Education

Deakin Residential Communications and UX

USER TESTING - EXISTING WEBSITE / DESIGN PROTOTYPE / STAGING
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Stage One

Existing website testing

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Stage Two

Design Testing

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Stage Three

Staging Testing

About the Company

Deakin Residential Services is a division of Deakin University that manages on-campus accommodation for both domestic and international students. Offering options for short- and long-term stays, the service has long been seen as a market leader in student housing. However, with increased competition, the team recognised the need to stay ahead by improving the digital experience.

Objectives

Deakin University aimed to:

  • Assess whether the key messages and unique selling points (USPs) resonate with Year 12s, domestic students, and international students
  • Evaluate how effectively the website communicates the on-campus living experience
  • Identify any critical UX issues that could impact user engagement or conversions

Results

  • Gained a clearer understanding of how the website was performing with key audiences
  • Received validation of the overall design approach and content strategy
  • Identified that specific features—such as the map view—were harming perceived professionalism
  • Walked away with actionable targets for making incremental UX improvements to strengthen the overall experience
Why This Matters

In a highly competitive student accommodation market, a seamless and engaging digital experience is essential for attracting and converting students.
By refining usability and optimising key features, Deakin University can stay ahead of the competition and ensure a stress-free, informative journey for future residents.

Our Approach – Discovery and Research

  • Identified that the website needed to stand out in a competitive, message-heavy market
  • Recognised the client’s goal to maintain a leading position as others caught up
  • Collaborated with the team to develop targeted test plans for each key user group
  • Designed tasks to evaluate message comprehension and user engagement with site content
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Our Approach – Discovery and Research

  • Identified that the website needed to stand out in a competitive, message-heavy market
  • Recognised the client’s goal to maintain a leading position as others caught up
  • Collaborated with the team to develop targeted test plans for each key user group
  • Designed tasks to evaluate message comprehension and user engagement with site content
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Our Approach – Testing and Analysis

To gain a comprehensive view of the user journey, we:

  • Conducted a mix of moderated and extended unmoderated sessions with Year 12s, domestic, and international students
  • Created a custom UX survey to collect supporting quantitative data
  • Performed detailed video analysis and synthesised key UX observations
  • Mapped complete user journeys, considering prior knowledge and cultural differences across student groups
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Findings

Overall response to the website was positive, with users finding it a helpful source of information about on-campus living

  • Testers responded well to the tone, visual design, and content clarity
  • Calls-to-action (CTAs) were consistently clear and easy to follow
  • Identified 20 specific UX issues, with the most critical relating to:
  • Difficulties using the map view and trouble locating specific information
  • Noted cultural differences that affected user understanding
  • Flagged missed opportunities for quick, incremental UX improvements
  • Provided four key design recommendations that addressed multiple issues and significantly improved the overall user experience
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