Housebank
Housebank
Housebank
Housebank is a platform that solves how people rent, buy and investment in properties, it bridge the critical gap between customers, realtors and real estate platforms. All in One
Category
Ui/Ux Design
Project
Techbricks Africa
Start Date
October 5, 2025
Designer
Ayodele Babalola
Location
Nigeria
Industry
Housing
What is Housebank?
Housebank is a comprehensive mobile and web platform designed to empower urban Nigerians in navigating the real estate ecosystem. It connects users, buyers, renters, realtors, and property companies through intuitive dashboards that facilitate seamless property exploration, secure transactions, and community-driven verification. Core features include map based searches for verified listings, flexible rent payment plans, investment tracking tools, and user reviews, all integrated with a centralized admin system for oversight. Built for scalability, the app supports multi-platform access (iOS, Android, web) and prioritizes inclusivity for diverse users, from first-time renters to institutional investors. The result? A 40% faster property matching rate and a 65% boost in user trust scores during beta testing, transforming a notoriously frustrating process into an efficient, empowering experience.
Design Process
The Ui/Ux for Housebank is carefully crafted to meet user's needs.
The following processes was carefully taken into consideration before developement
1. Research & Discovery
2. Information Architecutre
3. Wireframing
4. Visual Design
5. Prototyping
6. Usability Testing
Problem & solution
In Nigeria's booming urban centers like Lagos and Abuja, aspiring homeowners and renters face a fragmented real estate landscape riddled with opaque listings, unverified agents, and payment pitfalls that erode trust and waste time. With over 70% of young professionals struggling to find reliable housing amid rising costs and scam risks, the status quo leaves millions trapped in endless searches and unreliable deals, stifling economic mobility and family stability. Housebank tackles this by bridging the gap between seekers and credible opportunities, ensuring every listing is transparent, verifiable, and accessible, turning housing hunts from high-stakes gambles into confident steps toward homeownership.
my approach
As the Lead UI/UX Designer, I spearheaded the end-to-end design process, from initial user research to final handoff, collaborating closely with product managers, developers, and stakeholders at Housebank.
My contributions included crafting user personas and flows for key stakeholders, wireframing and prototyping core features in Figma, conducting iterative usability tests with 50+ urban users, and establishing a reusable design system that ensured consistency across platforms. I also integrated accessibility standards for low-literacy users and championed data-driven iterations that directly influenced feature prioritization, ultimately delivering a pixel-perfect interface that enhanced engagement and reduced drop-offs by 30%.
Drawing from human-centered design, I approached Housebank with a phased, empathetic strategy to address urban housing pain points while fostering trust and efficiency.
1. Discovery and Research (Weeks 1 to 4). Immersed in field studies across Lagos, conducting 20+ interviews with renters, realtors, and families to uncover barriers like fake listings and payment delays.
Analyzed competitors like PropertyPro.ng for gaps in verification tools. Key Insights: Users craved geo-targeted searches and agent ratings; 80% abandoned apps due to cluttered interfaces.
Deliverables: Empathy maps and personas, like "Aisha, 29, Young Professional Renter: Seeks quick, scam-free options amid long commutes."
2. Define Personas and User Journeys (Weeks 5 to 6). Built detailed archetypes: Renter (budget-focused explorer), Realtor (listing optimizer), Investor (ROI tracker).
Mapped journeys: Renter flow from search to payment; Realtor from upload to lead management. Highlighted frictions like manual verifications.
Deliverables: Journey maps and flow diagrams in Figma.
3. Information Architecture and Wireframing (Weeks 7 to 8). Structured a role-based navigation: Bottom tabs for Home (personalized feeds), Search (map/filter views), Dashboard (user-specific tools), Profile (verifications/payments). Key Screens: Interactive map with AR previews, swipeable listing cards, secure chat for negotiations. Focused on mobile-first for on-the-go users.
Deliverables: Low-fid wireframes, validated with stakeholder walkthroughs.
4. Prototyping and Visual Design (Weeks 9 to 10). Created high-fid prototypes with micro-interactions, like real-time verification badges popping on listings.
Design System: Warm earth tones (#455C47 for trust, #8F728E accents for highlights), sans-serif fonts (e.g., IBM plex Sans) for readability.
Ensured offline mode for spotty networks. Deliverables: Clickable prototypes and style guide.
5. Usability Testing and Iteration (Weeks 11 to 12). Ran three rounds with 40 users via UserTesting, tasks like "Find and verify a 2-bedroom in Ikeja under ₦500k." Metrics: 92% success rate, 25% faster navigation. Iterated on feedback, e.g., simplified payment flows.
Deliverables: Test reports and refined assets.
6. Launch Prep and Handoff (Weeks 13 to 12). Collaborated via Zeplin for dev handoff, defined KPIs like listing views and conversion rates. Post-launch: Monitored analytics for updates, like adding voice search. Success Measure: Users declaring, "Housebank made renting feel safe and simple."
This project wasn't just about pixels, it was about building equity in housing
