Andrea Barros

01

Overview

I led research, concept testing, and prototyping alongside a visual designer and strategist from Renga.

The 8 week engagement spanned discovery to a MVP prototype. Each research decision informed the next: survey respondents fed interviews, interviews shaped concepts, concepts were tested against survey segments.

Scope and methods

Discovery phase. 32-person survey of homebuyer personas spanning from first time purchases to experienced buyers. We conducted follow-up qualitative interviews, competitive landscape research and founder interviews.
Methods. Qualitative and quantitative research, design workshops, concept testing, interactive prototyping.
Tools. Mix of Figma for prototype and design, spreadsheets and docs for research synthesis and flow documentation.

02

Problem

First-time homebuyers encounter two distinct challenges, each requiring a separate solution. Unfortunately, no single product can address both issues simultaneously.

The market has financial products (savings apps, mortgage calculators) and advice products (blogs, podcasts, broker consultations). Survey respondents employed various tools, yet they expressed confusion and frustration due to the cognitive load of integrating them.

Anxiety about the purchasing process persisted across all segments, even among high-income buyers who were apprehensive about making the wrong decision.

Why it hadn't been solved

Siloed solutions. Existing solutions addressed financial optimization or emotional reassurance, but not both in a way that felt integrated.
Skepticism with financial tools. Buyers were skeptical of anyone selling them a financial product, and equally skeptical of unsourced advice from strangers online.
Anxiety and doubt. The buying process itself felt risky and irreversible. Buyers needed assurance they were making the right move.

Competitive landscape map plotting competitors against six stages of the home buying journey

Fig. 01 The competitive landscape was characterized by competitors who covered a single stage of the home buying journey. Home was strategically positioned to cover nearly all of them.

03

Research

I fielded a 32-person survey of first-time homebuyers, then recruited follow-up interviews from respondents. The survey segmented buyers by financial stage (saving, ready, financing) and explored their emotional and practical needs in each phase.

The insight that shifted the project's direction: buyers wanted both financial optimization and emotional validation, but they weren't looking for these as separate features. They wanted a single voice they could trust across both domains. That meant positioning was as important as product design.

What the research revealed

Dual need, single voice. Buyers wanted financial tools and emotional support, but treating them as separate features fragmented the experience. They needed one trusted guide.
Segment patterns held across demographics. Financial stage mattered more than age or income. A buyer in the "saving" stage had different anxiety than one "ready to close."
Competitive positioning was available. No existing product combined both dimensions. The market gap was real and defensible.

04

Process

01
Survey and segment interviews. I designed and fielded a 32-person survey, then recruited follow-up interviews from respondents. This compressed discovery and ensured qualitative findings were grounded in a broader sample rather than anecdotal.
02
Competitive and positioning workshops. Mapped four competitors on financial sophistication and emotional positioning axes, then workshopped Home's differentiation with the founder and strategy team. Positioning shaped everything downstream.
03
Concept testing and iteration. Built three messaging approaches and tested each against the survey segments. Refined positioning based on which framing resonated most. Prototyped the core interaction (personalized question flow) and validated it with respondents.
04
Waitlist landing page and investor readiness. Designed and launched a waitlist page to test messaging before any product existed. Created final prototype and documentation the founder could use to brief the incoming team and fundraise.

Fig. 02 The onboarding prototype showcased at the final stakeholder shareout was the initial iteration of a concise question flow designed to personalize savings goals.

05

Solution

Home combines savings tools and buying advice under one positioning: speaking to a friend on the path to homeownership.

The core interaction is a personalized question flow that sequences content based on where buyers are financially and emotionally. The positioning met buyers' actual anxieties head-on rather than minimizing them — a differentiation from competitors focused purely on optimization or reassurance.

What was delivered

A validated problem statement grounded in primary research instead of founder intuition.
Positioning differentiated enough to carry an investor conversation and guide hiring.
A tested prototype demonstrating the core experience end to end.
A product roadmap and messaging strategy the client could execute independently.

06

Impact

The founder went from needing an agency to prove the idea, to needing a team to build it.

Home was launched with a clear direction defined in 8 weeks. It focused on combining savings and advice, using a personalized question flow to guide customers to the appropriate tools. The branding and research informed the investor deck.

Outcomes

Founder hired a permanent team to execute the strategy.
Strategy and positioning shaped product roadmap. The survey respondents’ numbers and responses helped validate investor messaging.

Waitlist landing page for Home, used to test messaging

Fig. 03 The waitlist landing page used to test messaging and gauge early interest before the product existed.

410

survey participants informed positioning and product direction

32

qualitative interviews validated MVP, informing positioning and product direction

MVP → FTE

founder hired a permanent design and engineering team to execute

What worked

We prioritized research over assumptions. Letting real user needs reshape the project's direction made the recommendation credible. Using survey respondents for interviews streamlined concept testing — we could validate findings against a known segment rather than chasing new voices.

What I'd do differently

I would pair network-sourced survey respondents with a screened panel. While it’s fast and free at eight weeks, it’s not defensible. Additionally, I would instrument the waitlist page from the very beginning as it generates data.

What I learned