EcoNest – Website Design & Development
EcoNest approached us during their seed funding stage with a pressing challenge: they needed a digital presence that could validate their business model and inspire trust among multiple audiences. As a startup in sustainable housing, their mission was ambitious — to make eco-friendly homes accessible and affordable — but their online presence didn’t yet match the weight of their vision. They wanted a website that could convey credibility while staying true to their grassroots origins. The complexity of the project came from balancing multiple user groups. Potential homeowners wanted clarity on pricing and benefits, investors needed data-driven insights, NGOs expected measurable environmental impact, and policymakers looked for alignment with larger sustainability frameworks. Each of these groups required a tailored experience, which meant the website had to serve as both a storytelling platform and a business tool.Through competitor benchmarking and market research, we identified a critical gap: most sustainable housing websites leaned heavily on technical jargon that alienated users, or they lacked credibility altogether. EcoNest’s opportunity was to occupy the middle ground by combining accessible storytelling with hard metrics that proved their impact.
My Role: Brand Strategist & UI/UX Developer
Skills: Branding, UI/UX Design, Sustainability Strategy
Tools: Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Astro
Duration: 3 months
Objective & Overview
We discovered the value of data visualization in building investor trust, using dashboards to simplify complex financial and environmental data. Storytelling was made stronger with interactive features like timelines and testimonials
The Through this project, we learned the importance of clear user segmentation, designing specific pathways for homeowners, investors, NGOs, and policymakers. We discovered the value of data visualization in building investor trust, using dashboards to simplify complex financial and environmental data. Storytelling was made stronger with interactive features like timelines and testimonials, which helped humanize EcoNest’s journey. A mobile-first design approach was critical, given that 70% of traffic came from smartphones. Accessibility compliance ensured inclusivity, expanding EcoNest’s reach to a broader audience. SEO optimization drove a 40% increase in organic traffic, while engagement metrics improved significantly — bounce rates dropped by 25% and session duration increased by 38%. The CMS integration empowered EcoNest’s team to take control of content publishing, reducing dependency on developers. Consistency across typography, colors, and icons reinforced brand identity, while plain-language content helped explain technical housing models to non-technical users. Collaboration tools like interactive prototypes streamlined stakeholder feedback, cutting down iteration cycles. Post-launch surveys revealed that 87% of users found the site “easy to understand,” which validated the UX approach. Custom illustrations gave the brand personality, while the modular design system ensured scalability. Most importantly, the website played a direct role in EcoNest’s successful funding round, proving that good design drives business outcomes.
Inspiration
What inspired this project
Test inspiration content hereOur design inspiration was rooted in nature’s balance between simplicity and complexity, guiding us toward clean layouts with purposeful detail. Scandinavian minimalism influenced our use of whitespace and structured grids, while biophilic design principles inspired the integration of natural colors and imagery. We looked at modular housing and sustainable architecture to inform the grid system of the website. EcoNest’s mission of affordability pushed us to prioritize accessibility, ensuring that design choices didn’t alienate lower-income users. Global sustainability movements shaped our narrative direction, tying EcoNest into larger conversations about climate change and urban development. Infographics were inspired by natural cycles — tree rings, branching rivers, and growth patterns — to symbolize progress and scalability. User feedback from workshops reminded us to stay empathetic and design for clarity, not complexity. Transparency became a recurring theme, represented visually through open layouts and easy-to-read data. Collaboration with EcoNest’s team was another source of inspiration; their passion for sustainability energized the design process. We drew references from the UN Sustainable Development Goals to frame EcoNest’s impact storytelling. Architecture case studies, from tiny homes to passive houses, provided creative sparks for showcasing innovation. The rise of the green economy influenced us to design something future-proof and adaptable. At a philosophical level, we were motivated by the belief that digital design should accelerate real-world change. Ultimately, EcoNest itself was our greatest inspiration — their mission to make eco-friendly housing accessible reminded us that design is most powerful when it serves humanity.
Some great learning moments:
The final website became more than just a marketing channel; it evolved into EcoNest’s central hub for communication and engagement. The platform successfully blended credibility with emotional storytelling, appealing to both rational and emotional aspects of decision-making. Homebuyers who tested the site praised the clarity of the information architecture, particularly the cost breakdowns and step-by-step guides that explained EcoNest’s housing models in simple language. This transparency made the concept approachable for everyday families. Investors highlighted the impact dashboards and financial summaries as one of the strongest features. Complex data was simplified through interactive graphs and infographics, enabling quick evaluation of EcoNest’s long-term viability. This strengthened investor confidence during their fundraising efforts
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