Design Preferences

Of Gen Z

By Geneva Ives on Nov 1, 2021 in Marketing

Say goodbye to Millennial Pink and hello to Gen Z Yellow! When it comes to Gen Z design preferences, this generation of renters has a style all their own. Check out the infographic and keep reading to learn how you can meet the visual expectations of your newest customers.

Survey says

REACH by RentCafe recently conducted a large-scale survey of Gen Z renters to gauge their sentiments about search, reviews, social media and design. The Gen Z design portion of the survey had 10,624 participants that answered four questions.

Do you prefer bright and vibrant colors or soft and calm colors?
73% prefer soft and calm colors
27% prefer bright and vibrant colors

Are you more attracted to lifestyle photos (of people and pets) or property photos (of buildings and outdoor spaces)?
68% prefer property photos
32% prefer lifestyle photos

In design, do you prefer patterns and textures or clean, classic lines?
70% prefer clean, classic lines
30% prefer patterns and textures

Which do you prefer: a website that loads quickly or a website with a lot of motion and animation?
88% prefer a website that loads quickly
12% prefer a website with a lot of motion and animation

Other data

Echoing the desire for calm colors and clean lines cited in the REACH survey, a Spotify trend survey conducted in 2019 found that 51% of Gen Z and millennial respondents think there is too much visual stimulation in the world today. Additionally, 64% believe online aesthetics have altered what their generation expects to see in the real world.

What does this mean for property management brands? Your communities had better deliver on the experience promised by your website and other digital marketing channels. After all, the REACH survey found that Gen Z overwhelming preferred property photos to lifestyle photos, showing that they want to see the actual product being marketed. And they’d rather visit a clean website that loads quickly than waste time on a site with a lot of flashy blinkies.

When your online and offline brand personalities align, you deliver an authentic presence no matter how Gen Z customers interact with you. That’s true marketing mastery.

4 tips when designing for Gen Z

Be creative

This generation has been exposed to near-constant branding in almost every aspect of their lives. They are less likely to interact with formal ads and emails. Show and tell your story in a way that feels fresh, real and inclusive. Design arresting visuals and tap into authentic user-generated creative that resonates with your Gen Z audience.

Be honest

Young renters want fast, helpful content that satisfies their need for instant information. Fun copy is ok, but marketing fluff is not. Make sure you have FAQs on your website, save informative story highlights to your Instagram profile and create blog content that features real team members, residents and local businesses.

Be engaging

Don’t expect Gen Z to call, email or, worse, visit your office for more information. These renters are digital DIYers who don’t want to wait around while you figure out next steps. Invite them to make the first move by giving them multiple ways to interact with you on your website and social channels.

Be everywhere

Gen Zers use a wide variety of platforms and devices, often simultaneously! Make sure everything you design is flexible and scalable. Have a new logo or campaign visual? Ask your graphic designer to make a variety of different sizes at once. This list of always up-to-date social image sizes should help you get started, but then think what else you might need. Email heroes? Blog images? Video title cards?

Professional design services

Ready to get started designing for Gen Z but short on resources? Work with the creative design experts at REACH by RentCafe, our full-service digital marketing agency. They can help with everything from websites and floor plans to logos and ads. See real examples of RentCafe template sites, custom sites and more.