Our Experience

HotHouse was invited to develop the user experience strategy for the new website for Aussie (Home Loans). In this exercise, HotHouse worked with a number of key Aussie stakeholders to redevelop the website user experience so that it maximises consumer engagement with Aussie’s online offering. Our process aligned Aussie’s business and marketing objectives with the needs and behaviour of their online consumers; this is the key to an effective online user experience.

The HotHouse user experience strategy report was used as the key input to the subsequent deliverables for the new website: information architecture, interaction design, page wireframe layouts and content copywriting (all developed by HotHouse), as well as graphic design, online branding and technical implementation (to be delivered by other agencies).

The website information architecture was defined by a sitemap (showing all core and auxiliary website pages) and a navigation menu design (showing the form and function of the menu as it traversed the 4 levels of the website). Thirteen interactive wireframes were developed to illustrate the various page templates and content and menu configurations.

As the interaction design and page layouts were translated into creative design, the HotHouse user experience manager worked closely with Aussie’s creative agency to ensure the integrity of the user experience strategy was maintained. Adjustments were made to HotHouse deliverables and the creative agency deliverables in order to arrive at an optimal result for Aussie’s online branding, look & feel and ease of use. HotHouse was also engaged to write copy for the approximately 100 pages of the new Aussie website. The copy writing content plan was based on the information architecture and content objectives defined as part of the user experience strategy we developed for Aussie.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) was a key consideration in writing the copy, and this end was addressed by the following approaches:

• Guidance was taken from SEO audit of Aussie website and search logs in order to identify typical search keywords.
• Direction of ‘tone of voice’ was taken from Aussie’s marketing agency.
• The use of a writing style that is best-practice for online and includes the use of plain-English language, the avoidance of ‘marketing speak’ and the use of succinct paragraphs, supported by clear sub-headings and bullet point lists.

The new Aussie website is at http://www.aussie.com.au/.