Foundational ResearchProblem definitionIdeationDesignUsability Testing

Long-term rental platform design

Overview

“A&R" is a concept for a rental search platform designed to address the shortcomings of the current Polish market. Unlike others, this web platform specifically caters to long-term rental apartments.

Problem

Property owners often struggle with the task of renting their apartments, requiring them to manage a large amount of information, stay in contact with numerous people, and keep track of their schedule for apartment presentations. On the other hand, tenants require flexible and rapid search engines that provide valuable results, along with the ability to contact owners quickly.

Goal

Meet the needs of both owners and tenants by providing efficient, user-friendly search functionalities, quick communication, and streamlining the process of scheduling apartment viewings.

Role

UX Designer, UX Researcher

Duration

3 months

Responsibilities

User research, Empathy mapping, User persona creation, User flow, paper and digital wireframing, lo-fi & hi-fi prototyping, usability study

Short project summary

01. What should we build?

Thought User Research I identified students and young adults as main User group. Delving deeper into creating empathy maps and user journeys, I explored their goals and pain points.

02. Defining the problems

During project main problems concerned 3 flows: apartment ad description, meeting scheduling process, and payment process. For each identified actionable objective.

03. brainstorming

I mapped out user flows, reshaping the overall user journey. I created an Information Architecture using card sorting and selected the optimal option for the web service.

04. time to design

I translated concepts into wireframes, prepared prototype for testing, and finalized the design version for this round of design process.

05. Usability testing

I utilized Sprig as a platform for usability testing, gathering valuable insights about the created design and identifying areas for further improvement. I analized collected information and generated the summary.

06. Implementing solutions

Findings from users were utilized to enhance the product’s design solutions and develop different user flows that were not considered in the initial design process round.

01. Foundational Research

To gain a general understanding of the main profile of people who perceive apartment searches and identify their needs, I needed a base of knowledge and foundational research to collect qualitative data.
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I selected Twitter and Reddit as my data sources due to the raw and immediate nature of the content users share. Twitter and Reddit users often express their thoughts shortly after significant events or reflections. Another important reason for choosing this data collection method was its low cost and time efficiency in reaching various social groups for this project.

Audience

Two main user groups frequently use apartment search websites. One of them is students who regularly relocate to pursue studies, requiring them to move from their family city. The second group consists of young adults who aspire to live independently but haven't had the opportunity to purchase their property yet. Elderly groups may also rent apartments, but they move less frequently and use search websites rarely.

Collected information

I organized and classified the gathered information, resulting in created personas and five problem categories that emerged from the primary issues users encounter.
In this case study, I'll elaborate on a specific story of tenants. Their problems and solutions are created for them

Users feel overhelmed and stressed

Using collected information from user research, I've created an empathy map to summarize users' points of view in the process of apartment search.

02. Defining the problems

Unclear payment details lead to unexpected costs for tenants, affecting trust in landlord-tenant relationships. How might we provide clear payment details to prevent financial surprises and build trust between tenants and landlords?

Limited accessibility details constrain housing options, excluding users with specific needs and preferences. How might we promote inclusivity and incorporate comprehensive accessibility information to expand housing choices for all users?

Pain points
Financial

• Incomplete payment information in apartment description leads to unexpected costs for tenants.

Process

• Incomplete details in landlors’ ads cause issues for tenants.

• Misleading and fake photos in ads misguide apartment seekers.

• Delayed responses from landlords complicate communication and visits.

Product

•  Websites overlook accessibility information, hindering apartment access for users.

•  Outdated ads on sites create issues for interested individuals.

Support

•  Apartment hunting can be overwhelming, especially for infrequent seekers.

•  Housing search restrictions exist based on nationality, social status, age, or gender.

03. Ideation

The main challenge in coming up with a solution was the creation of a comfortable platform for two types of users: Landlords and Tenants. They have different needs and User flow. I experimented and sourced what solutions already existed on the market to create the best Information Architecture I could at this stage.

User’s Flow with created IA taking into consideration main Scenarios.

Paper wireframes

During the creation of paper wireframes the main challenge was to create a comfortable platform for two types of users: Landlord and Tenant, as they have different needs. I experimented and created different views of the main menu, and home screens to find the best option.

04. Solution design

Mockups

The chosen wireframes have been translated into their digital versions. I needed to test the created solutions and wanted to be well-prepared for usability testing. I proceeded to create mockups and a hi-fi prototype.

05. Usability testing

I've created a detailed UX research study plan where I described the methodology and participant group, and added the script for the meetings. I used an external platform (Sprig) for conducting a usability study. Users were asked to check the main functions of the site, assess their experience on a quantitative scale, and answer not mandatory open-ended questions.

Research outcomes

Users easily posted new advertisements and used offered features. Testing revealed issues with small pop-up windows and low contrast in button colors, affecting readability. Searching was intuitive, but users suggested additional categories and a keyword field separate from specific apartment details, allowing more flexible searches.​​​​​​​​​​​​

06. Implementing solutions

Findings from Usability Testing were utilized to enhance the product's design solutions. If you would like to know more about it and the details of the project, I will be happy to meet to share.​​​​​​​

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