PROJECT

EAGLE EYE
PHASE 2:
USABILITY TEST

PREPARED BY
Tran Trong Quang Huy
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Overview

Overall evaluation

Breakdown of dwell Students Living's

websites

A glimpse into competitors' UX/UI

Summary. Suggestions for improvements

 Overview
Step-by-step approach of the report

Overall evaluation

SWOT analysis of dwell's website interfaces

General assessment of dwell's website based on metrics:

Design style - Visual impact, Accountability &

Navigability

Comprehensiveness and relevance of content

Functionality - Task success

Interactivity - Call-to-action (CTA)

Breakdown of dwell Student Living's websites

A detailed page-by-page analysis of dwell's website

Side-by-side placement of dwell's interfaces vs. competitors'

interfaces for reference and future case studies

Summary - Preliminary advice for future actions

 Overview
User journey map
Typical user's journey of navigating through an accommodation
booking website before making a decision

Homepage/Landing page
First impression and first touching point with customers
Overview of business and services provided
Awareness &
Consideration (Content) Pages/Sections
Customers delve into searching for more information
and details about business and services
From awareness to consideration - laying the
foundation for decision

Register/Login interface
First step of transitioning from consideration to
decision
From Customers sign up, showing intention to use service.
Consideration
to Decision

Booking interface
Second step of transitioning from consideration to
decision
Customers confirm their intention of purchase..

During
Decision
Information review - Post-purchase
Final review for any necessary adjustments
 Overview
User journey map
Stages in user journey

Awareness & From Consideration to

During Decision
Consideration Decision

Homepage/ Register/ Booking Information

(Content)
Landing Login interface review - Post-
Pages
page interface purchase

Comprehensiveness and Functionality -

relevance of content Task Success

Interactivity -
Call-to-action

Design style

Metrics
Design style: Overarching feature throughout the customer
journey. Main factor determining Visual Impact, Navigability,
and Accountability
Comprehensiveness and relevance of content: How efficiently &
conveniently information and content is displayed towards user
Interactivity - Call-to-action: Is there enough push to convert
from consideration to decision?
Functionality - Task Success: How easily users can accomplish
decision (registration & booking)
I. Overall evaluation

This report provides insight into strengths and key shortcomings for
improvements of dwell websites in 3 countries - Australia, UK and USA

Keyword: Not Optimal

Overview: dwell Australia
Designs of websites meet basic functional requirements,
covering necessary functional benefits expected from an
accommodation provider's website
dwell has a consistent brand design identity across branches,
which enforces brand image
Basic design faults can be found across interfaces, heavily
affecting the professional image of dwell.
Web design is not highly efficient in showcasing brand's
unique selling point - Differentiation branding is weak.
Signs of innovations are limited.

Overview - dwell UK website

In general, dwell UK website majorly resembles dwell Australia
website's design style and UX/UI. Apart from additions or
substitution of minor design features, there is no major
difference between the general exterior interfaces of these
two.
Therefore, comments regarding strengths & weaknesses and
suggestions for the general interfaces and sections of
dwellstudent.com.au simultaneously apply for the
corresponding ones of the UK website.
However, dwell UK has several extra features which are not yet
available on dwell Australia site, thus being more
comprehensive. Extra features
News feed on front page
Display of information about the dwell app and special
student programs
A more readable application interface
Overall evaluation
Overview - dwell USA websites
dwell USA websites for each property share a similar pattern of
UX/UI design, which is considerably different from those of
Australia and UK branches, despite retaining dwell's brand
identity and color palette.
Overall, dwell USA sites ranks first among sites in 3 countries in
most aspects of the user interface.
Ease of navigation
Upfront display of important information
More convenient user journey
Good registration interface
Overall evaluation
Design style + Comprehensiveness and relevance of content
Homepage:
dwell's homepage only shows very basic overview information
Not emphasizing on brand identity nor highlighting unique selling points.
Fail to update users about latest programs/initiatives - Lack of resi-life info.

Competitor

Twice as long homepages

as dwell due to inclusion
of various segments and
information
Maximize usage of space
in interface to showcase
unique selling points &
brand identity
High comtemporaneity -
Dedicate a separate
segment for
news/information updates
Overall evaluation
Design style - Visual impact, Accountability & Navigability
Multiple spacing errors and basic design faults
Downgrade the professionalism and accountability of website and dwell's
brand image
Illustration: Registration interface

EMPTY

Mix too many letter sizes & fonts - lack consistency and coherence
Unsuitable spacing
Overall evaluation
Comprehensiveness and relevance of content
Content pages
Description of cities should not be a prioritized part to put on the top of
the page
More focus should be shifted onto highlighting properties

Cover image

City introduction
Slogan + Brief
overview about dwell
in Adelaide
Suggestions about
recreational activities
in the city

Available properties in Adelaide

Competitor

For each city, a list of

available properties is first
to appear.
Followed by list of
universities for
convenience of searching
Overall evaluation
Interactivity - Call-to-actions (CTA)
Visible lack of Call-to-actions buttons (prompts for users to convert from
awareness/consideration to action)
Limited features to generate interactions and response from users

Competitor

Most competitors have incorporated CTA buttons into their websites,

across various touching points
Significantly increase motivations to interact
Overall evaluation
Functionality - Task success
dwell shut down 360 view for sold-out rooms
No option available to pre-save rooms for future interests

Competitor

Waitlist feature: Those who are interested in currently unavailable rooms

can pre-register for these rooms next term
Overall evaluation
Functionality - Task success
Registration/Login & Booking features
Customer journey is not optimal as it involves navigating to separate
interfaces and undergoing various steps before finalizing decision
Not designed to assist quick decision making (e.g. not providing MCQ to
indicate preferences)

Competitor

Provide a feature called

Quick Apply - does not
require login to apply and
book
All information inputs are
multiple-choice questions
Save time and prompt
quick decisions - higher
conversion rate
 I. Overall evaluation
SWOT Analysis

Strength Weakness
Designs of websites meet basic Basic design faults can be found
functional requirements, across interfaces, heavily
covering necessary functional affecting the professional image
benefits expected from an of dwell.
accommodation provider's
website Web design is not highly
efficient in showcasing brand's
dwell has a consistent brand unique selling point -
design identity across branches, Differentiation branding is
which enforces brand image weak.

Signs of innovations are limited.

SW
OT Fierce competitions from
With the current resources, competitors whose interfaces
consistency and coherence undergo continuous updates and
across different websites and innovations.
segments of the same websites
New concepts and features are
can be achieved.
being relentlessly released,
requiring developers to constantly
UX/UI adaptations and keep up with the competition.
innovations are feasible and
accessible. Web design is crucial to branding

Opportunities Threats
 II. A glimpse into competitors's user
experience and interaction (UX/UI)

A glimpse into This section compiles case studies of major

competitors's user competitors' websites in 3 countries' market,
experience and pinpointing remarkable features and key
learning points regarding their respective
interaction (UX/UI)
design and functional strengths (which dwell is
lacking)
The selected case studies are top-performing
websites derived from the results of Phase 1.
Search Engine Optimization, also appearing to
be among the leading players in the market.
Side-by-side comparison of competitors' websites
UX/UI vs. dwell Student Living
Side-by-side comparison of competitors' websites
UX/UI vs. dwell Student Living
Side-by-side comparison of competitors' websites
UX/UI vs. dwell Student Living
Case Study #1: UNITE Students (UK)
Leading accommodation provider in the UK
Providing homes for 74000 students in 23 cities across
the United Kingdom

Overview
Unique cover image - use of cinemagraphs
(animated GIFs), scrapbook-like imagery -
popular among target audience

Design elements are modernistic and

fashionable (font, mockup phone)

Short, effective phrases - A communication

strike at first sight

Remarkable feature
Strong presence on social media
Incorporate live social media feed update
at the bottom of page (IG reels and Tiktok
vids)
Case Study #1: UNITE Students (UK)

Remarkable feature
Common use of bento menu (grid menu - a list of categories in rows and
columns) - Quicker for a glance, easy to navigate compared to dropdown
list

Group Booking feature - (Functional) An easy, convenient option to book

accommodations with friends; (Design-wise) Dedicated a separate tab with
filters and search tools
Case Study #2: The Standard (USA)
Local player in College Station, focused on
students of Texas A&M University
Brand value: Classy, vibrant atmosphere,
dynamic social life

Overview
Left navigation sidebar -
optimal, easy to function from
a UX design perspective
Branding: High-quality student
accommodation, luxurious,
classy, status
Case Study #3: The Standard (USA)

Remarkable features
Room type catalog + price: Easy to compare and contrast
Gallery page - Ample visual aids, insightful visual information for decision making
Case Study #4: The Cottages of College Station (USA)
Local player in College Station, aimed at
students of Texas A&M University
Brand value: Classic, luxurious life, unique
Overview Texas A&M culture

Remarkable features
Strong CTAs
Pop-up message
Past/current residents' reviews formatted
as a Direct Message box
Specials page
Resident page
Takeaway: Some players develop their
own mobile app

Gallery page

Most remarkable: American-core, Texas-

core concept of design with signature
elements of the American culture
Case Study #5: iQ Student Accommodation (UK)
UK Market leader
Over 70 properties (buildings) in 29 cities across the
United Kingdom

Overview
Feature 'Favorite': allow users to save
preferred properties/ features/ programs

Maximal utilization of imageries and visual

media - Catered to the target customers'
behavorial traits

Block plans and floor plans: Allow viewing

of availablity of rooms, floors and blocks
Case Study #6: CRM Students (UK)
One of the market leaders in the UK
Mostly operates in the UK, but also launches schemes
across Europe, totalling 100 schemes with >24000
beds

Overview
Impactful usage of visual elements and
combination of colors matching to the
brand logo/identity

List of cities accompanied with map on

the front page - save the effort to search

Headline given to latest important news

Case Study #6: Homes for Students (UK)
35000 studio apartments across 55 cities of the
UK and Ireland

Overview
Maximum Accessibility - Provide
recitals of texts for people with
disabilities

Creative dropdown menu of cities

Highly informative news feed,

catalog and blog
Case Study #7: OPTIVO (UK)
45000 homes across London, The Southeast and The
Midlands of UK for 90000 people (of all walks for life)

Overview
Branding: Professional, corporate vibe (as customers are anyone, workers,
home buyers, investors seeking to buy properties)
News blog
Cost of living help
Twitter widget at the bottom right corner
Case Study #8: The Beacon (USA)

Targeted at students Auburn University, Auburn,

Alabama, USA

Overview:
Cinematic video for cover imagery

The above image is a snapshot of the video

Effect: Professional, Modernistic

Incorporation of Social media: Instagram

Use of large font sizes for impact

Case Study #9: Steve Brown Apartments (USA(
Leading local player in Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Over 2200 apartments in the greater Madison area

Overview - Key features

Static background picture of properties with scroll-
able overlay

Wavy pattern that matches the blue theme color

ResiLife has a separate tab with a comprehensive

navigation bar - sections are specific rather than
generalized under broader categories

Rooms & Rates

ResLife Program
Roommate Matching
Parent FAQ
Virtual or In-person tour
...

Abundant use of animation effects for visual

impact
Mainly 'Appear' and 'Transition' Effect
The general overview evaluation above summarizes
the key shortcomings and suggestions for
improvement of dwell Student Living websites when
benchmarked against competitors in the market.

For more details, please refer to the following

sections for an all-inclusive page-by-page analysis of
dwell Australia website.