UX contract project of mobile app UX design for a feature in the rental platform that connects homeowners with property managers and streamlines rental document management.
Core Responsibilities
• Designed user flows, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes for a search portal and file manager; • Conducted six user interviews and translated findings into feature concepts; • Collaborated with developers to align designs with business goals, user needs, and guidelines.
Overview
About the client
Home rental platform through social connections
YiRental is a customer-to-customer home rental platform serving over 200,000 users globally since 2017. It aims to enhance the rental experience for homeowners, long-term and short-term renters, and property managers.
What’s the client’s request?
Facilitating connections between homeowners and property managers
YiRental is looking to create a feature allowing homeowners to find and choose property managers for house rental management services while also enabling property managers to find potential clients through the platform.
Design Solution
A platform with search portal and file manager
A platform that can support the homeowners' search experience and at the same time optimize the document management flow between property managers and homeowners.
Research
Understand & identify problems through user research
As this is a new feature, we began with secondary research and user interviews. We interviewed 3 property managers and 4 homeowners, covering various rental property types. Here are the key findings:
Standard Commission Fees
Most property management companies charge a monthly fee of 8% – 12% of the rent collected.
Document Overload
Due to excessive documentation, most owners do not want to track all the documents sent by property managers.
Self-Sourced Maintenance
Homeowners prefer finding maintenance services themselves instead of asking property managers for references.
Limited Online Reviews
There are few detailed reviews available online about property managers' service quality and expertise.
Reframe the problem
How can we build trust and improve the matching and cooperation efficiency between homeowners and property managers?
ideation
Translate problems into design opportunities & narrow down the scope
We brainstormed possible solutions, then evaluated and screened ideas with the client, CEO and tech lead, to finalize design directions. As a team, we decided to work on the development of these following four features:
Search
In-app chat
Review system
Manage Documents
Low-fi Wireframes
Quickly drawing wireframes to test and get feedbacks
The team collaboratively created several iterations of Lo-Fi versions for each feature. The first challenge was integrating new features into the original app. After creating lo-fi prototypes, we discussed internally to ensure smooth flow and identify any tech limitations.
Mid-fi & Iterations
Iterations based on testing insights
We conducted usability tests with 4 individuals, and iterated to refine design solutions. We also developed high-fidelity prototypes by leveraging existing design library and Material Design Guideline to finalize our design solutions.
Challenge 01: Find
PM Card with useful info for homeowners
"I prefer direct communication with the property manager I choose, without the need to save or share favorites. I also want to see their project history and yoe as a PM."
Sorting & Filtering
‘I want to find a long-term rental and sort by how much service fee they want... I have to tap all selected one by one to delete each filter item.’
Challenge 02: Connect With Trust
In-app Chat with Disturbance Prevention
‘Hope I won't be disturbed by too many messages from the PMs.'
Challenge 03: Review System
Quick link for reviewing and rating from the home screen
'The monthly review is too frequent for me, and filling out such a long sheet is time-consuming.'
Challenge 04: Manage Documents
Quote and Document Management under Listing Property
'It would be helpful to have all documents saved in one folder for easy access, and it can be challenging to remember which PM is assigned to each project if I have multiple projects.'
Final Design
A platform for matching and managing
A platform can support the homeowners' and property manager's matching experience and optimize the quotes and documents management flow between them.
Search with filters
Matching for PMs
Check Quotes
Manage documents
Review the service
01 & 02
Searching & Matching for Property Managers
Users can access 'find property managers' from the home page. They are able to find ideal matches with filter tabs. In-app chat enables negotiation, quotes, and document sharing between homeowners and managers.
03 & 04
Check the Quotes and Manage the Documents
Folders categorize quotes, rental documents, and listings, simplifying review and decision-making for homeowners by providing a clear overview of options sent by property managers.
05
Encourage the Review for Service of PMs
Homeowners are invited to share their reviews and ratings of property managers, which are valuable feedback assisting future homeowners in making informed decisions.
Impact
We found 10 homeowners and 10 property managers to do customer satisfaction tests.
98%
SATISFACTION RATE
100%
Task success rate
-40%
Completion Time
Reflections
Growth Through Critiques
Actively participating in constructive feedback and critiques within the design team and cross-functional teams provided valuable learning opportunities. I also learnt how to lead the discussion to encouraged the diverse perspectives in different stages of the design processes.
User-Centered Innovation
Despite tight project timelines, keeping conduct user interviews and usability testing is important. It allows us to gain user insights and iterate the design more effectively, leading to better outcomes and more valuable feedback from stakeholders.
Attention To Details
Details like UX copy and icons are crucial; a single word or icon change can significantly alter a user's understanding of a feature.
