Connect Chinese buyers directly to local experts when searching for overseas properties investment - Removing the middlemen.
Client
Pin Pin Fang registered in Singapore. (I am the co-founder.)
Role
Lead of Product Design / Co-founder
Tools
F i g m a
M i r o
M a z e
Platform
Mini App on WeChat
Timeline & completion
2018 DEC - 2020 OCT ( Launched )
OVERVIEW
Project: Researching and developing Pin Pin Fang platform in order to let investors get instant information.
Solution:
Streamlined property investment process with tools and resources
Robust property management system for well-maintained investments
Experienced professionals for top-notch customer support.
Advantages: offers a streamlined property investment process with access to a wide range of properties in 8 cities, along with detailed information, reducing the risk of property loss or damage.
Problem
How might we provide a comfortable journey for buyers to invest in properties overseas?
Solution
First version of the app
User testing with 30 buyers who live in China. Most of them like the theme color but here are some questions they have...
Design Process
Background Story
Discovery & Research
4 big obstacles to learn a new language
After conducting research and interviews, I found out that 30 million people tried to learn a new language in 2020. The people I have interviewed want to learn a new language for reasons such as planning to travel to a foreign country, communicating with relatives that speak the language, or understanding dramas without subtitles in that language. However, the current methods (physical classes, online learning, and apps) they are using were not effective. Eventually lost the motivation of learning it. But, there is one thing that they kept doing watching Netflix and selecting the language they are interested in. The following is the User Insights of summary.
USER NEEDS
Family and heritage: to connect with family or heritage and reclaim a lost language. Career: to succeed in careers that involve international business or diplomacy Personal development: to challenge themselves and expand their horizons Cultural immersion: to immerse themselves in a new culture and gain understanding Travel: to travel more easily and have an authentic experience
USER GOALS
Basic proficiency: to achieve basic conversational skills. Reduce accent: to better understand the culture associated with the language. Cultural understanding: use the correct words when communicating with native speakers.
Why video streaming services might be an effective way?
Based on my interviews, I observed that language learners tend to lose motivation when attending language classes or engaging in online learning. However, they remain interested in the language when they relax at home and watch streaming services, choosing to watch dramas in the language they are learning. Despite the fact that these streaming services only offer one subtitle, I asked them if they would turn on a second subtitle service if it were available. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of the interviewees expressing their willingness to utilize such a feature. This suggests that video streaming services could be an effective tool for language learners, as they can provide an immersive and engaging way to learn a new language.
Which streaming service should we start with?
Over the past decade, on-demand video streaming such as Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Netflix has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. These services have made foreign language TV programs and movies much more accessible to both language teachers and students.
Why choose Korean as the MVP product?
Korean was the second fastest-growing language in the world in 2020. A lot of that growth can be attributed to Hallyu or the wave of Korean content that the world was consuming. Netflix invested $500 million in Korean content in 2021. BTS, Kpop, Parasite, Squid Game, all of these contributed to massive growth in people wanting to learn Korean. With this demand for content and the availability of it on platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, we’ll be able to support users in learning the Korean language with the content they want to watch.
Market Positioning
Chinese people associate wealth with owning real estate. Compared to Western culture, Chinese view buying real estate as the main method for accumulating wealth, as shown in the following statistics.
According to a 2018 report on urban Chinese families, the portion of their net worth allocated to real estate is more than double compared to their American counterpart (Chinese 77.7%, American 34.6%)
Competitive Analysis
Instant feedback is quite important for building trust with buyers.
None of the competitors has the feature of being able to directly contact the property-side managers.
Customer Journey
4 pain points that make this journey unpleasant
Building trust with the wrong person - Buyers build trust with the buyer-side agent during the purchasing phase, but the agent has little incentive to resolve issues after the purchase is complete.
High-risk developers - Buyers are not always properly warned by the buyer-side agent of high-risk developers and have little recourse if problems arise during construction.
Difficulty in the purchasing process - During the settlement stage, buyers often have to sign legal documents in unfamiliar languages and open bank accounts in foreign countries which can be quite a headache for buyers.
Insufficient information source - After purchase, buyers lack local connection to help with remodeling or selling the property in the future.
Research Methodologies :
Secondary research to identify the market.
Primary research with 15 participants to understand what the pain points are when purchasing properties overseas.
Target participant characteristics:
Ages 28-45
Own at least one real estate property
Travel 3-5 times per year
Annual income above $100,000 USD
Prefer steady and low-risk investment
Ideation - Brainstorming Solutions
After identifying the user needs, I brainstormed solutions and created an user flow and information architecture. Those were followed by Lo-Fi & Hi-Fi wireframes, UI kit and usability testing.
Sketches
Sound flash cardsFocus
Language Journal - store words -> export to Quizlet/Anki
Focus/Reflection app
Subtitles on Netflix /YouTube or Podcast
User Flow Diagram
Qualitative Research
Empathy Map
Lo-Fi Wireframes
User Testing Feedback
Participant A: Not sure what is the purpose of on/off button. Participant B: The menu drop-down is covering most of the screen.
Developer's comment: Will the video be paused while the definition is being displayed? Or it stops when hovering to the translation?
Participant A: I prefer the video stop when hovering to the translation. Participant B: I hope I can save the words translation and review later on.
UI & Mid-Fi
Hi-Fi Wireframes
Final Design Overview
Sketches
First version of the app
User testing with 30 buyers who live in China. Most of them like the theme color but here are some questions they have...
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Usability Testing
Noteworthy Hightlights:
HIGHLIGHT #1
Pin fang game seemed intriguing but not sure what the rules are
Creating demo video to explain the terms and conditions
HIGHLIGHT #2
List out the features of each listing
Too many colors on each feature. Layout is complicated.
Challenges
The on/off button is necessary after adding the learning dashboard page. "How to enhance memory of the new vocabulary that has been saved in the journal?"
Feedback Insights - What Can We Improve?
Impact
Lesson #1
Impact #1
Minimize colors and define tags
Change color palette and stick to a design system. Define clearly with tags organized by categories
Lesson #2
Impact #2
Comparison feature
Design a new layout for users to compare multiple listings.
Final Version of mini program running under WeChat
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