How I Helped Relaunch Roommates.com and Puppies.com

When the founder of Roommates.com and Puppies.com approached me, both sites had legacy traffic, brand recognition, and potential—but their user experience and design systems were stuck in another era.

What started as a consulting conversation turned into full-blown ownership of the product revamp. I stepped in not just as a creative—but as a partner who treated the project like it was mine. Here's how we made two internet-era staples feel modern, functional, and competitive again.

The Challenge

Both platforms had outdated interfaces, poor mobile UX, no consistent brand voice, and weren’t optimized for today’s SEO or conversion-driven strategies. The bones were good. But the experience? Clunky at best.

Roommates.com needed to feel fresh, trustworthy, and intuitive for users looking to find shared housing. Puppies.com needed to balance credibility with emotional connection—selling the dream of the perfect dog while maintaining integrity and safety.

My Role

I functioned as a product owner in everything but title:

• Led UX direction alongside developers, streamlining navigation and flow

• Created brand voice and messaging guides for both properties

• Wrote SEO-driven copy that was also human and brand-aligned

• Rewrote key pages, onboarding flows, and search experiences

• Oversaw QA and wireframe feedback during development sprints

I wasn’t just rewriting—this was a full strategic and creative overhaul.

The Work

For Roommates.com, we focused on clarity and credibility. I restructured landing pages, simplified the signup flow, and gave the site a confident, helpful tone that felt approachable but direct.

For Puppies.com, the emotional weight was higher. People aren’t just buying a product—they’re searching for a future family member. I rewrote every major page with care, balancing warmth with transparency. The new voice is trustworthy, a little playful, and reassuring.

The Results

Both platforms relaunched with fresh UI, tighter messaging, and stronger calls to action. Early user feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and the new SEO structures improved content performance. The sites now feel like what they should’ve always been: industry leaders, rebuilt from the inside out.

Why It Worked

Because I don’t just write. I build. I ask questions. I solve for emotion, conversion, and trust. I act like an owner—even when I’m brought in as a consultant.

If you’re reworking a legacy product or launching a new one, I’d love to help you make it matter.

Let’s build something that works—and feels right doing it.

Email me: mail@ericnugent.com