Building a Modern Identity for a Legacy Brand
Who is Seeno Homes?
Seeno Homes is a family-owned homebuilder and real estate developer that has been shaping communities throughout Northern California’s East Bay for over 80 years.
My Role
This was the first project where I found myself operating like a product manager without realizing it. I wasn’t originally hired to lead the project, but I got involved early because I wanted to be part of the decision-making process.
When the original project lead left, I stepped into ownership and became responsible for moving the project forward. I worked closely with executives and stakeholders to align priorities, make decisions around the site structure and user experience, and guide the redesign through launch.
Project Metrics
increase in conversion events
increase in organic search sessions
increase in organic engagement rate
Buying a home is stressful
Modern Bay Area buyers expect the digital home buying experience to be flawless. They want real-time accuracy, transparent listing updates, and an interface that feels as current and dynamic as any other modern e-commerce application.
Our goal was to completely rebuild Seeno Homes' public-facing website. We needed to protect and respect eight decades of hard-earned regional brand trust while completely overhauling the way users discover, evaluate, and interact with available homes online.
To do that, we had to build something the company had never attempted before: a public pipeline exposing internal, live sales data directly to prospective buyers.
The Business Goal
Rebuild Seeno Homes' public-facing website to reflect 80+ years of brand trust while bringing it in line with how modern buyers expect to find and evaluate homes online.
This was the company's first platform to expose live internal sales data publicly — making accuracy, trust, and legal compliance non-negotiable from day one.
Unexpected Project Complexities
Legacy
systems
Internal sales data had never been integrated into a public-facing platform. Four separate systems needed to talk to each other for the first time.
Compliance requirements
California privacy laws and ADA accessibility standards were non-negotiable constraints that shaped every design and data decision.
Multiple
stakeholders
Sales, marketing, and executive leadership all had a seat at the table with different priorities, timelines, and opinions on how the site should work.
SeenoHomes data flow between platforms. Hover image to zoom in!
How We Solved It
01
Modernized Branding
Updated logo and branding to continue the legacy branding.
02
Updated Information Architecture
Updated Information Architecture
03
Live Sales Data
Synchronized four separate sales and listing platforms into the company's first public flow.
Reflections
This project was the first moment it clicked for me what it actually means to go from a contributor to an owner.
When the project lost its structure, I realized no one was coming to save the day. I quickly decided that this was my project to own. I learned how to juggle technical limits with business goals on the fly, and I quickly discovered that I didn't need a fancy title to lead, I just needed to earn people’s trust by consistently showing up and delivering.
My biggest takeaway is that great products don't happen because of a good process. They happen because someone cares enough to take total accountability when it matters most.
What Others Said
"I had the privilege of working closely with Elise on several key initiatives, most notably the buildout of our new website as part of the company’s rebranding efforts. Her leadership, expertise, and dedication have been invaluable to our team. Elise spearheaded the website project with remarkable precision and insight." — New Marketing Manager, Seeno Homes
Building a Modern Identity for a Legacy Brand
What is Seeno Homes?
Seeno Homes is a family-owned homebuilder and real estate developer that has been shaping communities throughout Northern California’s East Bay for over 80 years.
Project Metrics
+1,214%
Conversion Events
+111%
Organic Search Sessions
+68%
Organic Engagement Rate
+1,214%
Conversion Events
+111%
Organic Search Sessions
+68%
Organic Engagement Rate
increase in conversion events
increase in organic search sessions
increase in organic engagement rate
Buying a home is stressful
Buying a home is stressful, and modern Bay Area buyers expect the digital experience to be flawless. They want real-time accuracy, transparent listing updates, and an interface that feels as current and dynamic as any other modern e-commerce application.
Our goal was to completely rebuild Seeno Homes' public-facing website. We needed to protect and respect eight decades of hard-earned regional brand trust while completely overhauling the way users discover, evaluate, and interact with available homes online.
To do that, we had to build something the company had never attempted before: a public pipeline exposing internal, live sales data directly to prospective buyers.
The Business Goal
Rebuild Seeno Homes' public-facing website to reflect 80+ years of brand trust while bringing it in line with how modern buyers expect to find and evaluate homes online.
This was the company's first platform to expose live internal sales data publicly — making accuracy, trust, and legal compliance non-negotiable from day one.
Unexpected Project Complexities
SeenoHomes data flow between platforms.
TECHNICAL
Legacy systems
Internal sales data had never been integrated into a public-facing platform. Four separate systems needed to talk to each other for the first time.
LEGAL
Compliance requirements
California privacy laws and ADA accessibility standards were non-negotiable constraints that shaped every design and data decision.
Multiple stakeholders
Sales, marketing, and executive leadership all had a seat at the table with different priorities, timelines, and opinions on how the site should work.
ORGANIZATIONAL
Legacy
systems
Internal sales data had never been integrated into a public-facing platform. Four separate systems needed to talk to each other for the first time.
Compliance requirements
California privacy laws and ADA accessibility standards were non-negotiable constraints that shaped every design and data decision.
Multiple
stakeholders
Sales, marketing, and executive leadership all had a seat at the table with different priorities, timelines, and opinions on how the site should work.
How We Solved It
01
Modernized Branding
Updated logo and branding to continue the legacy branding.
02
Updated Information Architecture
Updated Information Architecture
03
Live Sales Data
Synchronized four separate sales and listing platforms into the company's first public flow.
Reflections
This project was the first moment it clicked for me what it actually means to go from a contributor to an owner.
When the project lost its structure, I realized no one was coming to save the day. I quickly decided that this was my project to own. I learned how to juggle technical limits with business goals on the fly, and I quickly discovered that I didn't need a fancy title to lead, I just needed to earn people’s trust by consistently showing up and delivering.
My biggest takeaway is that great products don't happen because of a good process. They happen because someone cares enough to take total accountability when it matters most.
What Others Said
"I had the privilege of working closely with Elise on several key initiatives, most notably the buildout of our new website as part of the company’s rebranding efforts. Her leadership, expertise, and dedication have been invaluable to our team. Elise spearheaded the website project with remarkable precision and insight." — New Marketing Manager, Seeno Homes
My Role
The Seeno Homes website redesign was the first project where I found myself operating like a product manager without realizing it. I wasn’t originally hired to lead the project, but I got involved early because I wanted to be part of the decision-making process.
When the original project lead left, I stepped into ownership and became responsible for moving the project forward. I worked closely with executives and stakeholders to align priorities, make decisions around the site structure and user experience, and guide the redesign through launch.
Building a Modern Identity for a Legacy Brand
I led the redesign of Seeno Homes’ website, modernizing the digital experience for an 80+ year-old Bay Area homebuilder.
The project introduced the company’s first live sales data integration while navigating legal constraints, ADA compliance, and complex stakeholder needs. Mid-project, I stepped into full product ownership and helped drive a launch that resulted in a 1,214% increase in conversion events.
What is Seeno Homes?
Seeno Homes is a family-owned homebuilder and real estate developer that has been shaping communities throughout Northern California’s East Bay for over 80 years.
My Role
The Seeno Homes website redesign was the first project where I found myself operating like a product manager without realizing it. I wasn’t originally hired to lead the project, but I got involved early because I wanted to be part of the decision-making process.
When the original project lead left, I stepped into ownership and became responsible for moving the project forward. I worked closely with executives and stakeholders to align priorities, make decisions around the site structure and user experience, and guide the redesign through launch.
Project Metrics
increase in conversion events
increase in organic search sessions
increase in organic engagement rate
Buying a home is stressful
Buying a home is stressful, and modern Bay Area buyers expect the digital experience to be flawless. They want real-time accuracy, transparent listing updates, and an interface that feels as current and dynamic as any other modern e-commerce application.
Our goal was to completely rebuild Seeno Homes' public-facing website. We needed to protect and respect eight decades of hard-earned regional brand trust while completely overhauling the way users discover, evaluate, and interact with available homes online.
To do that, we had to build something the company had never attempted before: a public pipeline exposing internal, live sales data directly to prospective buyers.
The Business Goal
Rebuild Seeno Homes' public-facing website to reflect 80+ years of brand trust while bringing it in line with how modern buyers expect to find and evaluate homes online.
This was the company's first platform to expose live internal sales data publicly — making accuracy, trust, and legal compliance non-negotiable from day one.
Unexpected Project Complexities
SeenoHomes data flow between platforms. Hover image to zoom in!
Legacy systems
Internal sales data had never been integrated into a public-facing platform. Four separate systems needed to talk to each other for the first time.
Compliance requirements
California privacy laws and ADA accessibility standards were non-negotiable constraints that shaped every design and data decision.
Multiple stakeholders
Sales, marketing, and executive leadership all had a seat at the table with different priorities, timelines, and opinions on how the site should work.
Legacy
systems
Internal sales data had never been integrated into a public-facing platform. Four separate systems needed to talk to each other for the first time.
Compliance requirements
California privacy laws and ADA accessibility standards were non-negotiable constraints that shaped every design and data decision.
Multiple
stakeholders
Sales, marketing, and executive leadership all had a seat at the table with different priorities, timelines, and opinions on how the site should work.
How We Solved It
01
Modernized Branding
Updated logo and branding to continue the legacy branding.
02
Updated Information Architecture
Updated Information Architecture
03
Live Sales Data
Synchronized four separate sales and listing platforms into the company's first public flow.
Reflections
This project was the first moment it clicked for me what it actually means to go from a contributor to an owner.
When the project lost its structure, I realized no one was coming to save the day. I quickly decided that this was my project to own. I learned how to juggle technical limits with business goals on the fly, and I quickly discovered that I didn't need a fancy title to lead, I just needed to earn people’s trust by consistently showing up and delivering.
My biggest takeaway is that great products don't happen because of a good process. They happen because someone cares enough to take total accountability when it matters most.