Turning Renting Friction into a Trusted Platform Proposition

01 · Challenge

Six months of research. Still no clear direction.

The client had done significant exploratory work — desk research, qualitative interviews, business modelling — and arrived at two competing propositions. The problem wasn't a lack of data. It was a lack of validated direction. They needed to know which features to back, what users would actually pay for, and whether a trusted landlord-tenant platform was a real opportunity or a wishful one.

• Existing research had produced competing propositions without resolving which had stronger commercial potential
• No validated evidence of willingness to pay across either landlords or tenants
• Landlord-tenant relationships characterised by low trust, poor communication and high friction
• Need to design for both sides of the market simultaneously — with different motivations, risks and expectations
• Tight timeline with senior stakeholder pressure for a clear, sponsorable outcome

02 · Approach

Two design sprints. Twenty real users. Real answers.

I led a team of three designers across a 10-week engagement structured around two focused design sprints. The methodology was deliberately lean — prioritising validated evidence over comprehensive documentation.

• 20 in-depth interviews across 10 landlords (large and small scale) and 10 tenants to understand current experiences, frustrations and unmet needs
• Low-fidelity concept testing across two two-day intensive sessions to test desirability before investing in high-fidelity design
• Feature prioritisation framework to assess which capabilities landlords and tenants valued most — and what they would pay for
• Willingness-to-pay testing embedded directly into concept sessions
• Service maps showing the full tenancy lifecycle — from property search to tenancy end — and where the biggest friction points sat
• Business model design connecting customer value, revenue streams and partnership opportunities

Methods used

03 · Outcome

A validated proposition with a clear path forward.

Rent Pass — a platform designed to build trusted, transparent relationships between landlords and tenants throughout the full tenancy lifecycle.

• Proposition validated with real landlords and tenants across different scale, type and experience level
• Clear evidence of which features created value and which users would pay for
• Clickable prototype refined through user testing — ready for the next stage of development
• Feature list usable to assess potential technology and delivery partners
• Final report with concept designs and service maps used to secure senior sponsorship

04 · Impact

Evidence that moved the conversation from 'should we?' to 'how do we?'

The work gave the bank the confidence to continue investing. More importantly, it gave the leadership team a clear, evidence-backed view of what the proposition should be — and what it shouldn't.

The value wasn't the prototype. It was the clarity — a business decision made on evidence rather than assumption.