Property Tab

The story behind Property Tab

Property maintenance often brings unexpected costs for landlords, creating financial stress and potential delays in repairs. From our conversations with property managers, it was clear that landlords needed a way to manage these expenses without disrupting their cash flow.

Market Context

The buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) model was gaining traction in various markets, especially for home goods. However, it hadn’t been adapted for property management. We saw an opportunity to introduce this model to help landlords handle maintenance costs more effectively.

User Needs

Landlords needed financial flexibility to manage unexpected expenses without immediate out-of-pocket payments. They also wanted a solution that integrated smoothly with their existing workflows and could be trusted to understand their specific challenges.

Vision

We developed Property Tab, a tool integrated into Tapi’s platform, allowing landlords to finance maintenance work and manage payments over time using rental income. This solution helps maintain property value, ensures tenant satisfaction, and reduces financial stress for landlords.

Toolbelt

• Market Analysis

• User Interviews

• Secondary Research

Designing Property Tab

Understanding the Journey

Given the project’s complexity, we developed a high-level journey map to ensure a smooth integration of Property Tab into the customer experience. This was crucial, especially with the need to incorporate the financing infrastructure from our partner, Property Credit.

Design & Prototyping

Guided by the journey map, we created wireframes and prototypes that integrated seamlessly with Tapi’s platform. Continuous user feedback drove refinements, ensuring the product met the needs of both landlords and property managers.

Testing & Iteration

We worked closely with property management agencies that had shown interest in Property Tab, using their feedback to validate and refine the product. This collaboration ensured that the final design aligned with both user expectations and technical requirements.

Final Implementation

Property Tab was successfully integrated into Tapi’s platform. The result was a user-friendly tool that allowed landlords to manage maintenance costs flexibly, supported by Property Credit’s financing infrastructure.

Toolbelt

• Journey Map

• Design Sprint

• How Might We

• Jobs-to-be-Done

• Hook Model

• Fogg Behaviour Model

My role in this project

As Head of Design, I oversaw the Property Tab project from concept to launch. In the early stages, I worked closely with senior colleagues to refine the project requirements and set the direction for the final product. I led a team of two talented product designers, Cody and Jasmin, who played key roles in developing the prototypes and designs in Figma.

I collaborated with Cody and Jasmin in various ways – brainstorming ideas during the early stages or co-designing screens together in Figma later on. Throughout the project, I guided them in refining the user experience, ensuring that our designs were both functional and intuitive.

I also worked closely with internal stakeholders to align the project’s goals and vision with our timelines, ensuring that Property Tab met the technical requirements and strategic objectives of Tapi’s platform.

Toolbelt

• Co-Design Sessions

Project insights

• Stakeholder Alignment

  Early collaboration with both internal teams and Property Credit was crucial. It ensured that their financing infrastructure integrated smoothly and prevented issues later in the project.

• User-Centered Iteration

  Engaging with interested property management agencies throughout the design process provided critical feedback. Iterating based on their input helped us refine the product to meet real-world needs.

• Balancing Needs and Requirements

  The project underscored the challenge of balancing user-friendly design with technical constraints. Close collaboration with Cody and Jasmin was key to navigating these complexities.

• Value of Journey Mapping

  A detailed journey map was essential for managing the project’s complexity. It helped us anticipate challenges and align the design with the project’s broader goals.

Stakeholder alignment: Early collaboration with both internal teams and Property Credit was crucial. It ensured that their financing infrastructure integrated smoothly and prevented issues later in the project.

User-centred iteration: Engaging with interested property management agencies throughout the design process provided critical feedback. Iterating based on their input helped us refine the product to meet real-world needs.

Balancing needs and requirements: The project underscored the challenge of balancing user-friendly design with technical constraints. Close collaboration with Cody and Jasmin was key to navigating these complexities.

Value of journey mapping: A detailed journey map was essential for managing the project’s complexity. It helped us anticipate challenges and align the design with the project’s broader goals.

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