Chicago Apartment Finders
I was recommended by Carlos Segura to the folks at Chicago Apartment Finders, and I was hired to be lead designer for their website overhaul. (All the illustrations for the site were done by Inger Klixbull, not me.)
Home Page
(Format: Screenshot from Safari)
The main goal was to make the search box the focus, because that's what most people are coming to the site to do - find an apartment.
A secondary goal was to balance giving the users a quick-n-easy way to search with the ability to also do slightly advanced searches. Rather than doing what most sites do and give the users a basic form (beds, baths, price) with an "advanced search" link, we added two optional sections that allowed users to quickly and easily search for apartments:
- for specific amenities
- proximity to schools (for students)
- by neighborhood/area
Apartment List Page
(Format: Screenshot from Safari)
Pretty basic list page. There is a blue box above the list that shows the user's current search criteria. Clicking the "edit criteria" link transforms the blue box into the search box, so that the user can adjust their search.
Apartment Detail Page
(Format: Screenshot from Safari)
The apartment detail page provides the user with the ability to flip through decent sized images (not like those wimpy, small pics on other sites). The standard info that every apartment has is listed at the top next to the image, while the variable information (amenities, description) are listed below to allow those areas to grow and shrink vertically while keeping the overall look of the page consistent.
Neighborhood Detail Page
(Format: Screenshot from Safari)
The neighborhood detail page provides the user with:
- A brief description
- Sample pictures
- A map
- Average rent
- Links to apartments in (and near) the neighborhood
The map and sample pictures are important because it gives the user a visual feel for where the neighborhood is and what it looks like.
