Redesigning a Rental Platform to Bridge Communication Gaps
How I reimagined a rental platform’s experience to balance user needs, technical constraints, and business goals.
Project Overview
Lively is a rental platform that helps landlords and tenants communicate, pay rent, and manage maintenance requests in one place. The old site lacked functionality and clarity, making daily tasks inefficient. I redesigned the platform to improve communication, usability, and overall experience for both sides.
Team Collaboration:
CEO, Project Manager, Engineers/Developers, Creative Chief Director
Conversion Improvement
B2C
Information Architecture
Platform Redesign
Property Management Platform
DURATION
7 months
April 2024 – November 2024
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Notion, WordPress, Illustrator
Project Type
Website Redesign, Real Estate Startup
ROLE
Product Designer
Problem
Turning Frustration into Functionality
The original Lively website was static and lacked communication features. Both tenants and landlords relied on manual updates and third-party tools, which caused confusion and delays. The Lively team often acted as a middleman between both parties, consuming time and slowing down operations. This created inefficiencies that prevented the team from focusing on growth and new opportunities.
Design Challenge
How might we improve the tenant experience while giving landlords the tools they need to efficiently manage their properties?
Project Goal
Redefining how tenants and landlords connect
The platform was designed to help landlords and tenants communicate, manage tasks, and stay updated in a professional and reliable environment. Our goals were to reduce Lively’s role as a communication middleman, enable direct interaction between landlords and tenants, and allow Lively to focus on expanding its real estate portfolio instead of daily communication issues. Limited budget considerations also influenced how we prioritized features and MVP functionality.
Communicate
Direct landlord-tenant interaction
Manage Tasks
Simplify daily operations
Stay Updated
Real-time notifications
Focus Growth
Reduce Lively overhead
Tenant Dashboard Mapping:
Landlord Dashboard Mapping:
Research & Insights
Research brought clarity to the core problem
To understand user needs and market positioning, we analyzed major rental platforms like Zillow, StreetEasy, Airbnb, and Booking.com. While Zillow and StreetEasy focused on listings, Airbnb and Booking.com emphasized short-term stays. This revealed a gap for a platform combining property listings with long-term communication and management tools. Surveys with tenants and landlords confirmed this need, highlighting difficulties in reaching one another, privacy concerns, and the lack of a secure, centralized space for communication and record-keeping.
User Findings:
User Pain Points:
Problem 1
Difficulty reaching the other party
Problem 2
No central place to track updates
Problem 3
Privacy concerns with sharing personal info
Problem 4
Communication scattered across platforms
Problem 5
Lack of transparency about maintenance requests
Defining the Problem
After analyzing our research, we realized that the problem wasn’t just about communication; it was about building trust and efficiency through a connected platform. We wanted to create an experience that felt familiar and intuitive, especially for existing users.
Our Users:
Design & Iteration
Early wireframes helped visualize core flows and layouts.
During usability testing, we discovered that users struggled with the top navigation, which made it difficult to see all available sections. We switched to a side navigation for easier access and visibility.
We refined dashboard layouts to ensure clarity and responsiveness, focusing on hierarchy and readability for both desktop and mobile users. Accessibility and scalability were top priorities, as we envisioned Lively growing into a broader real estate platform.
Impact & Results
The redesign led to measurable improvements in user experience and business operations:
Efficiency ↑ 30%
Team focused on expanding listings.
Engagement ↑ 50%
Active use of new dashboards.
Drop-off ↓ 35%
Users completing key actions.
Frustration ↓ 40%+
Faster issue resolution.
What I learned along the way
Learned the importance of detail when designing for multiple user types.
Practiced balancing priorities between landlords and tenants through testing and feedback.
Gained a deeper appreciation for flexibility, when one approach doesn’t work technically, there’s always another solution.
Realized that clear communication and adaptability are key to delivering a product that works for everyone.
How I’d take it further
Create a mobile app version of the platform for better accessibility and convenience.
Continue refining the dashboard experience based on user feedback and evolving needs.
Explore new messaging features, such as editing and deleting messages, to improve communication between tenants and landlords.
Introduce quick tips or guided help to make the platform easier for first-time users.