InLife
the challenge
The project aimed to develop an operations view platform for Inlife, focusing on a user-friendly interface for landlords. It streamlined access to activities like check-ins, visit requests, and management tasks (e.g., cleanings and maintenance), emphasizing clear organization and visual presentation.
The solution included flexible time range views (daily, weekly, monthly) to help landlords track past activities and stay informed about upcoming ones.
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 competitors
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.
Color pallete
interviews
2 landlords + 1 employee of InLife
In three interviews, I gathered insights from an InLife employee and two landlords. The employee shared a valuable perspective on the property management business, explaining the operational aspects involved.
One landlord managed a few rooms, while the other oversaw 400+. Both emphasized the hands-on approach needed for maintenance, rent collection, and tenant inquiries.
Both landlords relied on Excel and WhatsApp for tasks like cleanings, visits, check-ins, and payments, showcasing their preference for accessible but inefficient tools. Their insights emphasized the need for better communication, strong relationships, and improved technology in property management.
“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.”
Landlord during interview
understanding
the initial design
After research and brainstorming, I designed a low-fidelity wireframe for the full dashboard, outlining InLife’s landlord platform requirements. This helped me visualize key information, understand stakeholder needs, and align solutions with business objectives.
The dashboard mapped the entire site, including homepage, leases, listings, and bookings. I identified the need for a dedicated operations view to streamline landlord actions and enhance the platform’s usability.
The first step used was the affinity diagram, followed by prioritization and card sorting.
AFINITTY DIAGRAM
1
tenants
SURVEYS
DASHBOARD
CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT
VISITS
PRIORITIZATION
2
operations view insights
+
current InLife’s landlord’s tools
-
competitors functionalities
not implemented
=
existing tools +
TOOLS to be implemented
GOAL
CARD SORTING
3
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
the user persona
"Tracking check-ins, bookings, and reservations manually is time-consuming. I need a tool that simplifies this process and provides a clear overview."
Sarah Thompson
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.
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.
Lo-fi dashboard
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.