Product Design Case Study: Nuvia Homes

Overview

Platform: Web & Mobile
Industry: Real Estate, PropTech, Investment
Role: Product Designer (UI/UX, Branding, Research)

Nuvia Homes empowers global users to submit, manage, invest in, and develop properties, combining traditional tools with fintech features like crypto payments and real-time tracking.

Problem Statement

• Property owners lack a simple way to list, verify, and develop properties.
• Investors face opacity and a lack of documentation.
• Agents struggle with inefficient communication and lead management.

Goals & Objectives

• Multi-user experience (Owners, Agents, Admin, Investors)
• Transparent workflows (verification, payments, updates)
• Crypto and card payment support
• Intuitive investment and listing management

User Research Methods

• Competitive Audit (Agora, Fundrise, CrowdStreet)
• Stakeholder Interviews (Owners, Agents, Investors)
• Online Surveys (100+ responses)
• Usability Testing via Maze

Research Insights

• 80% of investors want visible contracts before committing
• Simplicity drives submission volume for owners
• Agents want all leads, messages, and viewings in one place

Personas

Ada – Landowner, Nigeria

• Name: Ada Obi
• Age: 42
• Location: Lagos, Nigeria
• Occupation: Retired school teacher & part-time shop owner
• Goals: Monetize inherited land without getting scammed or overwhelmed
• Pain Points:
  • Unclear legal steps for property development
  • Fear of fraud and hidden developer fees
  • Lack of digital literacy
• Tech Comfort Level: Basic smartphone user, prefers WhatsApp over email
• Quote: "I just want clarity on my land — where it is, what’s happening, and if I can trust who’s handling it."

Chidi – Investor, US

• Name: Chidi Okafor
• Age: 35
• Location: New York, USA
• Occupation: Software Engineer at a FinTech startup
• Goals: Diversify investments into African real estate using crypto
• Pain Points:
  • Hard to verify project legitimacy remotely
  • No live updates or progress tracking
  • Poor or missing ROI breakdowns
• Tech Comfort Level: Advanced — Web3 native, uses MetaMask, Coinbase, etc.
• Quote: "Give me clear data, ROI projections, and receipts — and I’ll invest more."

Susan – Agent, UK

• Name: Susan Malik
• Age: 30
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Occupation: Licensed Real Estate Agent
• Goals: Simplify property listings and close more deals faster
• Pain Points:
  • Managing leads, messages, calendars across multiple tools
  • Clients drop off due to delays in booking or document delivery
  • Admin approval delays stall her momentum
• Tech Comfort Level: Intermediate — daily user of CRMs and listing apps
• Quote: "Stop making me use 5 tools just to talk, book, and list properties. Give me one clean workflow."

Key Takeaway

Ada – Landowner, Nigeria ("I just want clarity on my land")
Chidi – Investor, US ("Give me ROI data and receipts")
Susan – Agent, UK ("Stop making me use 5 tools")

Design Process

Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test

I conducted user journey mapping, created role-based dashboards, and iterated based on early-stage feedback and usability testing.

Competitive Audit

Reviewed key PropTech platforms:

• Fundrise – Clear investment UX
• CrowdStreet – Flexible funding tiers
• Agora – Transparent document control

Identified gaps in multi-user experiences and crypto workflows.

Information Architecture

(Insert Sitemap & Flow Diagrams)

Roles: Owner, Agent, Investor, Admin
Flows: Property Submission, Investment, Messaging, Tour Booking

Branding & Visuals

• Logo: Stylized N (property + growth)
• Font: Urbanist
• Colors:
  • Deep Purple #472f65
  • Digital Blue #2A63F6
  • Slate Black, Light Ash

Website High-Fidelity UI

Homepage Slider and About Us Section

Homepage Featured Listing

Homepage ROI

Homepage CTA and Footer

Property Owner Dashboard High-Fidelity UI

• Dashboard

• Profile

• Investments

Agent Dashboard High-Fidelity UI

• My Listing

• Bookings

UX Challenges & Solutions

Results & Metrics (Planned)

• Beta Q4 2025 launch (Nigeria + US)
• Higher property conversion due to form clarity
• Improved investor trust via real-time tracking

Learnings

• Invest early in user interviews
• Designing for web3 requires layered onboarding
• Role clarity simplifies UI/UX drastically

Next Steps

• Launch closed beta (50 per role)
• Add investor education center
• Refine onboarding + KYC flows

Tools Used

Figma • Miro • Maze • Notion  • Google Forms