NYC Housing Development Corporation
Website Redesign
What Matters
- Made it easier for partners, developers, and residents to find what they needed and take action with confidence
- Clarified complex programs, timelines, and processes so users could understand and move forward without friction
- Reduced back-and-forth by making key information like contacts, documents, and application steps easy to access
- Gave HDC a system they could manage in-house, supporting long-term usability and accessibility
Creating Affordable Housing for New Yorkers
The New York City Housing Development Corporation finances affordable multi-family housing that expands opportunity across the city. As part of a broader effort to better serve its audiences, HDC asked us to redesign the website so capital partners, developers, policymakers, and residents could find what they need quickly and act with confidence.
Understanding the System
We began with a discovery sprint and a full audit of the legacy site’s structure and content. Through executive interviews and collaborative sessions, we clarified HDC’s goals, key audiences, and the actions each group needs to take. Working with Agency Labs, we also evaluated platforms and shaped a technical plan for a smooth relaunch.
Designing for Clarity
With those insights, we rebuilt the information architecture from the ground up. Navigation is driven by real user tasks, with section labels rewritten in action language and page structures designed for quick comprehension. Tabs and accordions break down dense policy and program content, while multilingual search and a takeover menu make navigation more flexible.
At the core, we made the multi-step process of understanding and applying for affordable housing as clear and direct as possible.
Extending the Brand
We retained HDC’s core identity while expanding the visual system with updated typography, color, and architectural imagery. The design supports both quick scanning and long-form content, ensuring clarity across a wide range of materials.
Built for Real Use
We introduced a sticky navigation system, subtle interaction cues, and a site-wide announcement bar for urgent updates. The site is fully responsive, and the Drupal CMS—implemented with Agency Labs—allows HDC’s team to manage content in-house while meeting accessibility standards.
From Browsing to Doing
The relaunch shortens the path from interest to action. Partners understand programs and timelines more quickly, developers can access documents and contacts without friction, and residents have a clearer route to housing information, reducing reliance on manual follow-up.
