Background
A property management company in Chicago owned more than 100 buildings. All of them were vintage and restored, so repair work was constantly being done. To protect my client's confidentiality, I am presenting this project as a fictitious brand I created: Abode
Pain Points
My client's website did not feature the scope of information that renters wanted when looking for apartments. The site also looked outdated.
On the management side, my client's office had a hard time of keeping track of the various maintenance projects. This resulted in repairs being done at a slower than desired pace, which compromised the renter's experience.
Business Goals
(1) Create a website that has the information and features that apartment shoppers expect. (2) Create a portal that can help management facilitate repairs with contractors.
Service Design Blueprint
Process and Insights
To create this blueprint, I interviewed renters, my client, and other property managers. I found that renters often complain about the speed of repairs being completed. Additionally, property management companies and contractors could both benefit from a more structured system of assigning and reporting work.
Updated Consumer-facing Website
Process and Outcomes
To determine which apartment shopping features to include, I interviewed renters who had experience with the most highly-rated platforms like Redfin, Zillow, and Apartments.com.
To accelerate the apartment repair process for tenants, I built a reporting feature into their portal. This section would be updated in real-time by whoever is handling the repair. Tenants can also pay their rent in the portal.
Mobile App for Contractors
Process and Outcomes
After observing how my client's office operated and interviewing contractors, I came up with a specialized app concept that would help keep everyone on the same page. Management could either have the app delegate projects automatically or assign projects manually. Contractors have an easy interface to clock in, keep track of expenses, and report project statuses.
Style Guide
Next Steps
If the client wanted to implement a system like this, I would work with a software engineer to build it out. To complete this concept, I would need to produce mockups for the company-facing portal.
And of course, I would continue usability testing and analytics monitoring to make sure the system is pleasant to use and operates as efficiently as possible.