InLife
the challenge
In this project, it was supposed to create a operations view plataform for Inlife, with a specific focus on creating a user-friendly solution for landlords to easily access and monitor their different activities, including check-ins, visit requests, and management services like cleanings and maintenance. Additionally, I had to consider the optimal location and visual presentation of this information on our platform.
To address the varying needs of landlords, I was expected to implement a flexible time range view, offering options such as daily, weekly, and monthly overviews. In short, the idea is to provide landlords a convenient way to review past activities and stay informed about upcoming activities in the following days.
Tools
Figma, Notion, PowerPoint
Team
Individual
Timeline
2 weeks
Role
UX Design;
UI Design;
Discovery and Research;
User Journey;
User Persona;
Wireframes, Mid-fidelity and High-fidelity design;
Interactive Prototype;
overview
the product
Inlife is a platform operating in Portugal, Spain, and Italy, dedicated to transforming the student accommodation experience. With a vision of creating a stress-free process for students to find accommodation and empowering landlords in effective property management, Inlife prioritizes an inclusive housing ecosystem. The platform offers an intuitive interface, personalized services, and guidance for students, while empowering landlords with easy listing management, insights into tenant preferences, and efficient tenant-landlord connections.
How might we create a visually appealing and user-friendly solution for landlords to easily review past activities and stay informed with upcoming operations
?
design thinking process
competitor analysis
In developing the landlord platform, I drew inspiration from established platforms such as TurboTenant, RoommateStell, and Builder. By analyzing their site maps, available tools, and functionalities, I gained valuable insights into effective design elements for the platform.
This research helped identify useful features and functionalities that are truly beneficial for landlords, making it easy for them to quickly access and view the information they need and want. The aim was to create a user-friendly experience that meets the specific needs and preferences of landlords on the platform.
Main features applied
Check-in
Check-out
Visit requests
Maintenance
Cleaning
Meetings
Other activities
branding design
As I developed the platform, I utilized the color combinations from InLife's branding book to establish a cohesive and unified identity. With the help of InLife's design system, which included logos, typography, icons, color palettes, and graphic elements, I integrated the preferred colors from their branding book into the platform. This ensured a visually consistent experience that aligns with InLife's established brand.
interviews
2 landlords, 1 employee of InLife
In three separate interviews, I had the opportunity to gather insights from an InLife’s employee and the two landlords he works with. The InLife’s employee provided a valuable perspective on the property management business, explaining the operational aspects involved. He mentioned that he works directly with landlords and shared his experiences in managing properties.
The first interview was with a landlord who manages only a few rooms, and the second one was with a landlord that manages over 400 rooms. In this scenario, it was highlighted the hands-on approach required, with them personally overseeing maintenance, rent collection, and tenant inquiries.
“So far we could not find a software for our needs – either too much or not enough.
We have a lot of excel sheets here, one for cleaning, the booking, etc.”
Both landlords had one thing in common - they managed their operations using Excel sheets and WhatsApp. These tools were utilized for tasks like coordinating cleanings, managing visits, handling check-ins, and monitoring payments. This insight highlights how landlords, regardless of the scale of their operations, sometimes rely on familiar and accessible methods (but not so effective) to streamline their property management processes.
Overall, the perspectives provided by Joao and the landlords shed light on the diverse approaches to property management, highlighting the importance of effective communication, relationship-building, and the use of technology in ensuring successful property management operations, even though it's not effective all the time with the way it is currently.
understanding
the initial design
After conducting research, organizing ideas, and brainstorming, I designed low-fidelity wireframe for this full-dashboard. This gave me a clear picture of what InLife's landlords platform requires in general.
This allowed me to visualize the necessary information and get a better grasp of the stakeholders' requirements. It provided valuable insights into the big picture of the business, enabling me to approach the challenge more effectively and align my solutions with their objectives.
On this full-dashboard I mapped out the entire website, including the homepage, leases, listings, bookings, reservations and others.
From this project - which I project to continue working on - I understood the need to separate landlord actions into a dedicated operations view within a separate dashboard. This will simplify the user experience and make the platform more effective for landlords.
AFINITTY DIAGRAM
1
dashboard
tenants
visits
check-in
check-out
maintenance
surveys
PRIORITIZATION
2
operations
view insights
+
current InLife’s landlord’s tools
-
competitors functionalities
not implemented
=
existing tools
+ to be implemented
GOAL
As mentioned before, the brainstorming process for a comprehensive full-dashboard has provided me with a better understanding of the property management business and the needs of the landlords.
After that, I started to hone in on only essential tasks such as maintenance tracking, rent collection, tenant inquiries, and property visit schedules. The objective was to create a user-friendly dashboard that emphasizes only the operational actions landlords need to take.
CARD SORTING
3
dashboard
side bar
the user persona
Sarah Thompson is a seasoned landlord who owns multiple rental houses catering to students. With over a decade of experience, she has built a reputation for providing quality housing in her area. Sarah is tech-savvy and understands the importance of using digital tools to streamline her rental management process. While she relies heavily on the landlord’s website, she also utilizes Excel sheets to manage various aspects of her properties. Additionally, she uses WhatsApp for day-to-day communication with her tenants.
"Tracking check-ins, bookings, and reservations manually is time-consuming. I need a tool that simplifies this process and provides a clear overview."
lo-fi dashboard
The outcome of the initial phase was a low-fidelity (lo-fi) dashboard, which I plan to refine and develop further in the upcoming stages of the project. After discussing with the stakeholder, we decided to make some adjustments for the next steps. Currently, the main focus is on presenting the operations dashboard, as it holds a high priority in this stage of the project.
the final design
In the second part of the project, I proceeded directly to the mid-fi stage of the operations view dashboard, as I had already conducted thorough research and analysis during the initial phase. The low-fidelity prototype was deemed unnecessary given the existing understanding of the requirements.
This allowed me to focus on refining and enhancing the dashboard's user interface and functionality at a more detailed level, ensuring a more polished and user-friendly experience.
MID-FI OPERATIONS VIEW
I took the tasks from the previous dashboard and transformed them into a full-page view of activities, both weekly and monthly. I made small changes to enhance clarity, such as increasing the size of the monthly and weekly days to provide more detailed information that is easy to see at a glance.
Additionally, I made the dashboard more intuitive by incorporating icons for filters and using specific symbols and colors to represent different types of activities. These improvements aim to enhance user experience and make the information more visually accessible and user-friendly.
HI-FI MONTHLY
OPERATIONS VIEW
HI-FI WEEKLY
OPERATIONS VIEW
Create new activity
Activities details
final user-flow
key learnings & next steps
A key learning from this project is the importance of understanding the client's requirements, even when users think they know what they want. This ensures alignment with the client's vision and objectives.
Another important learning is the consideration of real-life implementation constraints, identifying what can and cannot be implemented feasibly. Working with a real company and users provided valuable insights into real-world challenges and helped tailor the solution accordingly.
Moving forward, the next steps involve continuing the prototype flow, focusing on refining the user experience, and conducting thorough more testing to address any usability issues or bugs.