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OVERVIEW
Agora is an investment management SaaS solution for real estate investment firms and funds.
We started working together in mid-2018 when the original idea was to create a crowdfunding platform for real estate investments using blockchain technology. The product pivoted during 2019 after extensive research.
During these years, I took full ownership of strategizing, ideating, defining and designing final deliverables of the products. Along the way, I’ve collaborated with Agora’s board (CEO, COO, CTO & VP of Real Estate).
ROLE
Product Design
YEAR
2018-2020
WEBSITE
https://agorareal.com
TOOLS
Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop, Zeplin
LOGO CREATION
The icon is a combination of two elements; a roof (real estate) and a link (blockchain and crowdfunding). The roof represents security and the link represents flow and connection.
The blue color and the bold typeface represents security and solidity.
my CHALLANGE
Create a fully responsive & modifiable real-estate investment platform that stands out in the prop-tech industry.
first thing first - PRODUCT VALIDATION
As an industry that was new to me, I had to learn a lot – in a very short time. I went through researching dozens of companies and resources.
I quickly studied the professional terminology and market difficulties and how it connects to the idea that Agora is building.
Once I had an understanding of the market, together with the team, we characterized the system and I designed and prototyped early-stage wireframes.
The early-stage platform was tested with potential customers and stakeholders. We realized what worked well, and what worked less, after further testing, we reached a point where everyone was satisfied and moved on to the final design stage.
Early-stage Prototype – Make a commitment
PROBLEM-SOLVING SYSTEM
My problem-solving approach was user-centric and in consideration of business and marketing aspects.
INVESTOR PORTAL
The purpose of the investor portal is to allow the user to easily access all data, news, and documents related to his investment portfolio at the real-estate firm he invested.
In designing the portal, I focused on the business goal and the user goal.
The business goal was to build a modular platform that can adapt and change for various real estate firms and funds.
The user goal was to create a platform that fits an older audience in a very bureaucratic industry, so it was important for me to design the platform very straightforwardly and without unnecessary surprises.
BACK OFFICE
The back office was built to manage the assets, funds, and all the investors in the platform.
I focused on simplifying the vast amounts of information that exist in each investment.
Reflection
This project was challenging for me and gave me the opportunity to learn and specialize the proptech industry.
As mentioned before, during this project, Agora had to do a pivot. It required me to exercise flexibility as well as optimize work methods and time management.
As of 2020, this new platform is being launched and will serve hundreds of investors and properties worth millions of dollars.