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Stylized blue duotone portrait of a woman with long hair facing slightly backward

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Designed a 0→1 Industry-first iOS and Android App

Led design for a groundbreaking mobile app, launching a first-of-its-kind MVP in just six months. Drove strategy and UX for a new resident mobile app, achieving a 5-star iOS rating, 1k+ reviews, a 265% lift in App Store views, a 31% increase in downloads after launch, and 96% positive move-in checklist responses.

The TL;DR

Key Features

MVP + PostMVP projects

1st Industry App

Strategic

Foundational

Platform

Multi-Platform

Role

Design Strategy Lead

What was unlocked:

User Centricity

Business Value

Broader Market Sat.

Impact

Immediate

UI card displaying energy consumption data on a light fabric background

The Dilemma

The organization aimed to be the first single-family rental (SFR) company with an app in the App Store. There was no industry standard, so we created the user experience from scratch.

 

The project required a dynamic approach: balancing learning through use with delivering a fully functional mobile experience customers could adopt right away.

  • “What was actually on the line?”

  • 01

  • Establishing a credible mobile presence in a new product and market category

  • 02

  • Delivering core experiences that drive ongoing engagement and value to the customer and the business

  • 03

  • Balancing rapid delivery timeline (3 months for MVP design and hand-off) with usability and quality

  • 04

  • Aligning company-wide stakeholders around a shared vision - not just for MVP, but for all enhancements & iterations to come.

“So what did you do, Leah?”

Gosh, I am so glad you asked...

My Role

I led the strategy, vision, and UX/UI direction for the MVP and later phases. Collaborated with Product, Engineering, and stakeholders. Championed customer-centric design thinking. Ensured alignment with business goals. Managed the design team.

My Partners

A 2025 product design, UX, and experimentation analysis, and the resulting 2026/2027 year department recommendation. Focuses on individual contirbutions, tooling, efficiencies, and AI.

Ops Snapshot

My team and I used agile delivery, moving from user stories to prototypes. We conducted user research, created flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups. We implemented design systems and libraries. We also partnered with a contract dev team to speed up delivery.

What all the hard work got us:

Icon of a pie chart

0 to 1 Mobile MVP launch in 6 months

Icon of an abstract globe

4.8★ App Store rating

Icon of an arrow pointing up right

3.1K downloads post-launch

Icon of a pie chart

Core customer journeys and features

Icon of an abstract globe

Reusable design foundation & library

Abstracted user interface forecasting a 16% off target for 2027 emissions goal alongside an image of a mossy tree on top of a light blue gradient background

  • “Tell me more.”

    Oh you asked for it.

  • We stayed ruthless to scope:

  • We developed a genuine MVP designed to gather data and inform future iterations and a scalable foundation to support it

  • The “deets” drove the convo:

  • We got real-world usage data to inform prioritization and iteration

  • Speed really was the magic sauce:

  • We got faster with follow-up development by reusing established design standards, plus, reduced redesign and rework due to early experience clarity

  • We fed the beast:

  • Created a business appetite for healthy risks knowing that early iteration informs future optimization

On second though...

The gamble was real

Let’s be clear, WE WERE IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

 

Nailing experience principles early and backing from engineering and product let the team speed ahead—building an MVP that’s a solid foundation, not a quick flop.

I was one pro of many

By setting clear experience principles early, and having the support of engineering and product, the team was able to move quickly without compromising quality or future scalability—turning an MVP into a durable foundation rather than a throwaway release.

UI card displaying energy consumption data on a light fabric background

Contact

Do we Vibe? Check our Compatibility

© 2025 · All rights reserved

Stylized blue duotone portrait of a woman with long hair facing slightly backward

← Back to portfolio

Designed a 0→1 Industry-first iOS and Android App

Led design for a groundbreaking mobile app, launching a first-of-its-kind MVP in just six months. Drove strategy and UX for a new resident mobile app, achieving a 5-star iOS rating, 1k+ reviews, a 265% lift in App Store views, a 31% increase in downloads after launch, and 96% positive move-in checklist responses.

The TL;DR

Key Features

MVP + PostMVP projects

1st Industry App

Strategic

Foundational

Platform

Multi-Platform

Role

Design Strategy Lead

What was unlocked:

User Centricity

Business Value

Broader Market Sat.

Impact

Immediate

UI card displaying energy consumption data on a light fabric background

The Dilemma

The organization aimed to be the first single-family rental (SFR) company with an app in the App Store. There was no industry standard, so we created the user experience from scratch.

 

The project required a dynamic approach: balancing learning through use with delivering a fully functional mobile experience customers could adopt right away.

  • “What was actually on the line?”

  • 01

  • Establishing a credible mobile presence in a new product and market category

  • 02

  • Delivering core experiences that drive ongoing engagement and value to the customer and the business

  • 03

  • Balancing rapid delivery timeline (3 months for MVP design and hand-off) with usability and quality

  • 04

  • Aligning company-wide stakeholders around a shared vision - not just for MVP, but for all enhancements & iterations to come.

“So what did you do, Leah?”

Gosh, I am so glad you asked...

My Role

I led the strategy, vision, and UX/UI direction for the MVP and later phases. Collaborated with Product, Engineering, and stakeholders. Championed customer-centric design thinking. Ensured alignment with business goals. Managed the design team.

My Partners

A 2025 product design, UX, and experimentation analysis, and the resulting 2026/2027 year department recommendation. Focuses on individual contirbutions, tooling, efficiencies, and AI.

Ops Snapshot

My team and I used agile delivery, moving from user stories to prototypes. We conducted user research, created flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups. We implemented design systems and libraries. We also partnered with a contract dev team to speed up delivery.

What all the hard work got us:

Icon of a pie chart

0 to 1 Mobile MVP launch in 6 months

Icon of an abstract globe

4.8★ App Store rating

Icon of an arrow pointing up right

3.1K downloads post-launch

Icon of a pie chart

Core customer journeys and features

Icon of an abstract globe

Reusable design foundation & library

Abstracted user interface forecasting a 16% off target for 2027 emissions goal alongside an image of a mossy tree on top of a light blue gradient background

  • “Tell me more.”

    Oh you asked for it.

  • We stayed ruthless to scope:

  • We developed a genuine MVP designed to gather data and inform future iterations and a scalable foundation to support it

  • The “deets” drove the convo:

  • We got real-world usage data to inform prioritization and iteration

  • Speed really was the magic sauce:

  • We got faster with follow-up development by reusing established design standards, plus, reduced redesign and rework due to early experience clarity

  • We fed the beast:

  • Created a business appetite for healthy risks knowing that early iteration informs future optimization

On second though...

The gamble was real

Let’s be clear, WE WERE IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

 

Nailing experience principles early and backing from engineering and product let the team speed ahead—building an MVP that’s a solid foundation, not a quick flop.

I was one pro of many

By setting clear experience principles early, and having the support of engineering and product, the team was able to move quickly without compromising quality or future scalability—turning an MVP into a durable foundation rather than a throwaway release.

Contact

Do we Vibe? Check our Compatibility

© 2025 · All rights reserved

UI card displaying energy consumption data on a light fabric background
Stylized blue duotone portrait of a woman with long hair facing slightly backward

← Back to portfolio

Designed a 0→1 Industry-first iOS and Android App

Led design for a groundbreaking mobile app, launching a first-of-its-kind MVP in just six months. Drove strategy and UX for a new resident mobile app, achieving a 5-star iOS rating, 1k+ reviews, a 265% lift in App Store views, a 31% increase in downloads after launch, and 96% positive move-in checklist responses.

The TL;DR

Key Features

MVP + PostMVP projects

1st Industry App

Strategic

Foundational

My Role

Design & Strategy Lead

Platform

iOS & Android

What was unlocked:

User Centricity

Business Value

Broader Market Sat.

Impact

Immediate

UI card displaying energy consumption data on a light fabric background

The Dilemma

The organization aimed to be the first single-family rental (SFR) company with an app in the App Store. There was no industry standard, so we created the user experience from scratch.

 

The project required a dynamic approach: balancing learning through use with delivering a fully functional mobile experience customers could adopt right away.

  • “What was actually on the line?”

  • 01

  • Establishing a credible mobile presence in a new product and market category

  • 02

  • Delivering core experiences that drive ongoing engagement and value to the customer and the business

  • 03

  • Balancing rapid delivery timeline (3 months for MVP design and hand-off) with usability and quality

  • 04

  • Aligning company-wide stakeholders around a shared vision - not just for MVP, but for all enhancements & iterations to come.

“So what did you do, Leah?”

Gosh, I am so glad you asked...

My Role

I led the strategy, vision, and UX/UI direction for the MVP and later phases. Collaborated with Product, Engineering, and stakeholders. Championed customer-centric design thinking. Ensured alignment with business goals. Managed the design team.

My Partners

Collaborated with leaders across teams. Coached team members. Led design brainstorming, executive reviews, and presentations to boost design quality and encourage ongoing communication and partnership.

Ops Snapshot

My team and I used agile delivery, moving from user stories to prototypes. We conducted user research, created flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups. We implemented design systems and libraries. We also partnered with a contract dev team to speed up delivery.

What all the hard work got us:

Icon of a pie chart

0 to 1 Mobile MVP launch in 6 months

Icon of an abstract globe

4.8★ App Store rating

Icon of an arrow pointing up right

3.1K downloads post-launch

Icon of a pie chart

Core customer journeys and features

Icon of an abstract globe

Reusable design foundation & library

Abstracted user interface forecasting a 16% off target for 2027 emissions goal alongside an image of a mossy tree on top of a light blue gradient background

  • “Tell me more.”

    Oh you asked for it.

  • We stayed ruthless to scope:

  • We developed a genuine MVP designed to gather data and inform future iterations and a scalable foundation to support it

  • The “deets” drove the convo:

  • We got real-world usage data to inform prioritization and iteration

  • Speed really was the magic sauce:

  • We got faster with follow-up development by reusing established design standards, plus, reduced redesign and rework due to early experience clarity

  • We fed the beast:

  • Created a business appetite for healthy risks knowing that early iteration informs future optimization

On second though...

The gamble was real

Let’s be clear, WE WERE IN UNCHARTED TERRITORY.

 

Nailing experience principles early and backing from engineering and product let the team speed ahead—building an MVP that’s a solid foundation, not a quick flop.

I was one pro of many

By setting clear experience principles early, and having the support of engineering and product, the team was able to move quickly without compromising quality or future scalability—turning an MVP into a durable foundation rather than a throwaway release.