Overview

SnowOnly.com is a specialized platform focused on the buying and selling of ski properties. It enables users to search for ski chalets and provides comprehensive information to help them make informed decisions about purchasing their ideal ski property.

My role was to build this website from the ground up. The client requested a design that embraces a relaxing, illustrative style, in contrast to a traditional corporate look.

Directory Website

Directory Website

Project Type

Web Courses Agency

Web Courses Agency

Intellectual Rights

July - August 2017

July - August 2017

Time

Researcher, UX / UI Designer

Researcher, UX / UI Designer

Role

Process

Process

Process

Empathise

Our first step was to understand the business goals and user needs. I interviewed the primary stakeholder, an experienced investor and landlord. He identified a market gap: while many sites advertise real estate, few focus on ski chalets. He provided a list of competitors to help me understand the business model. Essential features for a site like this include listings to sell or rent out for landlords, location-based property searches, detailed property info, comparison tools, and an inquiry form.

Second ImageFirst ImageSecond Image
Second ImageFirst ImageSecond Image
Second ImageFirst ImageSecond Image

We interviewed three groups: travelers who enjoy outdoor activities, families with vacation homes, and those who frequently rent vacation properties. Our key questions included:

  1. Can you describe your most recent vacation?

  2. How did you plan for it?

  3. What influenced your choice of accommodation?

  4. What factors are important when deciding where to stay or what to buy?


From these interviews, we identified three main customer segments:

  1. Property Owners: Those looking to sell or rent out vacation properties.

  2. Vacation Home Buyers: Families interested in purchasing a ski chalet.

  3. Short-Term Renters: Friends renting a house in a ski resort.


Based on the insights gathered, we developed personas for three user types: buyers, tenants, and property owner/agencies/developers.

Persona 3Persona 1Persona 2

Pain Points

1. Getting contact


Agents and developers want to get inquiries from customers. Meanwhile, the customer wants to hear back from the agents and developers as well. This website is worldwide. People around the world could buy or rent out the chalet. It might not be convenient for our users to make a phone call across the countries.



2. Overloaded information for buyer


Everyone needs to make the best decision before buying a house. Since there are so many factors to consider, sometimes buyers do not know where to start.





3. Using external websites to check weather conditions


All the outdoor extreme adventure travelers should check the weather condition before they plan the journey. But it is hard to find the weather of a specific area to see if it is appropriate to ski.



4. Sellers want their properties to be top search results


If someone wants to sell something, they want the customer to see their products before seeing their competitors. Same here, our landlords want to be the very first result that customer finds.

Solutions

1. Built-in messenger


We allow buyers and tenants to send an inquiry if they are interested in the property. By doing that, they will find the contact form on the chalet detail page. Agents and customers have to create their accounts before cooperating through this feature. It helps them track the response of each side.




2. Breaking down the data into small group


On the chalet detail page, we presented the information in tabs. Tabs might hinder the information, but we found that it is easier to navigate and view content in the same context than scrolling through the long page. Users can predict what they will find in each given tab.  



3. Weather info in chalet detail page


Isn't it better if the travelers could check the weather of the area they wanted to visit before booking a chalet? So the tenants can plan their journey and activities according to the weather condition.




4. We offer several packages


Here, where the business can make a profit. Before the agent can advertise their properties, they must choose which package they want to purchase. A premium plan brings more visibility and a higher chance of getting contact.

After analyzing the insights from the interview. We prioritized the pain points that are most vital to solve for users first.

We revisited the competitor analysis and brainstormed to ideate solutions. And here are the solutions that we picked.

Pain Points & Solutions

Pain point 1:

Getting contact

Agents and developers want to get inquiries from customers. Meanwhile, the customer wants to hear back from the agents and developers as well. This website is worldwide. People around the world could buy or rent out the chalet. It might not be convenient for our users to make a phone call across the countries.


Solution:

Built-in messenger

We allow buyers and tenants to send an inquiry if they are interested in the property. By doing that, they will find the contact form on the chalet detail page. Agents and customers have to create their accounts before cooperating through this feature. It helps them track the response of each side.




Pain point 2:

Overloaded information for buyer

Everyone needs to make the best decision before buying a house. Since there are so many factors to consider, sometimes buyers do not know where to start.


Solution

Breaking down the data into small group

On the chalet detail page, we presented the information in tabs. Tabs might hinder the information, but we found that it is easier to navigate and view content in the same context than scrolling through the long page. Users can predict what they will find in each given tab.  




Pain point 3:

Using external websites to check weather conditions

All the outdoor extreme adventure travelers should check the weather condition before they plan the journey. But it is hard to find the weather of a specific area to see if it is appropriate to ski.


Solution:

Weather info in chalet detail page

Isn't it better if the travelers could check the weather of the area they wanted to visit before booking a chalet? So the tenants can plan their journey and activities according to the weather condition.




Pain point 4:

Sellers want their properties to be top search results

If someone wants to sell something, they want the customer to see their products before seeing their competitors. Same here, our landlords want to be the very first result that customer finds.


Solution:

We offer several packages

Here, where the business can make a profit. Before the agent can advertise their properties, they must choose which package they want to purchase. A premium plan brings more visibility and a higher chance of getting contact.

After analyzing the insights from the interview. We prioritized the pain points that are most vital to solve for users first.

Pain Points & Solutions

Pain point 1:

Getting contact

Agents and developers want to get inquiries from customers. Meanwhile, the customer wants to hear back from the agents and developers as well. This website is worldwide. People around the world could buy or rent out the chalet. It might not be convenient for our users to make a phone call across the countries.


Solution:

Built-in messenger

We allow buyers and tenants to send an inquiry if they are interested in the property. By doing that, they will find the contact form on the chalet detail page. Agents and customers have to create their accounts before cooperating through this feature. It helps them track the response of each side.




Pain point 2:

Overloaded information for buyer

Everyone needs to make the best decision before buying a house. Since there are so many factors to consider, sometimes buyers do not know where to start.


Solution

Breaking down the data into small group

On the chalet detail page, we presented the information in tabs. Tabs might hinder the information, but we found that it is easier to navigate and view content in the same context than scrolling through the long page. Users can predict what they will find in each given tab.  




Pain point 3:

Using external websites to check weather conditions

All the outdoor extreme adventure travelers should check the weather condition before they plan the journey. But it is hard to find the weather of a specific area to see if it is appropriate to ski.


Solution:

Weather info in chalet detail page

Isn't it better if the travelers could check the weather of the area they wanted to visit before booking a chalet? So the tenants can plan their journey and activities according to the weather condition.




Pain point 4:

Sellers want their properties to be top search results

If someone wants to sell something, they want the customer to see their products before seeing their competitors. Same here, our landlords want to be the very first result that customer finds.


Solution:

We offer several packages

Here, where the business can make a profit. Before the agent can advertise their properties, they must choose which package they want to purchase. A premium plan brings more visibility and a higher chance of getting contact.

After analyzing the insights from the interview. We prioritized the pain points that are most vital to solve for users first.

As you can see from the flowchart, we were able to identify additional features for our site. Below are the essential features for sellers: viewing and purchasing packages, account creation, listing and collecting properties, request messenger, and profile creation.


For buyers and tenants, the essential features include: property search, inquiry messenger, comparison tool, and account creation.


All of the above are must-have features. Additionally, we have outlined some nice-to-have features: finding an agent, seller and buyer guides, currency calculation, blog, lenders and financial institutions, and website feedback.


Since we had a clear understanding of the features we needed to build, we broke them down into smaller tasks and created the site map, as shown below.

Then I started sketching several versions of the lo-fi wireframe on paper and used them as rapid prototypes for usability testing to gather feedback from users. I digitalized the wireframe using UXPin, after which we conducted a design critique and presented it to the stakeholders. Following the review with the stakeholders, we made minor design adjustments to better align with the business objectives.

The Design

The website owner requested the use of illustrations on his website. He doesn’t like the traditional corporate look. The design should convey a creative and fun vibe to encourage users to engage in winter sports travel.

On the homepage, we have a property search bar, featured properties, recommended ski slopes and weather, articles, and buyer guides.

Purchasing the Package


Developers and agents can choose the package that fits their purpose. The higher package plan offers more properties to advertise, increasing the chances of the property being seen.

Agent/Developer Account


After registering and choosing a package plan, the agent can create their profile and post property details. The letting form is designed for quick completion, as I have grouped related information. Once published, the audience will see the same information in an organized layout, making it easy to read.

Search & Results 


Visitors don't have to sign up to use our website. They can search for properties to buy or rent, and we provide filters to help them find chalets that match their criteria. Once they find the right accommodation, they can click to view the property details. However, if they want to save a property or contact the agent, they are required to register first. This way, when they sign in again, they will still see their saved properties and any inquiries they have sent to the agent or developer.

Customer Account


When visitors become members, they have their own accounts where they can collect all their favorite places and the inquiries they have sent to agents. Additionally, they can compare their favorite properties to find the most suitable chalets for them.

The core features rely on the results of user interviews. We didn't wait to find the perfect target group to interview; instead, we pushed our process forward. It's never too late to test ideas and gather feedback for improvement. It’s not easy to find people who have gone skiing and are interested in buying a ski chalet, so we spoke with people who enjoy outdoor activities and own properties instead. Regardless, they provided valuable insights into the type of information they want to see on the website, allowing us to deliver solutions that addressed their pain points.


We began by studying the business goals and user pain points. Then, we brainstormed solutions and turned them into features. It’s not about what we want to offer our users but about giving them what they truly need. While we empathize with users, we also keep the business objectives in mind. We studied the business proposition to understand where our client can make a profit. Our work is complete only when business goals align with user needs.


After reviewing this project, I found many areas for improvement. As time passes, user behaviors change. To adapt, I created a user satisfaction survey within the platform to collect quantitative data. We can combine this data with insights from usability testing results to guide us in the iteration process.

Reflection

LIKE MY WORK?

WANT TO DISCUSS MORE?

© 2025 🐻 designed by Nanthawan ‍💻

LIKE MY WORK?

WANT TO DISCUSS MORE?

© 2025 🐻 designed by Nanthawan ‍💻

LIKE MY WORK?

WANT TO DISCUSS MORE?

© 2025 🐻 designed by Nanthawan ‍💻

LIKE MY WORK?

WANT TO DISCUSS MORE?

© 2025 🐻 designed by Nanthawan ‍💻

SNOWONLY

SNOWONLY

SNOWONLY

LIKE MY WORK?

WANT TO DISCUSS MORE?

Drop me a message

Download resume

© 2025 🐻 designed by Nanthawan ‍💻

More case studies