Letus Marketplace Platform

UX Research UX Design SaaS

Timeline: Jan - April 2022

The Letus Marketplace project aimed to create a seamless platform for tenants and landlords to interact, make rent payments, and manage property-related transactions. My role as the lead UX/UI Designer and UX Researcher involved developing user-centric solutions that address key pain points in the rental market.

Problem Statement

The traditional payment process for rent, deposits, and other services can be rigid and stressful for users. Many struggle to meet fixed payment deadlines, while landlords and merchants require timely, secure transactions. Letus aims to solve these problems by offering a more flexible payment process, where users can benefit from BNPL options without incurring interest, and landlords or service providers get paid on time.

Research & Discovery

Through a combination of user interviews and competitor analysis, we identified the most significant pain points for both tenants and landlords. Users demanded flexibility in payments, while merchants required security and assurance of timely transactions. These insights informed our approach to designing a solution that was both user-friendly and reliable.

Project Goals

  • Enable flexible payment options for rent, deposits, HOA fees, and other services.

  • Implement BNPL features that provide liquidity without financial burden for users.

  • Ensure landlords and merchants receive timely payments.

  • Design an intuitive, user-friendly interface that guides users seamlessly through the payment process.

  • Test the flow to ensure it caters to both users and merchants.

Design Process

This graph outlines the critical phases in developing the Letus Marketplace, from identifying user needs to final design implementation.

Solution: Flexible Payment Options

The Smartpay feature at the core of Letus allows users to enjoy 0% interest on payments, providing financial relief and flexibility. At the same time, landlords and merchants benefit from on-time payments with no additional complications.

  • Benefits for Users: 0% interest, flexible payments, reduced financial stress.

  • Benefits for Landlords/Merchants: Timely payments, seamless transaction process.

High Fidelity Designs

I created the designs on Figma, focusing on mid-fidelity (Mid-Fi) wireframes. The development team then used these designs to set up a staging environment for user testing, allowing us to gather feedback and make adjustments before moving forward.

User Testing & Insights

In the testing phase, I conducted qualitative user interviews with 10 participants representing different personas, including non-English speakers, senior citizens, and working professionals. These interviews were facilitated through a staging website, allowing participants to interact with the designs in a realistic environment. The diverse perspectives gathered from this process helped ensure the design addressed a broad range of user needs.

I also used mid-fidelity (Mid-Fi) designs, created in Figma, for A/B testing to optimize the user onboarding process for both landlords and tenants. The forms were key touchpoints in the user journey, focusing on ease of input and clear instructions.

User Journey Map

To further illustrate the end-to-end user experience, we developed a user journey map highlighting key touchpoints, emotional states, and areas for improvement.

Text2pay: Enhancing Payment Flexibility

In addition to the Letus Marketplace project, I also designed the TXT2PAY solution, which allows tenants to pay rent via SMS. When tenants have a registered and verified mobile number on Letus, they receive an SMS reminder before their rent is due. They can simply respond to the text message to complete their payment without logging into their Letus account, streamlining the process and enhancing convenience.

Old Design: A Look Back

Outcome Summary

The Letus Marketplace project successfully addressed the need for a flexible, user-friendly payment platform that serves both tenants and landlords. The Smartpay feature offers a unique BNPL solution that helps users manage payments without financial stress, while ensuring on-time payments for service providers.