The Design for Me concept was genius. An online service enabling homeowners to match their home projects (big and small) with architects and designers all over the UK.
Algorithms within the website match project specifications and connect homeowners and architects within 10 minutes.
Homeowners receive a list of recommended firms who can meet the brief, ranked with a percentage to show their level of potential to match the project details. Think Tinder for homeowners and architects.
It all sounds straightforward and a great way for people to save time, and money. Not least as they are put in touch with interior designers, garden landscapers, and architects willing and able to offer a high-quality service.
The problem for Design for Me was that its website had to be extremely user-friendly, while behind the scenes it had to be technically adept and responsive. This included offering homeowners the opportunity to key in details that were specific to them.
The Design for Me website also had to be a self-funding enterprise, generating revenue from subscriptions.
The brains behind Design for Me turned to Factory Pattern to find a solution. They wanted to make the most of the team’s powerful combination of creativity, IT know-how and business acumen.
This included designing and building a multi-functional website that met all the founders’ business goals.
The Design for Me website needed to look smart and attractive enough to win the trust of homeowners. Appearance was crucial for an online service matching design orientated businesses to discerning homeowners.
The founders also wanted a high level of interaction and engagement between users and service providers. A home project matching service that was overly automated and robotic could be too inflexible and cold.
This was just as important to companies “bidding” for projects.
The Design for Me team wanted to be sure that the site attracted conscientious and high-quality contractors – whether they were small business start-ups or award-winning national chains.
Factory Pattern built a multifaceted and highly attractive website, using a bespoke WordPress design which included,
The Design for Me platform then offers a level of free support in sourcing design and architecture firms, or a more advanced and thorough “personal service’ option for an affordable fee. The latter includes one-to-one help from the Design for Me experts in compiling a project brief to generate even more detail-specific responses.
Factory Pattern’s skills and creative vision proved to be a “match made in heaven” for the client. They providing Design for Me with a fresh and reliably functioning website to fulfil its niche activities.
This includes advanced UX, helping both homeowners and design service providers to connect easily and fruitfully.
Sign up and transactions are streamlined, on a quick to load and easy to navigate site that also has built-in SEO strengths, such as a library of helpful blogs and FAQs.
The client can run the site in a stress-free manner, updating it at will. This includes using detailed membership and revenue reporting features to grow their business.
It shows that Factory Pattern websites are “designed” to look good, but also to perform brilliantly thanks to the right IT “architecture”.