01

Analysis

What repeats across the category, what homeowners are reacting to, and what those patterns imply for Solar Lab.

Visual patterns

The visual issues are usually about weak selection and weak restraint, not a lack of content.

Palette

Colour shifts feel arbitrary. Few sites have clear logic for section tone changes.

Photography

Stock-led or weakly art-directed. Real residential photography is rare.

Typography

Safe sans-serif choices with little hierarchy or personality.

Authorship

Most sites feel assembled from parts, not deliberately designed.

Market patterns

The same content and structure habits keep making competitor sites feel dense, technical, and generic.

Most heroes stay generic.

They describe clean energy or professionalism, not a distinct offer or point of view.

Proof shows up late or not at all.

Savings numbers, project detail, and trust signals are buried below the fold.

The category runs dense fast.

Counters, icon grids, heavy forms, and stacked claims create the same overload Ivan called out.

Premium residential still feels underdesigned.

Few sites look like they belong in the same world as high-end homes, designers, or architects.

What homeowners are reacting to

The category does not suffer from too little information. It suffers from poor editing. Too much appears too early, with too little hierarchy.

02

Direction

The direct takeaways for Solar Lab from the competitor set.

1

Lead with the home, not the hardware.

Solar Lab sells a better home experience, not components. Start there.

2

Show one real savings story early.

A single honest example beats a wall of generic claims.

3

Keep the founder visible.

Referral-led businesses feel stronger when a real person is present.

4

Curate proof, don't pile it on.

Use fewer, better trust signals. Dense grids, counters, and icon stacks create noise.

5

Design for homeowners and designers.

The interface should feel calm, premium, and residential, not technical or sales-heavy.

Bottom line

Solar Lab should feel calmer, more specific, and more residential than the current field. The site should explain less, prove more, and edit harder.