Developments.ca is a consumer-facing platform for exploring new and pre-construction home developments across Canada. It centralises project details, pricing ranges, floor plans, and location context into a structured discovery experience, helping buyers explore and compare options with clarity and confidence.
Scope:
Responsibilities:
Product Designer
Problem
Information about new and pre-construction homes in Canada is scattered across multiple sources and often changes over time. Buyers researching early struggle to understand pricing, timelines, and project status with confidence.
As a result, comparing developments and making informed decisions becomes unnecessarily complex.
Key Challenges
Bringing clarity to incomplete and constantly changing development information was a primary challenge. Large volumes of evolving data needed to be organised into a clear and reliable format, helping buyers quickly understand pricing, timelines, project status, floor plans, and location context without overwhelming the interface.
The experience also had to support comparison across projects while remaining flexible as listings, availability, and incentives changed.
Design Approach
Priority was given to clarity and comparability over visual complexity. Core information is presented early, while additional details stay accessible without overwhelming the interface.
A consistent layout system allows users to explore, compare, and return to projects without relearning how the experience works.
Project began with competitor analysis and evolved through continuous iteration, with layouts refined over time based on real usage and emerging insights.
Discovery Experience
Early-stage buyers often begin with broad exploration rather than specific intent. Without structure, discovery can quickly become overwhelming.
The experience was structured to prioritise key details such as pricing, status, and location upfront, supported by a clear visual hierarchy that enables fast scanning and comparison across projects.
Onboarding & Verification
Users needed access to deeper project details without feeling blocked by lengthy forms or unnecessary steps.
The onboarding experience was designed to feel simple and effortless from the first interaction. Users move through a small number of clear steps to unlock detailed plans and pricing without disrupting their browsing flow.
Browse & Refine
As the number of developments grows, discovery can quickly become overwhelming. Users need a way to narrow options without losing context or restarting their search.
A flexible filtering system was introduced, allowing users to adjust price ranges, home types, and status while maintaining visibility across results.
Listing Details & Floor Plans
Once users narrow their options, they need a complete and structured view of each development. Disconnected details or hidden floor plans can slow decision-making and reduce trust.
Listing details page brings pricing, availability, amenities, location context, and floor plans into a unified layout. Information is layered thoughtfully, supporting quick evaluation while allowing deeper exploration when needed.
A location-driven experience that allows users to browse developments by province, city, and neighbourhood. Visual context, maps, and supporting data make it easier to understand how developments are distributed across a region.
This approach helps users narrow their search gradually, moving from broad interest to specific areas with confidence.
Builder Overview
In pre-construction housing, trust in the builder is as important as the project itself. Buyers need visibility into reputation, past developments, and real user feedback before making decisions.
The builder overview centralises verified information, ratings, and review summaries in one place, helping users evaluate credibility alongside project details.
Impact & Outcomes
Structured information and consistent layouts have strengthened usability across the platform. Users can now scan, compare, and evaluate developments with greater confidence.
More predictable comparison across projects and floor plans
Reduced friction in onboarding while maintaining data quality
A scalable foundation that supports ongoing iteration as projects and user needs evolve
Learnings
Pre-construction decisions happen over time, not in one session. Designing for repeat visits and evolving preferences proved more effective than focusing only on quick actions.
A consistent structure made the experience easier to scale and refine without disrupting users.