image-family pretense. Our duty was to communicate sentiments of trust, and address ambition, with experience design.
Industry
FinTechServices
UI UX design Graphic design Motion graphic design UX writingCreative Quotient
Design lead UI/UX designers Graphic designer Motion graphic designer UX writer
Our approach
Applying for a home loan can often be a long, tedious process, resulting in anxiety and fatigue. We wanted to eliminate this feeling and make users comfortable with this journey with a story they could relate to. Determined to change the general perception of home loan application as a dreadful process, HomeFirst and Lemon Yellow came together to change the story, by narrating one.
The story was crafted to be aspirational yet relatable, contemporary yet familiar. Choosing the right colors and overall theme, with an eye to detail, translated the thought in a website.
The Lemonade Process
Adding a homely zest to the process
- Research
- Requirement gathering
- UX audit
- User interviews
- Plan
- Stakeholder interviews
- Competitive analysis
- Information architecture
- Explore
- Design workshop
- Wireframes
- Moodboarding
- Create
- UI UX design
- Graphic design
- UX writing
- Delight
- Prototyping
- Interactions
- Motion graphic design
- Analyze
- Quality analysis
All hands at work(shop)
Workshop
We started the website redesign with a two-day workshop that involved intense knowledge transfer of what was and what is to be. We exchanged thoughts on the pre-existing website, the dos and don’ts, target audience and how they use the website, and the experience that the new website should have. This back and forth of knowledge helped create a guideline, a broader picture of how the website was expected to turn out.
Understanding the users
These are users who are buying or constructing houses for the first time. Owning a house is an achievement, a dream come true for them.
This category of users involves people who are already connected with HomeFirst. With ongoing loans, they need additional loans for renovation and/or construction.
People of HomeFirst, who work closely with customers and guide them through the process of getting a loan, and eventually, buying a home.
These are users who opted for home loans from other vendors in the home loan industry, are now looking to make a switch to HomeFirst for better services.
Information-heavy website. Lacked brand communication and the humanistic quotient.
Captured emotions with storytelling & a conversational brand voice. Added delight with visuals & animation.
Introducing HomeFirst to the world
The visual design of HomeFirst is designed to captivate a vibrant community of dreamers, driven by a strong aspiration of owning a house of their own. With a rich concept that flowed through thoughtful illustrations, copies and design elements, we wished to embrace and strive for the very profound joy that resonates with home ownership. It’s an exhilarating journey, much like navigating the world of fintech, and we wanted to make it as homely as possible.
The dream home
Friend in need
The conversational tone of the website positioned the brand as easy, smooth-flowing, and approachable. Each interaction with HomeFirst is designed to give users a human touch, which builds a connection and relationship with the users that goes a long way.
This was followed in different features through the entire platform, that make it easier for the user to decide what product fits their requirements best.
HomeFirst in motion
The illustrations and design are brought to life with heartwarming animations, sprinkled across several sections and pages. These motion effects add to the brand’s visual communication and convey delight in a smooth, easy manner.
The result
HomeFirst is now out and about, for the world (and you) to see. Redesigning a website that brings people closer to their ideal homes, and eventually, closer to a long-pending joy is a happy ending in itself. All the appreciation that followed is only a cherry on the cake! 🎉