Real Estate Pipeline Management

As a Senior UX/UI Designer I worked with a US-based prop-tech startup disrupting the real estate industry with customizable and algorithm-driven urban construction projects. The goal was to create a web platform that helps future homeowners configure their future housing based on their needs and real estate developers manage their construction pipelines based on a sophisticated backend system.

Summary

As the sole designer, I was responsible for designing the minimum viable product (MVP) for a real estate planning application. Collaborating closely with a product manager, three developers, and three external stakeholders, I led the UX process from start to finish, managing stakeholders and producing a range of design deliverables.

My primary task was to design an MVP for the real estate developers‘ side of the app, helping them with planning and managing their pipelines. I collaborated closely with stakeholders, the product manager, and the development team, incorporating feedback and ensuring that design solutions met both user needs and business goals. After releasing the MVP, the startup received a large investment round, reflecting the success of the product.

Discovery & requirements gathering

To gather information and facilitate the discovery process, I ran various workshops as part of this project. One of the first tasks was establishing the data architecture and developing the initial UI paradigm.

During this phase, I also participated in technical diligence, researching ArcGIS geographic information system mapping capabilities, approaches to building out a 3D cityscape, auto-versioning of changes, and parallel real-time collaboration. This research was essential in ensuring that the design solutions were technically feasible and aligned with the project’s overall goals.

By running workshops and conducting technical diligence, I was able to ensure that the design solutions were grounded in user needs, technically feasible, and aligned with the project’s overall goals.

  • Land acquisition
  • Capital planning
  • Market analysis
  • Pro-forma statement
  • Investor-specific cash flow
  • Multiple project overlay
  • Pipeline returns
  • Rent roll
  • Disbursement schedule
  • Equity & debt tracking
  • Pipeline cash flow
  • Production schedule
  • Jobs-housing balance
  • Parking supply & demand
  • Amenities within 15 mins
  • Job accessibility within 40 min
  • Resident population and socio-demographics

Information architecture research

Our project began with the creation of a technical proof of concept that included basic functions and facilitated alignment between the business, design, and development teams.

To better understand the financial aspects of real estate planning and to gain critical insights into the financial backend, I interviewed financial analysts.

I also created information architecture maps to align stakeholders on the concepts, terminology, and hierarchy related to the real estate development domain.

User research

To gain a deep understanding of our target audience and their challenges with capital planning, I conducted several interviews. This allowed me to gain insights into their current processes and identify opportunities for improvement. I then shared my findings with stakeholders through a user research report.

Using the research data, I developed user personas and corresponding empathy maps. These tools enabled us to understand our users’ needs, goals, and pain points, allowing us to design solutions that addressed their specific challenges.

Value proposition brainstorming

To ensure that our product design was aligned with our customers’ needs and values, I facilitate the usage of the Value Proposition Canvas, leveraging the data gathered during the research phase.

In addition, we used an Impact/Effort Matrix to prioritize features for inclusion in the MVP. This approach enabled us to focus on the most valuable features and ensure that the MVP focused on the most impactful features that require the least effort.

User flow

Through brainstorming sessions and iterative design cycles, we honed in on the following problem statement: “How might we build an internal decision support system that meets consumer demand for housing so that we can maximize operational efficiency, minimize business risk, and ensure sufficient capital and manufacturing resources?”

To tackle this challenge, I created a user flow that focused on the critical path users took to complete their tasks and achieve their goals. This approach allowed us to streamline the user experience, ensuring that users could quickly and easily navigate the system, saving time and increasing operational efficiency.

Wireframes flow

To begin the user interface and interaction design process, I created a user flow consisting of low fidelity wireframes.

This allowed me to receive early feedback and validate that the new designs would deliver business value and offer a valuable user experience.

Additionally, this stage helped ensure that the designs were technically feasible within the development team’s tech stack.

Hi-fi mockups & prototype

After creating the initial wireframes, I continued to iterate and refine the design. I incorporated new features in design sprints and worked closely with the development team to ensure that the backend capabilities were being shipped in parallel with the design improvements.

Through frequent feedback sessions, I was able to make incremental design improvements and ultimately arrive at high-fidelity mockups. This iterative process helped ensure that the final product was not only visually appealing but also functioned well and met the needs of the users.

These were some of the features that the MVP offered:

  • Pipeline inputs configuration
  • Project capital cashflow projection
  • Land acquisition & vertical development graphical data display
  • Dashboard display of the capital needs, land acquisition, and vertical development data
  • Construction project management
  • Construction site editor

Design system & style guide

To maintain consistency throughout the design, I created a design system by componentizing the UI elements. With the use of interactive components, they could easily be reused on different screens and this ensured uniformity across the design in both styling and interactivity.

To communicate the established styling guidelines and rules to the stakeholders and the development team, I produced a style guide.

Lessons learned

This project confirmed for me the importance of conducting a product discovery phase before beginning the design and development process. By taking the time to research, validate ideas, and align stakeholders at the beginning, I was able to save time and resources later on and ensure exceptional results.

Following the double-diamond design process and collaborating closely with stakeholders, I was able to produce effective design solutions that met both user needs and business goals.

This experience highlighted for me the critical importance of ensuring that design solutions are both grounded in user needs and backed by research and stakeholder alignment.