Duration
8 weeks (2024)
Sector
Real Estate
Platform
Responsive Website
My Role
Lead UI/UX Designer
Product Planning
Product Requirement
UI/UX Design
About
NET-WORK
NET-WORK is a new coworking space initiative by Hang Lung Properties, situated in the prime business district of Central, Hong Kong. The project aimed to launch a responsive website that would attract potential members and establish NET-WORK as a premier choice in Hong Kong’s competitive coworking landscape.
The Problem
At the start of this project, the office space of NET-WORK was still under construction, and the client had no established brand identity, defined service plans, or specific market differentiators, my role as the designer, therefore, had to extend beyond the traditional UI/UX responsibilities, meaning I was responsible to help drafting PRD (Product Requirements Document) and plan for business strategies to out-beat its market competition.
ideation
How Might We
To frame the design process, I identified a "How Might We" question, which I constantly asked myself throughout the design process.
Design Principles
As always, before diving into the design process, I would establish key design principles to guide me through all design decision-makings and serve as a reference during discussions with the PM and business stakeholders. Here are the design principles:
User-Centered Accessibility
Design with the user’s needs at the forefront to create a welcoming, easy-to-navigate experience for a diverse audience. Since NET-WORK is targeting a broad demographic of professionals and entrepreneurs, every design decision should prioritize clarity, intuitiveness, and accessibility.
Professionalism through Simplicity
Balance a polished aesthetic with minimal, clean design to convey NET-WORK’s premium brand and focus on functionality.
Flexibility and Growth-Ready Structure
Create a modular, scalable design framework that accommodates evolving content and business needs. Given that NET-WORK’s offerings and branding will develop over time, the design must be adaptable. From flexible content blocks to expandable sections, the structure should anticipate future updates
Design Solutions
The design solutions for the NET-WORK website were driven by the need to establish a strong digital presence for a new coworking space brand while ensuring flexibility for future growth. With the lack of pre-existing content and branding guidelines, the design emphasized clarity, scalability, and a premium user experience.
Takeaways from the Project
Proactive Expectation Alignment through PRD Drafting
In the early stages of the project, I took on a proactive role in drafting the PRD and collaborated with the PM and client to define project scope and align expectations. Given the client’s initial lack of clarity, this documentation was essential in setting a clear direction and keeping everyone focused on shared goals.
Designing for Scalability and Future Growth
Prioritized a scalable design system to support long-term growth over immediate optimizations. This approach ensured that the website could evolve with minimal redesign, ideal for a client with limited digital maintenance resources.
Balancing Cross-Disciplinary Trade-Offs
In this project, I learned to balance business goals, user needs, and technical constraints. For example, in projects like this, finding creative compromises can be the most effective approach to deliver solutions that satisfy diverse requirements—especially given limited resources, such as an inexperienced developer, a constrained budget, and a tight timeline.
