Edina Realty Website Enhancement Project Overview
Project Background
In late 2018, Edina Realty, a leading real estate company in the Midwest and an affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway, faced a crucial juncture. Their existing web technology platforms were not meeting performance, capability, and result expectations. This led to a strategic decision to revamp their digital presence, aligning with the company's vision for future development.
Needs and Challenges
Edina Realty was in search of a development and support partner who could offer deep knowledge in cloud-based infrastructure, SEO, and content management. They needed a collaborator who could proactively address their technology, marketing, and business needs.
In this pivotal projects for Edina Realty, I played integral role of a senior UX resource. For the Edina Realty website, I was involved in the strategic direction, managed executive presentations, and spearheaded UX research and design, ensuring seamless collaboration between Edina Realty’s internal team and Valtira's developers. Throughout the project, I was deeply involved in strategy sessions, design handoffs, and providing creative direction, showcasing my ability to drive and manage large-scale digital initiatives effectively.
Solution
Edina Realty selected Valtira as their development and support partner, valuing their extensive technical capabilities and digital acumen. The collaboration aimed to enhance Edina Realty's website for future scalability and performance.
Performance Improvements
Working closely with Edina Realty's IT Director and team, Valtira implemented new technologies and DevOps techniques, streamlining deployment processes and reducing webpage load times. This led to improved user engagement and satisfaction. The transition to a new CMS system was also initiated to address performance issues and prepare for future content and marketing demands.
Technical Architecture
Valtira and Edina Realty undertook development and infrastructure initiatives, including implementing a Web Application Firewall in Microsoft Azure, enhancing the website's security and performance.
My Role in the Project: As a senior designer and strategist, my involvement in this project was multifaceted:
Strategy Development: I played a key role in formulating the strategic direction for the website enhancement, aligning it with Edina Realty's business goals and customer needs.
Executive Presentations: I was responsible for conveying the project's vision and progress to senior stakeholders, ensuring alignment and support at the executive level.
UX Research and Design: My expertise in UX was instrumental in understanding user behavior, which guided the design process. I led the UX design efforts, ensuring that the website was intuitive, user-friendly, and aligned with best practices.
Collaboration with Development Teams: I worked closely with both Edina Realty's internal team and Valtira's development team. This involved overseeing the design handoffs and ensuring that the implemented designs met our high standards.
Design Review: I conducted thorough design reviews throughout the project, ensuring that every element aligned with our strategic objectives and UX principles.
This project was not only a testament to collaborative innovation but also highlighted my ability to lead and execute complex design and strategy initiatives in a dynamic business environment.