My Home Vault
End-to-End for a Prop-Tech Startup
Role
Product designer
Timeline
February - September 2022
Project overview
MyHomeVault is a prop-tech app designed to replace messy drawers and folders with a secure space to store everything related to home ownership - from receipts and manuals to paint colours and tradie contacts. The aim was to build a user-friendly tool that helps homeowners stay organised.
My contribution
I was the sole designer from concept to launch. I led workshops, user interviews, and competitor analysis. I designed wireframes, built prototypes, tested with users, and developed a scalable design system that worked across mobile and desktop.
Reflections
This project taught me how to balance speed with quality, adapt quickly, and communicate clearly with both developers and stakeholders and working solo pushed me to wear many hats and balance shifting priorities. Despite tight timelines and a small team, we launched a product that users found valuable and easy to use.
Approach
The project ran over several months in close collaboration with the CTO and two developers. We worked in weekly sprints, taking an iterative approach guided by regular user feedback. Starting from scratch, we validated the concept through user research, then moved quickly into design and prototyping, constantly refining based on testing insights. Given the small team, flexibility and clear communication were essential.
Key Actions:
Discovery and Validation:
To ground the concept in real user needs, I led three rounds of interviews with homeowners. These revealed that convenience and easy access to home-related info were key pain points. Insights from these sessions informed our early concepts and helped define core features.Wireframing and Prototyping:
I created wireframes and a low-fidelity prototype to test initial ideas. We ran moderated, task-based tests to uncover usability issues early. A second testing round with a broader demographic helped refine the flow and content, leading to a more complete high-fidelity prototype that closely resembled the final app experience.Design System Creation:
To ensure consistency and speed up development, I built a custom design system in Figma using Material UI as a base. Components were carefully structured and documented with clear naming, usage guidelines, and behaviour notes. This gave developers a reliable reference, reduced friction during handoff, and made it easy to scale the app across platforms.Tight Design-Dev Collaboration:
I worked alongside two external developers throughout the project, supporting implementation and making design decisions on the fly. This close alignment helped us move quickly without compromising quality. We stayed agile, iterating based on testing outcomes and internal feedback.Extending to Desktop:
Soon after launch, we began work on a desktop version. Thanks to the flexibility of the design system, we were able to adapt layouts and patterns without starting from scratch. The system scaled seamlessly, allowing us to deliver a cohesive desktop experience in just a few weeks.
Pictured: Testing in the discovery phase on a low fidelity wireframe to validate the direction
Outcomes
Clearer UX, Less Clutter:
The app helped users move away from scattered paperwork by centralising key home information. Early adopters appreciated the clean layout and intuitive flow.
Cross-Platform Consistency:
The design system ensured a consistent experience across mobile and desktop, making it easier to maintain and extend the product.
Efficient Handover:
Clear documentation and consistent components sped up development, reduced back-and-forth, and improved implementation quality.
Focused Delivery:
Despite limited resources, we delivered a well-received MVP on both platforms, a good example of what a small, focused team can achieve.
Key desktop screens
The design system I built and maintained throughout the project.