They service numerous commercial and multi-residential buildings and is highly regarded among their customers with over 375 5-star reviews. Throughout this project, we worked intimately with Homepro to ensure they had input into what would later become their site and brand.
This project was completed during my design internship in the summer of 2021 at ARTICLE. I learned a lot from my time there, as I was the lead on this project. Fortunately, I was able to see first-hand how client interviews were properly conducted, as well as being able to establish a frequent feedback routine with my senior designer. With those assets available, I was able to improve my branding, communication, and web design skills.
Homepro Pest Control is a pest control company operating in the Greater Toronto Area that came to us requesting a rebrand and website redesign.
Design goal
1. LACK OF GROWTH IN THE RESIDENTIAL DEMOGRAPHIC
Homepro gets the majority of their business through commercial and multi-unit residential work, and so want to improve their residential footprint.
2. OUTDATED BRAND AND WEBSITE
Homepro's brand and website is old which explains why they are not growing as much as they would prefer. Other competitors have more approachable brands and websites that contribute to their success.
3. NOT MANY PEOPLE REACHING OUT
A lot of Homepro's work is expanded upon through word of mouth and associated businesses. For example, an apartment owner that owns multiple buildings will give good business, but Homepro would like fresh contacts reaching out to them.
1. A FRIENDLIER BRAND
With a fresh brand that caters towards families among the residential neighbourhoods, Homepro should see a significant boost in that particular demographic.
2. A NEW WEBSITE
Similar to the first solution, an updated website that expands upon the visual identity established in the new brand will put Homepro above its competitors.
3. IMPLEMENTATION OF CTAs
The inclusion of CTAs throughout their website would significantly increase the number of new contacts reaching out to Homepro, specifically in new residential customers.
The branding process was quite straightforward for the most part. Thanks to successful client discussions, we had a clear idea of how Homepro wanted to be portrayed with this new brand. Their target were the residential neighbourhoods.
Families. Children. The suburbs. Trust. Safety.
What we ended up selecting evoked a sense of life and growth. This symbolized what the services of Homepro offer to their clients. To add, a photograph-based visual language was chosen to better directly connect with clients. Families enjoy seeing other photos of families, especially if they’re happy. We believed a cartoonish illustrative style wouldn’t have brought out the same emotions.
Say goodbye to bed bugs, raccoons, rats, skunks or other unwanted pests.
And say hello to peace of mind.
After the new brand identity was established, it was time to create the website. From the start, we knew keeping it simple to avoid bloating was the best course of action. In order to ensure CTA clicks, having a site structure that only told what was necessary was vital.
After deliberation with Homepro, notes were adjusted to meet their needs.
MUST HAVES:
1. An intro that describes what type of company Homepro is. What services they offer. What they stand for, as well as their goal.
2. A review and testimonials section is incredibly important because without reviews from clients, the website may feel too one-sided; a lot of us telling them, we should add the clients’ testimonials in to hear from their perspectives.
COULD HAVES:
1. Including Homepro’s own 5 step certified expert evaluation; essentially their process of ensuring all pests are exterminated from a client’s home.
2. Double-guarantee assurance as a reflection of their confidence. Customer/client portal to allow easy-use for customers.
3. An About Us section of the site that gives backstory to the company.
SHOULD NOT HAVES:
1. Pest Identification Page — not needed.
2. Residential Page — useful but not needed.
3. Commercial Page — useful but not needed.
PAGES CLIENT WANTED TO KEEP:
1. About Us
2. Contact
3. Residential Page
4. Commercial Page
The objective was quite simple, which made for a small site. As stated previously, the ultimate goal was for visitors to click the CTAs on the site in order to get in contact with a representative. And so, the planning of the site was straightforward.
Above, you will find examples of site architecture diagrams that were made to plan out how many pages were needed. As you can see, not a lot were needed because we wanted to avoid the mistake of the previous site: having way too many pages to the point of being overwhelming.
Below, you will find examples of my thought process when thinking about the homepage. Each section had the intent of generating leads in mind. Elements like CTAs, their 5-Step Expert Evaluation, and their Double-Guarantee were all hallmarks of Homepro and thus we wanted to advertise it to visitors.
By far the most difficult challenge during this project was the client himself. Me, my boss, and senior designer wanted to do something experimental and fun, but the client was very much opposed to that. A lot of our ideas were shut down for more "safe" design choices.
This posed a dilemma.
To solve it, I listened closely to the client's preferences and harnessing modern design aesthetics, I successfully fused their desired style with a touch of playfulness. Through this approach, I managed to create a design that not only satisfied their requirements but also radiated a fresh and engaging feel, ultimately delivering a solution that resonated with both the client's preferences and the project's objectives.
When the project finally went live, we were all very happy with the end result. Our client was satisfied with both the brand and the website deliverables.
In fact, after it went live, I reached out to my boss, and he informed me that he had multiple leads of other pest control companies coming to him for a rebranding and website redesign.
1. IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING & RESEARCH
Designers love to dive straight into things, but it’s important to discuss with the client about what they want the project to do for them. Intimate conversations had with Homepro about their vision, their hopes, and goals with the company helped shape our strategy for the website and brand identity.
2. VARIATIONS
When you’re unsure of which direction you should go. I learned that it’s vital to experiment with all sorts of combinations, ideas, and designs in order to find out what the client wants during feedback sessions.
3. COMMUNICATION & DAILY FEEDBACK
Since this internship was my first professional design job and this project was my first one to lead, I found it extremely helpful to request daily feedback sessions with my senior designer to help me in the correct direction.
