Revamping Rightmove Hub

The call that changed everything

It started with a Slack message. The head of UX reached out, asking if I could help with something on the side. "The Hub redesign needs saving," they said. An agency had tried, but the results weren’t up to Rightmove standards. With the Hub's 10th anniversary approaching, it needed more than just a fresh coat of paint—it needed a complete transformation.

I was in. This was my chance to turn a neglected, cluttered platform into something intuitive, elegant, and worthy of Rightmove's name.

What is Rightmove Hub?

The Hub is our training and resource center designed to inspire and empower estate agents across the UK. It gives to our 21,345 Rightmove Plus users free access to webinars, courses, qualifications, and more. After a decade of piecemeal development and neglect the Hub had become a labyrinth, with great content buried, and design inconsistencies all around.

Diagnosing the Problem: A Frankenstein Platform

The first time I opened the Hub, it was like stepping into a time capsule of bad UX. The navigation was clunky, horizontal, and led to dead ends. Interfaces were patched together by different contractors, creating a disconnected experience. The information architecture was broken, and thousands of content pages were built with no templates, resulting in a chaotic visual landscape.

Balancing Priorities

This wasn’t my full-time gig. I was embedded in another team with a defined roadmap. The Hub was a side hustle—but the deadline was real. The 10th-anniversary relaunch was looming. I hit the ground running, aligning with stakeholders to understand future vision and user goals, scoping technical limitations with developers, and bringing content designers into the fold. Every decision needed to be sharp, purposeful, and fast.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my full-time gig, I was embedded in another team with a defined roadmap. Even though the Hub was a bit of a side hustle, the deadline was very much real. The 10th-anniversary relaunch was around the corner. I hit the ground running, aligning with stakeholders to understand future vision and user goals, and bringing content designers and the Design System team into the fold. Every decision needed to be sharp, purposeful, and fast.

Designing with Purpose

Rightmove’s customer-facing platforms follow a distinctive “blueberry” theme. But the Hub needed its own identity - familiar yet distinct. I leaned into the design system I built for Rightmove Plus and introduced some extra custom elements. I kept the aesthetic clean and flat, with subtle glow gradients adding visual interest. I used containers sparingly to reduce visual noise, creating a modern, polished look that whispered, “This is Rightmove, but better.”

Navigation That Works

The old horizontal navigation was incomplete. Many key sections simply weren’t linked, leaving users unaware of the wealth of content available to them. This was backed by our user testing, were participants couldn't complete 2/3 tasks because they couldn't find the pages.

The Hub needed a navigation system that was not only intuitive but also fully representative of everything it had to offer. I introduced a vertical sidebar that was more discoverable and scalable, giving it the flexibility to expand with future content. This new structure created a clearer hierarchy for complex B2B tasks like team management and course assignments.

I also added a feature that allowed users to switch between different Rightmove tools. This was particularly useful for estate agents who needed to seamlessly move between Rightmove Plus—their primary tool—and the Hub, which housed all of our resources. Since I also designed Rightmove Plus, I made sure this feature was added to its navigation as well, ensuring consistency across both platforms.

Listening to Real Users: Research That Led the Way

Collaboration was key in shaping the research. I worked closely with content designers to create a solid research plan, ensuring we covered all aspects of usability, content clarity, and user needs.

We conducted three rounds of user testing. I recruited estate agents from our Hub newsletter list and observed their interactions through moderated testing. The study was divided into three key parts: open-ended discovery questions, usability tasks, and a card-sorting exercise to restructure the information architecture.

Once testing was complete, I worked collaboratively with the team to analyse the results. Users found the content valuable but hard to access, and some of the terminology was confusing. Content designers joined me in refining labels and restructuring pages to align with user expectations.

Information Architecture v.1

Information Architecture v.2

Fixing the Login Limbo

Rightmove Plus and Rightmove Hub: two platforms, two logins. It made no sense. While merging the systems wasn’t an option, I bridged the gap. The login flow was redesigned, and I introduced a 'Login with Rightmove Plus' option, allowing seamless switching between platforms.

Rightmove Plus and Rightmove Hub: same package and they are intrinsically related.. It just didn't make sense. While merging the systems wasn’t an option, I bridged the gap. The login flow was redesigned, and I introduced a 'Login with Rightmove Plus' option, allowing seamless switching between platforms.

Rightmove Plus and Rightmove Hub are two platforms under the same package who are intrinsically related, but had 2 different logins. It just didn't make any sense to me. I redesign the flow and introduced a "Login with Rightmove Plus' option, allowing seamless switching between the platforms.

Teams: Simplifying the Complex

Managing teams and assigning courses was the Hub’s superpower, but the old experience made this difficult. Previously, the entry point was hidden under 'My Profile, a location that didn't make sense. Adding members was a hassle, requiring users to manually enter every email. Assigning courses was unintuitive, with limited entry points and no way to assign courses to individuals. This feature had massive potential, it just needed the right UX to unlock it.

Flows

The first step in fixing Teams was understanding where users got stuck. I mapped out the existing flows to pinpoint friction points and inefficiencies. The process needed to be simplified, with clearer entry points and a more intuitive structure.

I redesigned the flows from the ground up. I introduced a dedicated Teams section in the navigation, making it easy to find, and added multiple ways to assign courses, allowing users to take action without unnecessary steps. Every flow was optimised to reduce cognitive load and friction, turning a once-complicated process into a seamless experience.

Creating a team

The old flow required users to manually enter each team member’s email, which was time-consuming and impractical. I redesigned this by adding a modal with a searchable list of company members, allowing users to add teammates with a single click. I also implemented a type-ahead search bar, making the process even smoother.

For the add flow, I experimented with different design approaches, like a step by step wizard to give complete focus to the task, and a modal approach.

After gathering feedback from the team, we decided for a shorted flow like this, the modal was more appropriate as there was less disruption.

Team settings

Admins needed more control and visibility over their teams, so I introduced a new Teams page where they could easily manage profiles, assign courses, and track progress. To improve usability, I added a grid/list toggle, giving admins different ways to view their team’s learning progress.

Transforming Teams into an intuitive experience

I redesigned the entire Teams experience to be more intuitive, scalable, and user-friendly. From restructuring entry points to streamlining workflows, I focused on making it effortless for admins to manage their teams and assign courses.

Courses That Inspire, Not Intimidate

The existing course pages were walls of text. Learning felt like a chore. I reimagined the experience. The course summary page was decluttered and given focus. Compelling hero visuals set the tone, while social proof stats built trust. Clear module breakdowns were introduced, allowing users to preview course content before committing. I also ensured seamless navigation between modules, keeping the learning flow uninterrupted.

The previous course pages were walls of text, making learning feeling like a chore. I reimagined the experience by decluttering the summary page and giving it focus. I added Compelling hero visuals that set the tone, with social proof stats to trust. I introduced clear module breakdowns, allowing users to preview course content before committing. I also ensured seamless navigation between modules, keeping the learning flow uninterrupted.

Making Sense of the Content Jungle

The Hub has been built in Wordpress, with no actual templates - meaning that thousands of content pages have been created and maintained individually, with inconsistent structure and visuals. To bring order to the chaos, I’ve audited hundreds of content pages and components to spot patterns. I then created a single, flexible template, supported by a lean set of reusable components, that would work for everything.

Empty States That Welcome, Not Confuse

Andrew Chen once said, “Users decide within 3-7 days whether to stick around.” Empty screens with no guidance were killing engagement. I redesigned these states to be welcoming and informative. Instead of blank slates, users were met with guidance, next steps, and clear calls to action. Visual cues nudged them toward progress, transforming confusion into clarity.

Outcomes: More Than Just a Facelift

The new Hub isn't just prettier, it's smarter. Navigation issues are resolved, Content is being surfaced intuitively, and teams can manage learning with ease. Stakeholders are thrilled, and users noticed.

Key Takeaways

Ownership matters. No product is 'too small' to deserve care and attention. Speed and quality can coexist; tight deadlines sharpened my focus. Above all, users always know best. Their feedback led to the most impactful changes.

Final Thought

This wasn’t just a redesign, it was a rescue mission. And in the end, we didn’t just rebuild the Hub, we gave it a future.