We are pleased to share our new STAR Housing website. It has been shaped by the people who use it and by the people who support our customers every day.
From the very beginning, we worked with a group of customer testers known as our website champions. They helped us decide how information should be organised, what wording was clear and accessible, and which online tasks needed to be easier. They tested early versions of the site, shared honest feedback and played a key role in shaping the experience customers see now.
Customer Website Champion: Anthony – “There has been a lot of research undertaken in an effort to improve the website and the results are phenomenal. The feedback offered has been taken onboard and the new website is undoubtedly a major improvement on the previous model. It is informative and easy to use.”
Customer Website Champion: Nicky – “I love the new website. it is informative and user friendly. It is fresh, accessible to everyone and very functional. I have really enjoyed testing the site and being involved in building such a great page. I hope it is well received and well used.”
Customer Website Champion: Ellen – “Pleased to note all recommendations made previously have now been included. The website is very user friendly. As a customer I am confident I will be able to use the system to report repairs, give feedback and more.”
As the website developed, our Customer Scrutiny Panel were invited to preview it before it went live. They explored key pages and checked how easy it was to find information. They also highlighted parts that needed to be simpler or better placed. Their feedback helped us make final improvements so the site was as clear and friendly as possible.
Colleagues across STAR Housing tested the site at every stage. Staff reviewed content, picked up issues, checked accuracy and helped ensure that the website supports the work they do with customers. This testing happened throughout the build and helped us keep everything reliable and easy to use.
Housing Officer: Sharon – “The new website offers a modern intuitive space designed to make information easy to find and simple to understand. Its clean layout, clear navigation and responsive design ensure a smooth experience whether visitors are browsing on a phone, tablet or desktop. The homepage highlights key features and services at a glance. The site uses clear language, structured content and user friendly tools to support a wide range of visitors, making it a reliable and welcoming online hub.”
Our Board were also given a full walk-through of the website before it launched. This allowed us to show the improvements made, explain how customer insight shaped the design and gather their thoughts on clarity and navigation. Their feedback helped us fine-tune the final version.
Chair of STAR Housing Board: Tony Deakin – “Customers played a vital role in shaping the new STAR Housing website and their insight has led to a more accessible and helpful platform. The Board welcomes a design that responds directly to customer needs and strengthens how people can connect with STAR. It is a great step forward.”
Bringing together all this feedback has helped us create a website that is simple to use and easy to navigate on any phone, tablet or desktop device. Information is grouped in a way that makes sense to you, and you can now report a repair, make a request, check information about your tenancy and find safety advice more quickly at a time that suits you.
The site also includes our new accessibility tool, Recite Me. This provides a wide range of options so that everyone can use the website comfortably. You can change text size and colours, use screen reading features, choose different fonts, translate content into hundreds of languages and view pages in a format that best suits your needs. This makes the website more inclusive, more flexible and easier for everyone to access.
What customers can do on the new site
- Report repairs quickly using clear guidance and easy to follow forms
- Read information about your tenancy including key responsibilities and support available
- Access safety information on topics such as damp and mould, fire safety and home maintenance
- Find help and advice pages covering money support, community services and housing information
- Use improved self-service tools to request services or make an enquiry
- Navigate a clearer contact section with opening times and ways to get in touch
- Browse information on neighbourhoods, community work and engagement opportunities
- View information explaining how we work, what we offer and how we support customers
- Use the Recite Me accessibility toolbar to personalise how the site looks and works for you
- Get to important information faster with simpler menus, cleaner layouts and more obvious signposting
We are grateful to everyone who took part in shaping the new website. Their insight has helped us create an experience that supports customers in a straightforward and accessible way, and will continue to do so as the website develops in the future.
