Wallet: Redesigning Rent Payments
FolioSpace introduced new design languages and patterns for AppFolio’s resident-facing product, which millions of renters and homeowners used each month to pay their rent or HOA dues online.
Role: Sr. Director of UX Design, working with the Payments UX team.
A view of the user
FolioSpace users trust the platform to manage their rent payments, maintenance requests, and communication with property managers. The userbase is predominantly mobile, expecting a seamless and native experience wherever they are.
Our users also expected the convenience of modern checkout, like Apple Pay or the low friction experiences they came to expect from other consumer apps.
The challenge
The existing payment portal was responsively designed, well-tested, and functional. Our challenge was to redesign the experience to meet modern interaction patterns without risking usability, revenue, or trust. The margin for error was slim, and any major changes would need to be thoroughly validated and derisked.
Design principles
All FolioSpace experiences followed the same principles and information architecture:
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Seamless and Effortless
- An intuitive experience that feels like an extension of daily life
- Beautiful, trustworthy design that inspires confidence
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Just for Me
- Personalized experiences that remember past interactions
- Proactive assistance that anticipates needs
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Fast and Reliable
- Quick, smooth responses to every action
- Clear status updates and feedback
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Meets Me Where I Am
- Seamless cross-device experiences
- Context-aware interactions
We set out to redesign the payments experience with these principles in mind.
Exploration and ideation
Our first iteration took the path of least risk, moving the payments flow into the FolioSpace design language. While it retained the same structure and flow, it didn’t quite meet our principles and standard for a modern experience.
The team needed more sponsorship and slack to explore a bolder vision and idea. I worked directly with the Staff UX Designer and their team to create an ambitious vision that we could use to inspire stakeholders and leadership.