PropLive
PropLive simplifies property tasks effortlessly with intuitive UI/UX design for Defect Management, Billing, Service Applications, Visitor Management, Facility Booking, and notices.
Overview
PropLive is a comprehensive mobile application designed to enhance the management and operational efficiency of residential communities. The app incorporates essential features such as Defect Management, Billing, Service Applications, Visitor Management, Facility Booking, and Notices. The primary objective was to create a seamless, user-friendly interface that allows residents, property managers, and service providers to interact efficiently. By focusing on intuitive navigation, clear visual design, and effective communication tools, the PropLive app aims to streamline community management processes, improving overall user satisfaction and engagement.
Problem Statement
How can we develop a mobile application that addresses the challenges faced by property managers and residents in managing community operations, such as defect reporting, billing transparency, and facility bookings, by integrating key functionalities like real-time defect tracking, streamlined billing systems, and easy-to-use booking interfaces, to enhance communication, efficiency, and overall user experience within residential communities?
Roles & Responsibilities
As the lead of the UX/UI Design team for the PropLive mobile application, I spearheaded the design process from the initial discovery phase through to the delivery of high-fidelity mock-ups and interactive prototypes. Over the course of six months, I took full responsibility for ensuring that the design met the diverse needs of property managers, residents, and service providers. I independently facilitated meetings with the client’s team to align on goals and expectations, while also conducting usability testing and iterating on designs to refine the user experience. My focus was on creating a seamless, intuitive interface that addressed the challenges of managing residential communities efficiently.
Phase 1 : Discovery & Research
I concentrated on understanding the pain points of property managers and residents in managing daily community operations. I conducted comprehensive user research, including interviews with property managers, surveys with residents, and on-site observations, to uncover their challenges with defect reporting, billing transparency, and facility booking. By analyzing competitors and evaluating current market offerings, I identified gaps in existing solutions. These insights allowed me to develop detailed user personas and map out user journeys, highlighting opportunities where PropLive could significantly improve user experience. I synthesized these findings into well-defined problem statements and aligned them with the app’s business objectives, setting a clear, user-centric design direction to ensure the solution would be both practical and effective.
Phase 2 : Design & Iteration
I translated our research findings into practical designs, starting with wireframes and progressing to high-fidelity prototypes that emphasized ease of use and a consistent visual style. I worked hand-in-hand with developers to bring these designs to life, ensuring accuracy and functionality. Based on user feedback, I made ongoing adjustments to refine the interface, improving usability and ensuring the app met the needs of both property managers and residents.
Tools & Methods
I heavily utilized Figma for both design and prototyping, drawing on user research to pinpoint key challenges and user behaviors. Throughout the project, I iteratively refined the design concept, ensuring that each update addressed the insights gathered and aligned with the overall project goals.
Interview Insights
The team engaged in detailed one-on-one interviews with property managers and residents who were directly involved in community management. These discussions offered valuable insights into the most crucial features users needed, such as straightforward defect reporting, transparent billing, and seamless facility booking. Participants also highlighted the importance of having effective communication tools between residents and management. Using this feedback, I designed wireframes and mock-ups that prioritized these features and developed a prototype that integrated robust communication functionalities. Further user testing led to refinements that enhanced the app’s usability, aligning it closely with user expectations.
User Persona
I created the following persona based on insights gathered during user interviews in our initial research phase.
Persona 1
Priya Kumar
Senior Property Manager
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Goals:
To streamline property management processes across multiple sites.
To efficiently track and resolve maintenance and defect reports.
To improve the overall satisfaction of residents through effective property management.
Behaviour:
Priya relies on digital tools for organizing tasks and monitoring property conditions.
She frequently reviews reports and updates to ensure all issues are addressed promptly.
Priya values proactive management and schedules regular inspections and maintenance.
Pain Points:
Challenges in managing multiple defect reports across different properties.
Inconsistent updates on the status of maintenance tasks.
Difficulty in coordinating with service providers for timely resolution of issues.
Key Features Desired:
A centralized dashboard for managing defect reports and maintenance tasks.
Automated status updates and reminders for ongoing tasks.
Easy access to property-related documents and schedules.
Persona 2
Mei Ling Tan
Young Professional & Condo Resident
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Goals:
To easily report maintenance issues in her condo unit.
To stay informed about important community updates and notices.
To conveniently book shared facilities like the gym or pool.
Behaviour:
Mei Ling uses her smartphone for most tasks and prefers apps that offer quick and easy access to information.
She regularly checks for community updates and notices to stay informed.
Mei Ling values efficiency and prefers straightforward solutions that don't require much time or effort.
Pain Points:
Inconvenience in reporting defects and following up on maintenance requests.
Lack of timely notifications about community updates or facility availability.
Difficulty in booking facilities during peak hours.
Key Features Desired:
A simple, user-friendly defect reporting system with clear tracking.
Push notifications for important notices and updates.
An intuitive facility booking system that clearly displays available time slots.
Ahmad Faris
Government Employee & Family Man
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Persona 3
Goals:
To ensure the safety and comfort of his family by managing home-related issues efficiently.
To easily book community facilities for family activities.
To stay updated on billing and community management notices.
Behaviour:
Ahmad prefers using mobile apps to manage household tasks due to his busy work schedule.
He regularly checks billing statements and ensures all payments are up to date.
Ahmad values transparency and expects clear communication from property management.
Pain Points:
Frustration with delays in resolving defect reports
Difficulty in understanding billing details and keeping track of payment history.
Inconvenience in booking facilities and receiving timely updates about community events.
Key Features Desired:
A user-friendly defect management system with clear tracking and follow-up options.
Easy access to billing history, payment reminders, and detailed billing information.
A family-friendly interface for booking facilities and receiving community updates.
Challenges & Scope
One of the primary challenges was designing an interface that accommodated the diverse needs of property managers and residents while ensuring a straightforward and intuitive user experience. Managing features like defect reporting, billing, and facility booking required careful attention to detail to avoid overwhelming users with complexity. Although real-time updates and detailed tracking were not initially within the scope, we collaborated closely with the development team to integrate these functionalities seamlessly. For example, streamlining the process for reporting defects and tracking their resolution needed to balance simplicity with comprehensive functionality. This approach ensured that users could efficiently manage their tasks without sacrificing ease of use.
Design Goals
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Develop a user-friendly interface that minimizes steps for completing key tasks like defect reporting and facility booking.
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Focus on simplifying complex processes, such as billing management, to ensure clarity and ease for all users.
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Create a consistent and visually appealing design that enhances the sense of trust and professionalism in the app.
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Prioritize responsiveness and performance to ensure smooth usage across a range of devices and screen sizes.
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Ensure users can access essential information, such as payment histories and booking statuses, with minimal effort.
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Design the user journey to reduce friction, making routine tasks quicker and more intuitive.
Design Process
For PropLive, it was crucial to design a user-friendly experience that catered to both property managers and residents. We created multiple iterations of key workflows, such as defect reporting, facility booking, and billing management, and tested these designs with a sample group of users over several weeks. Feedback from these sessions informed improvements to the interface, simplifying navigation and improving clarity across all features. Additionally, we incorporated helpful tools like automated notifications, reminders for tasks like bill payments, and a clear, intuitive layout to ensure users could efficiently manage their property-related needs with minimal effort.
Style Guide & UI Design
The PropLive app employs a sleek and professional color scheme, with neutral tones that reflect trust and reliability, while accent colors highlight important actions and alerts. The user interface is designed to be clean and minimal, with a focus on clear organization and easy navigation. Simple, intuitive icons guide users through tasks like defect reporting and facility booking. Consistent typography is used throughout the app to maintain readability and ensure that all information is easily accessible, contributing to a seamless and efficient user experience.
Final Design
PropLive offers several essential features designed to simplify property management and community communication. The inbox feature provides a centralized space for users to receive important notifications, including updates on defect resolutions, payment due dates, and appointment schedules. The account creation process is straightforward, allowing users to easily sign up by entering their details and agreeing to terms of service and privacy policies. Additionally, the noticeboard feature allows residents to access important community documents, such as house rules, in a convenient, downloadable format. The app’s design ensures easy navigation with intuitive icons for seamless access to various sections, including the home, market, connect, inbox, and profile.
In addition to its communication and document access tools, PropLive enhances property management with its detailed billing and payment feature, offering users a clear summary of service charges, sinking funds, and other expenses through intuitive visuals like pie charts. The app also provides a transparent transaction history, allowing residents to view and manage invoices, receipts, and payment records with ease. Furthermore, the service applications section enables users to request various services, such as renovation permits, delivery scheduling, and event permits, ensuring that all essential tasks are handled seamlessly in one platform.
Comprehensive Design
The PropLive admin panel offers a powerful tool for managing daily property operations. It allows admins to oversee essential functions like defect management, billing, revenue tracking, appointments, and notices. Additionally, the system enables the assignment of specific admins to designated modules. If an admin is not assigned to a particular module, such as defect management, they won’t have access to it when logged into their account. This feature ensures a high level of control and security, allowing property management to be both efficient and organized.
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Challenge: Ensuring that the defect reporting and tracking system was both comprehensive and easy for users to navigate.
Solution: Introduce a step-by-step guided process for defect reporting, coupled with real-time status updates to keep users informed.
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Challenge: Users found it difficult to track their payments and understand billing breakdowns.
Solution: Implement clear visual representations (pie charts, summaries) and a detailed transaction history for easier tracking.
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Challenge: Creating a flexible system where admins could be assigned access only to specific modules.
Solution: Build a user role management feature that allows admins to be assigned or restricted from certain modules, ensuring secure access control.
✺ Navigating Hurdles✺
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Challenge: Clients occasionally shifted their priorities or added new requirements during the design phase.
Solution: Establish regular check-ins and feedback sessions to stay aligned with client needs while ensuring that changes were managed within scope and timeline.
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Challenge: Providing a consistent experience across different devices and screen sizes.
Solution: Adopt responsive design principles and test thoroughly across multiple devices to ensure smooth functionality.
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Challenge: Delays in feedback and decision-making from the client’s side, slowing progress.
Solution: Set clear milestones and deadlines, and communicate the impact of delays early to keep the project on track.
Conclusion & Outcome
Conclusion & Outcome
The PropLive app successfully streamlines property management tasks by offering an intuitive interface for both residents and property managers. With features like defect reporting, billing transparency, and service applications, the app provides a comprehensive solution to simplify daily operations within residential communities. The user-friendly design ensures that complex tasks are easily managed, while the customizable admin panel adds a layer of flexibility and control.
By prioritizing user feedback and continuously refining the design, the app effectively meets the diverse needs of its users. The inclusion of features like real-time updates, transaction tracking, and role-based access for admins enhances operational efficiency and ensures security. The outcome is a well-rounded platform that improves both communication and management within property ecosystems.
Reflecting on the project, early and consistent collaboration with stakeholders played a vital role in delivering a successful product. Clear communication helped to avoid scope creep and facilitated a smooth development process. Regular usability testing provided critical insights that helped shape the final design, ensuring that the app met user expectations and business goals effectively.