Vtour
Finding a new home from another city is challenging, especially without the ability to tour properties in person. Vtour connects renters with trusted locals who tour potential living spaces on their behalf, guided by personalized checklists created by the renters themselves.
Bridging the Gap in Remote House-Hunting
Role
UX Designer
Project Type
Side Project
Team Members
Pan Li & Cecilia Zhao
Platforms
Mobile application
Areas
Design, Research
Challenge
Renters looking for housing in different cities face significant hurdles due to the lack of in-person tours, often leading to stress and uncertainty.
Initial research highlighted several critical challenges:
Renters find online information insufficient to accurately judge important property details such as cleanliness, noise levels, and the overall "feel" of the home.
Users report difficulty trusting generic listings and expressed anxiety about making decisions without in-person verification.
Interviews show renters prefer relying on trusted individuals to physically inspect properties and validate online information, underscoring the need for human assurance in the remote house-hunting process.
Overall, renters struggle to trust limited online information when house-hunting remotely, resulting in stress, uncertainty, and difficulty making informed decisions.
Figma workshop to narrow down user priorities and scope.
Exploring initial wireframe concepts to streamline user flows.
Approach
We conducted extensive research, including competitive analysis, card sorting activities, observation analyses, and user interviews. This process revealed key insights:
Trust is Crucial: Renters strongly preferred reliable, in-person verification to supplement online listings.
Customization Matters: Users needed detailed, personalized property inspections tailored to their priorities.
Clear Communication: Real-time interactions significantly reduced uncertainty and anxiety.
Guided by these insights, our team designed targeted features to create a trustworthy, user-centered solution.
Easily import saved listings to personalize the experience from the start.
Quick lifestyle questions match renters with the right local viewer.
Get a detailed report based on your custom checklist.
Viewer profiles build trust with reviews, verification, and compatibility tags.
Impact
Usability testing with 20 participants confirmed significant positive impacts:
Increased Confidence
↑70%
Trust & Stress Reduction
90%
Ease of Use
90%
Vtour effectively addressed user needs, transforming remote uncertainty into empowered, informed house-hunting.
Care to Dive Deeper Into the Process?
Click below to uncover the thinking, testing, and refining behind the scenes