What’s KeyScape?
What’s KeyScape?
Finding a rental home shouldn’t feel like a never-ending struggle with irrelevant listings, hidden fees, and unresponsive brokers. That’s why we built KeyScape—an app designed to make the process simple and stress-free.
Whether you’re a family, a bachelor, or a working professional, the app tailors the experience to match your needs. In this case study, we’ll show how we used smart design and UX principles to turn the complicated rental process into an easy and smooth journey.
Problem
Understanding the challenges renters face
Renting a property is often frustrating, with renters facing unnecessary hurdles that make the process longer and more complicated than it needs to be.
- Cluttered Listings: Too many irrelevant properties with no way to refine the search effectively.
- Lack of Transparency: Hidden brokerage fees and vague property details make it hard to trust the listings.
- Overwhelming Interfaces: Complicated designs leave users feeling lost instead of supported.
- No Personalization: Filters and results often fail to match the specific needs of families, bachelors, or professionals.
Solution
Making property hunting simple and stress-free.
KeyScape solves these common rental challenges by focusing on simplicity, transparency, and personalization to deliver a seamless experience.
- Smart Filters: Tailor searches by budget, location, BHK type, and furnishing preferences to show only relevant properties.
- Transparent Contact Details: Direct access to owners or brokers—no hidden steps, no surprises.
- Streamlined Interface: A clean, intuitive design that’s easy to navigate, even for first-time users.
- Personalised Experience: Features like wishlists, recently viewed properties, and dynamic suggestions help users find the perfect match faster.
Competitive Analysis
Learning from industry leaders
We analyzed platforms like Housing.com, 99acres, and MagicBricks to identify gaps in transparency, personalization, and usability. These insights helped us make KeyScape more user-friendly, with smarter filters, transparent contact details, dynamic recommendations and a clean design that stands out.
UX Design Process
Crafting a seamless journey for renters
Designing KeyScape wasn’t just about making it look good—it was about solving real problems renters face every day. From cluttered interfaces to overwhelming filters, we focused on simplifying the experience without cutting out functionality. Here’s how we did it:
Creating User Flows
Designing a journey that feels effortless.
We mapped out every step a renter might take in KeyScape, from searching for properties to contacting owners. The goal was to create a seamless experience that keeps users focused on finding their perfect home without unnecessary distractions.
- Simplified Navigation: A clean bottom navigation bar ensures key features like Search, Wishlist, and Recently Viewed are always within reach.
- Collaborative Wishlist: The user flow for sharing a wishlist allows groups to vote and comment on properties effortlessly.
- Direct Contact Journey: A one-tap solution to contact owners or brokers, removing extra steps and making connections faster.
Applying UX Fundamentals
Using proven principles to create a seamless experience.
Every element in KeyScape was designed with UX fundamentals in mind. From simplifying choices to guiding user actions, we relied on proven principles to make the app intuitive and easy to use.
- Simplified Navigation: Key filters like Budget and Location are upfront, while advanced options (e.g., Furnishing Type) are tucked under “See More”, reducing decision fatigue.
- Fitts’s Law: CTAs like "Save" and "Contact" are large, bold, and placed within thumb reach for easy interaction on mobile.
- Progressive Disclosure: Advanced features like dynamic recommendations and collaborative wishlists are revealed naturally as users explore the app.
Visual Design
Balancing aesthetics with usability.
The visual design of KeyScape was inspired by Airbnb’s clean and minimalist approach, creating an interface that feels modern, familiar, and intuitive. Every element was carefully crafted to make property browsing effortless while maintaining a professional look.
- Color Palette: Neutral tones with a standout CTA color (#5E23DB) guide users' attention while keeping the design subtle and approachable.
- Typography: Inspired by iOS design standards, fonts are clean and highly readable, ensuring clarity across all screen sizes.
- Transparent Pricing: The "Include Brokerage in Price" toggle was designed to integrate seamlessly into the property listing page, ensuring users can easily access clear pricing without disrupting the layout.
- Airbnb Inspiration: We borrowed Airbnb’s visual hierarchy and clean layout principles to create a design that feels familiar yet renter-focused. Features like Collaborative Wishlists and transparent pricing make KeyScape uniquely suited for renters’ needs.
Reflection and Learnings
What we learned while designing KeyScape.
Building KeyScape was an exciting challenge, teaching us how to balance functionality, simplicity, and user needs. Along the way, we learned valuable lessons about user behavior, design psychology, and crafting seamless experiences.
- Designing for Clarity: Features like the Collaborative Wishlist reminded us how small design choices can make a big difference in simplifying group decisions.
- Psychology in Action: Principles like Hick’s Law (reducing visible options) and Fitts’s Law (placing CTAs within easy reach) helped make navigation intuitive and stress-free.
- Collaboration Features Matter: Adding the Collaborative Wishlist with voting and feedback options highlighted the importance of group decisions in property hunting.
- Prioritizing Transparency: Providing clear owner/broker details and transparent pricing reinforced user trust, which is often overlooked by competitors.