Wasl super-app

A little about me

I am a product designer with a background in industrial engineering. That background shapes how I approach unfamiliar and operationally complex products. I first learn how the system works, identify the decisions people need to make, and then design the interface around those decisions.

Commercial real estate is a booming industry within the UAE market and is worth over $50 billion USD. The Wasl apps consolidation into a singular super-app experience was significant and of high-impact because with over 60,000 residential and commercial units across the emirates, the user experience for the new app had to be meticulously designed.

The brief

Designed for the UAE's leading property organization, this super-app will serve with over a 60,000 properties. There will be a large gamut of users who will be engaging with the app daily. The project's aim was to integrate diverse functionalities - property listings, transaction management, and communication channels - into one streamlined application, simplifying and accelerating access to essential real estate services for tenants, owners, and brokers.

The owner

The owner's experience streamlines property management, consolidates financials, and connects to the community, offering a comprehensive toolkit for efficient real estate oversight and enhanced tenant interaction.

The tenant

The tenant's experiences simplifies initial onboarding, rent payment, maintenance requests, and amenity bookings, while keeping users engaged with community news and events, ensuring a convenient and connected living experience.

The broker

The broker experiences integrates customer and property management together, enriched by real-time industry news and a help resource. Simple customer addition and a dashboard enhance a broker’s efficiency.

Building a real-estate super-app

This project was initiated with a clear vision: to consolidate six disparate applications into a singular, super-app platform. This ambitious endeavor aimed to cater to the primary users - tenants and property owners - by providing a comprehensive, all-in-one digital experience.

The key deliverables for this project was the creation of mid-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes. These wireframes and prototypes were critical in visualizing the user experience for each user, ensuring that the design was both functional and intuitive. The process involved detailed mapping of user stories for tenants, owners, and brokers, laying the groundwork for a user-centered design approach.

Inspired by the success of global super-apps like Gojek and Careem, the client’s ambition was to not just build any super-app but to tailor it specifically to the UAE's real estate market. This approach promised a revolutionary change in how property management and real estate transactions are conducted in the region, setting a new standard for customer experience in the real-estate tech industry.

Payments

This feature in the app is tailored for both tenants and owners, allowing them to manage and complete transactions with ease. Tenants can make rent payments directly within the app, which securely processes and confirms transactions. Owners can fulfill installment payments and track past transactions.

Community amenity booking

This feature in the app empowers tenants and owners to effortlessly reserve facilities such as golf clubs, gyms, and swimming pools. It offers real-time availability checks and convenient time slot selection, ensuring a seamless reservation experience.

Conclusion and Lessons Learned

This project was more than just a simple endeavor to design a super- app; it was an opportunity to redefine the standards of digital solutions in Dubai's real estate sector. Drawing inspiration from global super-apps, the team at Renascence aimed to create an experience that would not only meet but exceed the expectations of a tech-savvy user base in one of the world's most dynamic real estate markets.

One of the key lessons learned during this project was the importance of adaptability in the face of challenges. The diverse needs of the app's users required a flexible approach to design and functionality. Regular interaction with the client and agile response to feedback were instrumental in refining the app, ensuring that it not only served its intended purpose but also provided an exemplary user experience.