Product Design ∴ CJ

To see my work, please email : me@c-j.co

UX/UI ∴ CJ
CJ

Zillow Renter Hub

Zillow Renter Hub

What is Zillow Renter Hub

Renter's Hub (RH) is a platform that organizes and manages a renter's process from search to signing a lease, managing rent payments during the tenancy, and managing the renter's identity and reputation over time. Rachel's Hub is an efficient and unified hub that demonstrates the overall value of ZG and allows renters to easily discover and navigate between products. This creates a lower learning curve and will increase renter satisfaction.

My Role

Design Leadership, Strategic Lead, Design Lead, Cross-functional collaboration
Project date: 2020-2021
Team: 2 Designers, 1 Researchers, 1 Content Writer

Project Spec

What is the North Star

Our goal is to delight Rachel by creating personalized, relevant, and effortless home rental experiences.

We believe the North Star is a state where all renter's needs are met within RH without the need to go to various places in Zillow or outside of Zillow. RH will be effortless to use and will provide full renter functionality to find a rental, submit an application, pay rent, manage ongoing relationships and maintain their identity and build credibility for their future rental.

Experience goal

Target audience

Partners

Understand the landscape

Diving into research — Past research findings

Past research findings
Past research findings

Current business insights

IA Models

How Renter Hub fits into the current rental product

As Renter Hub had to be built on top of the current experience, we had to think about how it sets a framework around how different product verticals interact with it, the (Purple) level being the Hub experience that connects the products, and the (Blue) level is the new products and services that are required to drive new value and insights for the customers.

Experience map
Product IA
Engagement models

How Renter Hub works with the rest of Zillow

Detached experience

The detached experience was one where most of the experiences for Rachel will be within the Rentals ecosystem (except browsing), and they will only return to Zillow if they decide to become a buyer or seller.

Integrated experience (Zillow 2.0)

The long-term goal however was to integrate the full experience with Zillow 2.0, which allows for a seamless transition between Buyer/Seller/Renter. In this approach, there will be a single user dashboard as a jumping point for users to forward with.

Navigation Flow Explorations

Task Centric

This provides a place where users come back to see an overview or complete task that we would recommend them to take and is a jumping point to connect them to where they need to go to accomplish them.

Task centric model

Hybrid

This combines both a task model and a management model, where they are not only able to manage tasks but able to track the progress of their rental journey.

Hybrid model

Property Centric

The Difference here is how tasks are being grouped. they are grouped and organized by property level, so they can accomplish all tasks within a property card.

Property centric model

Vision Walkthrough Prototype

⨳ Rachel is a renter looking for a place to stay, she has used Zillow app to brow and reached out to a few rentals she is interested in and saved a few of the places that she felt like has great potential.
⨳ Rachel is a renter looking for a place to stay, she has used Zillow app to brow and reached out to a few rentals she is interested in and saved a few of the places that she felt like has great potential.
⨳ She is brought to the search page with the 3 new listings and she's interested in the blue house, she then decides to save the property.
⨳ She is brought to the search page with the 3 new listings and she's interested in the blue house, she then decides to save the property.
⨳ The property she saves drops in the 'Manage' tab on the navigation letting her know where it saves at, she then decides to take a look at the other properties she saved.
⨳ The property she saves drops in the 'Manage' tab on the navigation letting her know where it saves at, she then decides to take a look at the other properties she saved.
⨳ She realizes that there where other properties she saved, and now there's also a way to see properties she contacted and applied for. She decides to take a close look at at her applications.
⨳ She realizes that there where other properties she saved, and now there's also a way to see properties she contacted and applied for. She decides to take a close look at at her applications.
⨳ She has not applied to any properties yet. But she sees a upsell telling about Zillow applications and she's now aware of product that could help her save. She then takes a look at the properties she has contacted.
⨳ She has not applied to any properties yet. But she sees a upsell telling about Zillow applications and she's now aware of product that could help her save. She then takes a look at the properties she has contacted.
⨳ As it turns out, she did reach out to 3 properties before, and she decides to take a closer look at the process of one of the properties she reached out to.
⨳ As it turns out, she did reach out to 3 properties before, and she decides to take a closer look at the process of one of the properties she reached out to.
⨳ She is able to track when she reached out to the property, and the next best steps she could take with the property. She isn't ready to apply yet, so she decides to look at what other insights Zillow has for her.
⨳ She is able to track when she reached out to the property, and the next best steps she could take with the property. She isn't ready to apply yet, so she decides to look at what other insights Zillow has for her.
⨳ The next insight happens to be submitting her application, she has realized that Irene has actually invited her to apply, so she feels confident to go ahead with the application.
⨳ The next insight happens to be submitting her application, she has realized that Irene has actually invited her to apply, so she feels confident to go ahead with the application.
⨳ Magic happens (*she fills in her application and submits it) and she's notified that she will hear back from Irene in a couple of days.
⨳ Magic happens (*she fills in her application and submits it) and she's notified that she will hear back from Irene in a couple of days.
⨳ Now that she has applied for a place, she's brought back to the applications page, where she see the property show up within the tab. Zillow insights are really helping her, so she taps back to the insights to see what's left.
⨳ Now that she has applied for a place, she's brought back to the applications page, where she see the property show up within the tab. Zillow insights are really helping her, so she taps back to the insights to see what's left.
⨳ From the looks of it, most of the important task are done, Zillow then recommends her to upload a profile photo so stand out from the crowd, she decides to do that.
⨳ From the looks of it, most of the important task are done, Zillow then recommends her to upload a profile photo so stand out from the crowd, she decides to do that.
⨳ She goes on to take a photo.
⨳ She goes on to take a photo.
⨳ Once that is done, she's brought to her profile page, where she's able to see her photo and information show up. Out of curiosity, she goes back to the insights tab.
⨳ Once that is done, she's brought to her profile page, where she's able to see her photo and information show up. Out of curiosity, she goes back to the insights tab.
⨳ Zillow now shows her that she has done all the important task, and if she wants to she could continue exploring the rental market.
⨳ Zillow now shows her that she has done all the important task, and if she wants to she could continue exploring the rental market.
⨳ Now that Rachel has cleared all of the actions that Zillow has recommend her, she felt that she has spend her time productively in trying to acquire a rental.
⨳ Now that Rachel has cleared all of the actions that Zillow has recommend her, she felt that she has spend her time productively in trying to acquire a rental.
⨳ She get's a notification, she comes back to the app in see that Irene has accepted her application and sent over a leases for her to sign.
⨳ She get's a notification, she comes back to the app in see that Irene has accepted her application and sent over a leases for her to sign.
⨳ She gets a new mail notification and decides to check it out.
⨳ She gets a new mail notification and decides to check it out.
⨳ She sees that Zillow has sent her an update on new responses and personalized information around her search, that encourages her to download the rental app.
⨳ She sees that Zillow has sent her an update on new responses and personalized information around her search, that encourages her to download the rental app.
⨳ She continue on to download it from the apple store.
⨳ She continue on to download it from the apple store.
⨳ Once downloaded, she launches into the Zillow app.
⨳ Once downloaded, she launches into the Zillow app.
⨳ She decides to sign into to the app as she has used Zillow before.
⨳ She decides to sign into to the app as she has used Zillow before.
⨳ She's greeted with a new experience on Zillow that allows her to explore new insights to keep track and have a dedicated rental experience, she closes it out as she's unsure of what that means.
⨳ She's greeted with a new experience on Zillow that allows her to explore new insights to keep track and have a dedicated rental experience, she closes it out as she's unsure of what that means.
⨳ On the home experience, she sees that the insights tab is taking center stage on the nav with an alert, she then decides to tap into it.
⨳ On the home experience, she sees that the insights tab is taking center stage on the nav with an alert, she then decides to tap into it.
⨳ She lands into the insights experience, and sees that there are (New message, New listing and New task).
⨳ She lands into the insights experience, and sees that there are (New message, New listing and New task).
⨳ There's also a feed of the tasks, it is ranked by the most important and timely actions she needs to take, she decides to reply to Irene.
⨳ There's also a feed of the tasks, it is ranked by the most important and timely actions she needs to take, she decides to reply to Irene.
⨳ She sees a new message from Irene letting her know about allowing for pets and a pet deposit fee.
⨳ She sees a new message from Irene letting her know about allowing for pets and a pet deposit fee.
⨳ She decides to respond back to Irene, knowing that Irene accepts pets.
⨳ She decides to respond back to Irene, knowing that Irene accepts pets.
⨳ Now that she has responded, she decides to go back to look at the rest of her messages.
⨳ Now that she has responded, she decides to go back to look at the rest of her messages.
⨳ She sees that Bryan has also responded back to her question, she taps to take a look at the message.
⨳ She sees that Bryan has also responded back to her question, she taps to take a look at the message.
⨳ She reads the message and realize that Bryan does not accept pets, so she taps back to her message inbox.
⨳ She reads the message and realize that Bryan does not accept pets, so she taps back to her message inbox.
⨳ Back at the messages inbox, she see that there is still an alert present on her 'Insights' on the navigation, she decides to take a look at what else there is.
⨳ Back at the messages inbox, she see that there is still an alert present on her 'Insights' on the navigation, she decides to take a look at what else there is.
⨳ She sees that the top insight card is recommending 3 new listings, and she decides to explore them.
⨳ She sees that the top insight card is recommending 3 new listings, and she decides to explore them.
⨳ She excited about the place and goes into leases to start the signing process.
⨳ She excited about the place and goes into leases to start the signing process.
⨳ She adopts the signature and signs the leases.
⨳ She adopts the signature and signs the leases.
⨳ She brought back to 'My rentals' where she can see the property she just signed the lease for. She decides to go to insights as there was an alert.
⨳ She brought back to 'My rentals' where she can see the property she just signed the lease for. She decides to go to insights as there was an alert.
⨳ Zillow recommends her to set up her monthly payment for the rental she just signed a lease for.
⨳ Zillow recommends her to set up her monthly payment for the rental she just signed a lease for.
⨳ Rachel is now ale to deal with other parts of her life, as the rental journey was such a breeze with the help of Zillow.
⨳ Rachel is now ale to deal with other parts of her life, as the rental journey was such a breeze with the help of Zillow.

Execution Plan

Gaining stakeholder buy-in and growing the team

The work was shared broadly with stakeholders and from the get-go, I spent time meeting individually with senior leadership. I was able to show how the vision aligns with their product goals, and through that, we were able to get the resourcing to bring this vision to fruition. We had to break down and distill it into an MVP experience that does not sacrifice experience quality.

Cross-Functional product collaboration

With leadership support, I shared the vision across rentals during All-hands. I also brought together Product, Engineering, Native App, and Customer Insights teams to think about how to break down the milestones and kick off the process. With that, we were able to align on how to execute the vision over the next few quarters.

Key Experiences

Initial Launch Team breakdown

Key Products

Rental Hub

The hub experience evolved from the vision work, however, the goal of the platform was still a place where the renters can have a home within Zillow. Having an ability to track their rental through knowing where they are in finding their next rental home, messages, and managing their current rental.

On-platform messages

This was a first for the renters on Zillow, they are finally able to respond and communicate directly on the platform with the landlords, without needing to respond through email or text messages.

Rental Journey (Contacted - My Rental)

This helps the user stay on track on any one specific property they have saved, they can see the previous action they have taken on the property and recommendations on what the best next steps are for their rental journey.

Product Impact

After Launch and Next Steps

Now that we have a framework for products to be connected within our rental platform, the goal is to build on integrating new tools into the Hub to drive engagement beyond the ‘next step’, like Renter Profile, recommendations, and educational content and to iterate on the current Rental Hub to make it more effective for the user.

Open initiatives