Property Calculator

This project focused on creating a user-centric application designed to assist users in evaluating property investment opportunities. My role encompassed end-to-end product management, from understanding user needs to delivering a polished, intuitive app interface. The app combines financial calculators, user-friendly workflows, and data visualisation tools to empower users to make informed decisions about property investments.

Understand

Homeownership offers individuals the opportunity to either secure their own residence or generate passive income through rental properties. However, many new investors often overlook the potential of renting out individual rooms or entire properties. Without the right tools to accurately calculate potential earnings, they risk missing out on profitable opportunities or under-optimising their investments.

This project tackles these challenges by creating a web app that consolidates multiple financial calculators in one place, empowering users to make informed decisions about property investments and rentals.

The foundation of the app was built upon a comprehensive analysis of user needs and pain points. Through stakeholder interviews, surveys, and focus groups, I identified the primary challenges and expectations of first-time investors, landlords, and financial advisors.

Key Activities:

• User Research: Conducted interviews with potential users, including first-time investors, experienced landlords, and financial advisors.
• Persona Development: Created detailed user personas to capture diverse user goals and challenges.
• Requirements Gathering: Mapped out essential features such as property comparison, ROI calculators, and location analysis tools.

Research

To inform the product's functionality and design, I conducted extensive competitor and market analysis. This included:

• Calculator Design: Researching financial models for property investment, including ROI, net income, and cost analysis.
• Competitor Analysis: Evaluated similar tools to identify gaps in functionality and user experience.
• Design Trends: Explored app design trends, prioritising simplicity, accessibility, and data visualisation.

Outcome: Defined a clear roadmap for the app, detailing key features, a prioritisation matrix, and a competitive edge.

UX Design

User experience was central to the development process, ensuring the app was both functional and intuitive.

Process:

1. Wireframing: Created low-fidelity wireframes to map the user journey and test initial concepts.
2. Prototyping: Developed interactive prototypes to simulate user interactions and gather feedback.
3. Usability Testing: Conducted iterative testing with diverse user groups to refine layouts, navigation, and features.

Product Management

I took full ownership of the product development lifecycle, ensuring alignment between user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Roadmap Planning: Defined the app’s vision, goals, and milestones based on user insights and business objectives.
• Feature Prioritisation: Collaborated with stakeholders to prioritise features using MoSCoW and Kano analysis.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with developers, designers, and analysts to ensure seamless implementation.

UI Design

The app’s UI design evolved through several iterations, driven by user feedback and usability testing.

1. Initial Design: Created a gradient-themed interface to enhance visual appeal.

2. Feedback and Revisions: User testing revealed that the gradient effect made the interface appear cluttered. In response, I:

   • Simplified the colour scheme to solid tones.
   • Explored background variations for desktop displays.
   • Enhanced the visual hierarchy to prioritise key actions.

Final Product

The final product is a seamless blend of user-centred design, robust functionality, and data-driven insights. It simplifies complex property calculations, empowering users to make confident investment decisions.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive ROI calculators, factoring in costs, rental income, and market trends.
• Interactive property comparisons across multiple locations.
• Clean, responsive design optimised for both mobile and desktop platforms.