Thesis Project
DESIGN INTERN
-
prototyping
branding
interaction design
Thesis Project
COMPASS MOVES
A microsite that houses the best case studies of agent logos and branding. This tool will be used by Marketing, SGMs, Recruiting, and C-Level Leaders to showcase the value that design brings to our agents and their brands.
Role
PRIMARY DESIGNER
As this was my end-of-internship thesis project, I worked on this website development independently, with weekly feedback from other Compass designers. I was responsible for researching, branding, ideating, and prototyping.
STEP 01: DISCOVERY
WHY ARE WE BUILDING THIS?
To display the agent logo process in a unique, but clear format and to show how we understood what an agent’s asked for and how we arrived at the final result.
WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?
Agents
Non-designers
This means the website should be easy to use, clear, concise, interactive, and engaging
WHO IS USING IT?
Marketing, SGMs, Recruiting, and C-Level Leaders
[FIG 01] THE WEBSITE ARCHITECTURE
STEP 02: PROTOTYPING
VERSION 01
I created two distinct prototypes, the first following a vastly different layout from the final prototype. Though version 1 is less streamlined and inefficient for mobile device browsing, a brief preview is provided in order to outline my design process!
To view the full first version prototype, view this VIDEO.
[FIG 02] CASE STUDY PAGE FORMATThe original version for the case study page required user interaction through continued vertical scrolling.
My reasoning for this layout was to emulate a timeline effect, so that the user could follow the same progress as a designer would during the logo design process.
DESIGN FLAWS
We wanted to revise this layout by making it more navigation-friendly, as scrolling holds the user back from easily accessing all of the other sections in the case study pages.
[FIG 03] VISUALIZING LOGO OPTIONS
Previewing logo options on each case study page was another revision we needed to make, as the first version of the mockup made it so that it was necessary for users to view the logo on mockups. This information is extra, and would serve a greater purpose if it were hidden or accessed through an extra trigger.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
VERSION 02
12 weeks, 69 files, 14 cups of coffee (which is a lot for a non-coffee drinker), and (at least) 360 hours of music streaming later, this is the final prototype for Compass Moves!
To view the full final version prototype, view this VIDEO.
[FIG 04] 01. DISPLAYING THE AGENT BRAND
In order for users of the website to understand the logo directions, I started off each logo case study with an 'Agent Brand' section that extracts info from the Agent Logo Workbook (another Compass resource that realtors use to give designers a direction to follow when ideating logos).
[FIG 05] 02. PRESENTATION OF LOGO OPTIONS
The next section of each case study shows the logo options that are actually presented to the clients, just as they are during Agent Logo Presentations. I also added a method to view the logos on actual marketing materials / prototypes for better visualization.
[FIG 06] 03. LOGO DELIVERY
The final step of the logo design process is the final delivery, which occurs after design refinements. This section is where users can see the logo being used on actual marketing assets and products!
NAVIGATION
In order to make the varieties of case studies more accessible, I decided to incorporate a Gallery page. This page also has a search option, where users can filter through case studies using tags, regions, and type. For future reference, users can also save a case study and access it through their user profile.
CASE STUDY GALLERY
GALLERY SEARCH
USER PROFILE
FIN!
TAKEAWAYS
My first design internship at Compass was a huge blessing that has contributed towards my slow progression towards calling myself a worthy designer. I've never felt more proud of myself after giving my end-of-internship presentation, and I can only hope to continue making an impact like I did at Compass throughout my career. Thank you especially to my mentor, Ursula, for being a friend and a confidante during my 12 weeks in the Hollywood office :).
And for more fun @ Compass, view my mini internship PORTFOLIO.