Hidden Houses, 2024
Web Design: Hidden Houses
UX/UI design, brand design
Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
1 month
Team
3 members
Tools
Figma, WIX
Hidden Houses, for your luxury apartment stay in Lisbon
Based in Lisbon, Portugal, Hidden Houses is a premium short-stay rental brand that launched a dedicated high-conversion website to elevate its digital presence and drive guest engagement toward its Airbnb-exclusive booking platform
How to transform a static homepage into an immersive, high-conversion entry point?
Engagement Gap: Users lack the motivation to explore high-end properties on a discovery-focused platform that lacks direct booking functionality.
Information Friction: Overwhelming navigation and content density force users to scan excessively, necessitating a more intuitive, low-effort discovery path.
Branding Obstacle: The current digital experience fails to translate the "quiet luxury" brand identity into a tangible or consistent user experience.
What do the users really look for?
User Research: Interviews with 12 renters identified curated quality and high-end amenities as primary decision drivers.
Competitive Audit: Analysis of eight luxury platforms revealed that aspirational storytelling and personalization maximize non-transactional engagement.
Persona Mapping: Defined "The Serene Seeker" (amenity-focused) and "The Couples’ Escape Planner" (location-focused) to target specific user needs.
UX Optimization: Mapped user journeys to resolve drop-off points, ensuring key details are accessible within two clicks.
Engagement Strategy: Shifted property presentation from standard listings to curated stories to foster deep exploration.
Emotional and Functional Blend Above the Fold
Interactive Search: Integrated travel details and amenity filters into the hero section to drive immediate conversion.
Live Recommendations: Dynamic carousel displaying personalized property matches based on user input.
Storytelling Layer: Aspirational imagery and emotive copy designed to communicate "quiet luxury."
Curated Stories: The ideal apartment for you
Dual-pane hero experience
Bimodal Design: Splits the hero section into rational (functional utility) and emotional (visual aspiration) components.
Functional Left Pane: Provides a minimal interface for dates, guest counts, and amenity filtering.
Dynamic Right Pane: Features live, personalized apartment recommendations based on user input.
Engagement Goal: Drives interaction via curated property discovery and immediate visual feedback.
From rapid scans to high engagement
CTR
(Click-Through Rate)
+7.1%
Booking Conversion Rate
+22%
Bounce Rate
-15%
Avg Session duration
01:30min vs 00:45min
Impact of Dual-Pane UX
Conversion Growth: 22% increase in booking conversions and a 7.1% rise in CTR.
Engagement Surge: Average session duration doubled (from 45s to 1:30m).
User Retention: 15% reduction in bounce rate, signaling higher initial interest.
Workflow Efficiency: Dual-pane layout reduced friction by enabling simultaneous viewing of details and imagery.
Behavioral Shift: Increased immersion and streamlined navigation successfully transformed casual browsers into active bookers.