Proptech
Collective
challenge.
Proptech Collective, a community-powered platform connecting innovators in the property technology space through curated events, resources, and networking opportunities. The goal of the redesign was to clearly communicate their identity, simplify navigation, and highlight the impact they’re making in the industry.
The challenge? Create a low-maintenance, high-impact website that clearly explains who they are, what they do, and why it matters—all within one minute of landing on the site. The platform needed to drive engagement, not necessarily signups, and align with existing tools like Squarespace, Beehiiv, and Luma.
research.
We began by diving into the existing site experience. The initial sitemap was scattered with broken links, inconsistent labeling, and external redirects that pulled users away from the platform. Information like events, reports, and newsletters lived across disconnected pages—making it difficult for users to grasp Proptech Collective's full value.
To make sense of the current state, we mapped the full site structure and traced user flows. We conducted a heuristic evaluation to surface usability issues such as unclear CTA's, outdated content, and redundant sections. From there, we broke the site down page-by-page for a detailed audit, ranking issues by priority and evaluating the overall effectiveness of the site experience.
We also performed a comparative analysis of similar community-driven platforms, examining both local and international examples. We identified key strengths, weaknesses, and design strategies that inspired our own solution—particularly around content hierarchy, CTAs, and community engagement.
To understand our users better, we conducted 12 interviews with a mix of members, non-members, and people familiar with similar professional networks. These conversations revealed recurring themes: users wanted easier access to niche insights, better networking tools, and clearer value from the community.
define.
We synthesized our research through affinity mapping, distilling user feedback into "I statements" to highlight pain points, needs, and desires. We grouped similar statements into themes that reflected common challenges and aspirations. This process helped us surface insights and design opportunities from our raw qualitative data.
After organizing the findings into actionable themes, one persona stood out—Dave.
Meet Dave: A 42-year-old founder of a mobile-first facility maintenance app and former CMO in construction.
“It’s hard to find the right insights, events, and connections for my niche. I need a better way to access relevant info and build real partnerships.”
Dave represents the growth-stage founder looking for deep insights, relevant connections, and a stronger sense of community. While he sees value in Proptech Collective’s resources, the disjointed experience limits his ability to fully engage.
Problem Statement
Dave sees the potential value of Proptech Collective but struggles to fully engage and access its core benefits. Without a clear path to niche-specific insights, meaningful partnerships, and a supportive community, he finds it difficult to grow his business within the PropTech ecosystem.
information architecture.
Armed with a clearer understanding of user pain points, we restructured the site from the ground up. We reorganized and condensed content into a streamlined sitemap, merging redundant pages and highlighting key sections like Resources, Events, and About. We also recommended embedding event content from Luma directly into the site for a more seamless experience.
One key opportunity was consolidating scattered content (such as market maps, newsletters, and reports) into a central Resources hub. We also identified ways to keep users engaged by embedding Luma event content directly into the site rather than redirecting users to a new tab.
Our updated information architecture aimed to:
Improve discoverability through clear labeling
Group content by user intent
Make navigation intuitive and action-oriented
design.
We began ideating layout improvements with rough sketches, focusing on clean, modular sections that would make the experience more digestible. Each team member contributed sketches, which we combined into a cohesive direction for the redesign.
We translated these sketches into low-fidelity wireframes in Figma, refining layout hierarchy and content flow as a team. These wireframes served as the blueprint for our high-fidelity design, which emphasized clear CTAs, member impact, and accessible navigation.
The low-fidelity wireframes allowed us to validate content structure and information placement quickly with users.
As we transitioned into high-fidelity wireframes, we brought in visual elements and branding cues aligned with Proptech Collective’s identity. Our hi-fi designs emphasized:
A sticky nav bar for persistent navigation
A bold, purpose-driven hero section
Strong CTAs to drive exploration and engagement
Visual rhythm through images, icons, and modular sections
Key stats and quotes to build trust
Embedded tools like Beehiiv (for newsletters) and Luma (for events)
We also reworked the About and Events pages to better highlight community impact and what users could expect. Turned the Home page into a fast, punchy introduction of the brand with clear calls-to-action buttons. The Resources section pulled reports, newsletters, and insights into one central hub—anchored by a featured CTA for the 2024 PropTech in Canada Report.
feedback.
We conducted multiple rounds of usability testing to validate our redesign. Users—regardless of their familiarity with the proptech industry—quickly grasped what Proptech Collective was about and how to engage.
Key Takeaways
Simplified navigation increased user understanding and reduced friction
Visual hierarchy and storytelling built trust and encouraged exploration
Streamlined structure reduced cognitive load and improved clarity
Centralized resources made valuable content easier to find
Embedding event content helped retain users and build a sense of community