UniHomes Design System
UniHomes | 2024
Role: Mid-Senior Product Designer
Tools used: Figma, Miro, Jira
Specialities: Design Systems, UI, UX, Data-driven design
The challenge
UniHomes.co.uk operated with an outdated and inconsistent design that limited the scalability of its product and negatively affected usability and accessibility. The core pages used by over 26,000 weekly visitors needed to be modernized to provide a more intuitive, accessible, and visually appealing experience. The business needed a solution that would improve the user experience and enable faster iteration and seamless scalability across the platform.
As the Senior Product Designer, I took charge of the entire UX/UI overhaul, with a strong focus on creating a design system, enhancing accessibility, and modernizing the front-end experience.
The method
Comprehensive user research and pain point identification
To ensure the redesign aligned with user needs, I initiated the project by:
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Conducting user interviews and analyzing heatmaps to understand user interactions with the core pages.
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Identifying specific pain points such as confusing navigation, inconsistent visual elements, and accessibility barriers prevented users from quickly finding the needed information.
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Running usability tests on existing designs to pinpoint areas of improvement, focusing on accessibility issues like poor colour contrast and difficult-to-navigate content for keyboard users.
Creation of a scalable design system
The existing design lacked cohesion, making future updates slow and inconsistent. To address this:
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I spearheaded the creation of a comprehensive design system in Figma, which standardized colours, typography, components, and layouts across all web pages.
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The design system was built to ensure scalability, allowing the development team to rapidly implement new features and changes with consistent styling and behaviour.
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This system drastically reduced the design-to-development handoff time, providing developers with ready-made components and guidelines for faster, more efficient front-end builds.
Modernisation of UI and front-end experience
With the design system in place, I led the complete modernization of the core pages, including:
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Designing a more intuitive layout that improved information architecture, reducing cognitive load and allowing users to find property listings, agent contact information, and search functions more efficiently.
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Introducing responsive design principles, ensuring seamless experiences across devices, from desktop to mobile.
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Redesigning visual elements to align with modern web standards enhances aesthetic appeal and user engagement.
Focus on accessibility and WCAG compliance
A significant focus of the redesign was improving the platform’s accessibility to meet WCAG 2.1 guidelines:
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I performed a thorough accessibility audit to identify critical areas of non-compliance, such as low contrast ratios.
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Worked closely with developers to implement accessibility features such as keyboard navigation, improved focus states, and enhanced screen reader support.
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Within one sprint, I raised the accessibility score from 75 to 98, ensuring that the site was usable by a broader range of users, including those with disabilities.
Collaboration and stakeholder buy-in
I collaborated with the project's product, marketing, and development teams, ensuring business goals were met without compromising user experience. Key steps included:
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Presenting progress updates and design prototypes to C-level executives and receiving buy-in by showcasing the expected improvements in engagement and accessibility metrics.
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Leading design reviews with developers to ensure the feasibility of implementation and working iteratively to adjust designs as technical constraints emerge.



The results
Significant accessibility improvement
Raised the accessibility score from 75 to 98, ensuring the site was compliant with WCAG 2.1 standards and accessible to users with various disabilities.
Scalability for future growth
The design system enabled faster development cycles and reduced design inconsistencies, making future updates and expansions quicker and easier to implement.
Optimised for modern web standards
The overhaul created a more seamless, responsive experience for users on desktop and mobile devices, improving user satisfaction.



Reflection
This project demonstrated my ability to manage complex, high-impact redesigns that modernize user interfaces and address critical issues of accessibility and scalability.
By creating a robust design system, I helped position UniHomes for faster iteration and consistent growth. The improvements in accessibility ensured a more inclusive experience for all users.
This case is a clear example of how I balance design leadership, user experience, and business strategy, making me an asset for senior product design roles that demand vision and technical execution.
My ability to lead cross-functional teams, build scalable design frameworks, and modernize large-scale digital products directly contributed to achieving key business objectives.