For landlords with a small number of properties (less than 10) are made to choose between using agencies with high fees or spending lots of time managing everything themselves.

We wanted to produce a web app, which would allow landlords to manage tenants, their details, deposits and background checks, contracts, property maintenance and regular safety checks.

As UX and visual designer, I oversaw the whole UX process, from taking initial specs to creating user journeys, wireframes, visual design and prototypes.

Context

BackShilling was a start-up business whose aim was to empower landlords to be able to manage their properties effortlessly.

Process

When I joined the project development had already started, but it was evident the prototype, was not usable or friendly.

The project lead and I produced a set of specifications and requirements. We drew from our experiences with property, his an Estate agent and mine as a landlord.

I mapped out user journeys for the essential tasks we wanted to achieve in the first iteration of the product.

There was no design style or branding and only a simple logo. As this was a quick turn-around project, I created a style tile to cover the essentials of the visual design. 

Using scamps, I drew in meetings; I produced wireframes to test the information architecture and application flow. 

By using an agile methodology, we were able to keep the project on track and deliver the first complete mockups and prototype. 

I presented the prototype to the stakeholders and the entire team. They were thrilled with the results, feeling they could see how the final product could work. 

The team demoed the prototype to landlords and investors at several events and had a very positive response.

Reflection

Sadly due to the breakdown of the business partnership, BlackShilling did not get out of the development phase. Even though the product did not launch, I am proud of the work. The whole team was excited about the project and how it was going to work. There was great feedback from the target audience too.