Behind the Build: Dimora Viva
- Nov 27
- 3 min read
Designing a real estate website is more than just listings; it’s about creating a journey that makes browsing properties feel intuitive, engaging, and memorable. When I entered the Creative Crew design competition hosted by Brad Hussey, I knew I wanted to push the limits of what a property rental site could be, even under tight time constraints. The result is Dimora Viva, a concept built that demonstrates how bold creativity and technical structure can transform the online experience for small luxury realtor businesses in Firenze, Italy.
The Challenge
The competition rules gave designers a month to build a fully functional, visually engaging site. Due to other client work, I couldn’t start right away, leaving me with days to design and launch Dimora Viva.
Rather than seeing this as a setback, I treated it as an opportunity:
Focus on high-impact features.
Prioritize user journey and mobile-first design.
Deliver a complete concept that could realistically serve property rental agencies, boutique hotels, and small real estate businesses in Italy.
Why Mobile-First Matters
In Italy and across Europe, the majority of users browse real estate listings directly from their phones. For property rentals, boutique accommodations, and small businesses, a mobile-first website isn’t optional; it’s essential.
Every element of Dimora Viva was designed to adapt seamlessly to smaller screens, ensuring users could:
Open the site with an interactive sliding-door effect that feels bold and welcoming.
Navigate property listings quickly with filters tailored to their needs.
Contact the business without friction thanks to a streamlined form.
By focusing on the mobile version first, I ensured the most common user experience was also the best.
Key Features of Dimora Viva
Sliding-Door Intro Effect
The homepage opens with a bold interactive animation — a set of sliding doors that reveal the site. It’s an old-school style feature reimagined for a modern build, creating a memorable first impression that sets the tone for exploration.
CMS-Driven Property Showcase
This site has a load of CMS structures. All properties are stored in an organized CMS database, making it easy to add or update new listings. Toggle buttons and tags to give features and seasonal promotions. This makes the site highly scalable for small businesses that need flexibility without constant redesign.
Advanced Filters
Visitors can refine searches by location, property type, pricing, rooms, and features, ensuring they can find what they need without endless scrolling, with a collapsible results container.
Visual Assets
Because no client images were provided, I combined Wix Studio assets with AI-generated visuals to simulate a diverse portfolio of modern apartments, rustic villas, and boutique interiors. This demonstrates how the design would function with real-world content.
Mobile-First Responsiveness
From the sliding-door intro to the property filters, every feature was designed to feel smooth and accessible on smartphones.
The Creative Crew Experience
The Creative Crew, led by Brad Hussey and now unfortunately shut down, was a global community of designers and developers who participated in challenges to grow their skills and share ideas.
For me, this challenge was about more than just deadlines. It was an opportunity to:
Experiment with new interactive elements in Wix Studio.
Test my ability to deliver under pressure.
Connect with other creatives and exchange feedback in a supportive environment.
My Design Process
User Journey Mapping: I began by sketching how a visitor searching for rentals in Italy would move through the site — from landing on the homepage to filtering properties and finally contacting the business.
Building the CMS: I set up a flexible content database for property details, images, and categories. This created the backbone of the site and ensured scalability.
Adding Interactivity: The sliding-door intro effect was layered in to create a sense of drama and engagement. Subtle interactions throughout the property pages keep the user experience lively but not distracting.
Filling the Content Gap: Without client-provided images, I curated a mix of stock and created AI-generated visuals to bring the concept to life, showcasing how the design works with complete property portfolios.
Who Dimora Viva Is For
This type of design works beautifully for:
Property rental agencies (short-term and long-term).
Boutique hotels and B&Bs looking to showcase rooms and amenities.
Small real estate businesses targeting both local and international clients.
But many of the design principles — mobile-first, CMS-driven content, bold interactivity — can be applied to almost any type of website.
Final Thoughts
Building Dimora Viva in just five days was both a challenge and a thrill. It proved that with the right strategy, structure, and creativity, it’s possible to deliver a professional website quickly — without sacrificing quality or user experience.
The project reminded me why I love this work: combining design, UX strategy, and technical know-how to create sites that are modern, functional, and unforgettable.
Explore Dimora Viva here: https://creavanzi.wixstudio.com/dimora-viva/intro
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