A Smarter Way to Invest
HAVN is a responsive, intuitive real estate investment app that empowers buyers with data-driven insights, simplifying decision-making for financial security.
Designed with the sophisticated buyer in mind, HAVN is a trusted partner in navigating the complexities of real estate investing.
Investment Issues: Too Much, Too Scattered
Investing in real estate is one of the most exciting ways to build financial security — but for many buyers, it quickly turns overwhelming.
Information is scattered across blogs and agencies, and without professional guidance, new investors often waste valuable time chasing properties that aren't the right fit.
With HAVN, I set out to change that.
How I Build Solutions
Understand
Context Is Everything
Identifying the Objective
According to a recent study by the National Association of Realtors, over 80% of potential homebuyers begin their property search using a mobile app, with 58% finding the home they ultimately purchased on a mobile device.
With this in mind, I decided to focus on a mobile-first app design.
My goal → to design a sleek, intuitive app that combines simplicity with sophistication, empowering users to make smart, data-driven decisions with confidence while navigating the complexities of real estate investing.
Empathize
The Tech Savvy Investor
To design HAVN with intention, I started with one key user in mind: Rashida. She’s got a sharp mind, a packed schedule, and a growing interest in real estate investment. Designing for her meant keeping things smart, simple, and seriously efficient.
Define
Mapping the Journey
The following user flows were inspired by these user stories and the feature requirements from the project brief.
My goal → to create a navigational structure that makes it easy for Rashida and users like her to quickly find the right investment property and get in touch with an agent.
Ideate
Framing the Flow
Focusing on the primary user flows, I sketched low-fidelity paper wireframes using my Rocketbook Matrix to explore the layouts and hierarchy. This allowed me to visualize how the key actions and decisions would flow, ensuring that each step felt intuitive and aligned with Rashida's needs.
My goal → to refine the navigation early on while addressing potential friction points in order to set a solid foundation for future iterations.
Refining the Framework
As I transitioned from low-fidelity to mid-fidelity wireframes, my primary focus was to refine existing UI design patterns while adding new ones.
My goal → to create a consistent and intuitive experience for Rashida and users like her.
I accomplished this by doing some informal competitive research via apps like Realtor, Zillow, and Trulia, selecting recognizable design patterns, cross-referencing them with commonly recognized UI patterns, and adjusting them for the HAVN app.
Defining the Aesthetic
Before diving into high-fidelity design, I created two distinct mood boards inspired by the project’s objectives and vision. Then, I analyzed them down to find the strongest fit.
My goal → to determine which mood board best aligns with the brief and resonates with users like Rashida.
Mood Board #1 has a clean, minimalist and functional aesthetic. I was inspired by light and airy Scandinavian interiors that effortlessly balance function and form.
The blue-infused color palette
Was chosen to evoke trust and tranquility
Feels like coming home to a calm, familiar space
Provides the emotional reassurance users need for high-stakes decisions like investing in property
The logo image features geometric buildings with an almost-hidden “H” in the center.
Mood board #2 has an intuitive, smart, and relevant feel with a modern, high-contrast aesthetic. I was inspired by the natural world and timeless innovation.
The earthy greens + bronze palette
Represents growth and strength
Balances warm and cool tones to signal stability and momentum
Pairs with near-black for actionable power and pale Isabelline for understated timelessness.
The logo relies on the Gestalt law of closure to form a bold, pentagonal house shape with a stylized H inside.
While these two moodboards share some sisterly similarities, Mood Board #2 stood out as the right choice for HAVN.
It evokes stronger feelings of financial growth and long-term stability. The earthy tones offer Rashida a sense of familiarity, reflecting her love of weekends spent in the countryside. The strong, contrasting neutrals also mirror the fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle she leads.
It’s a palette that speaks to both ambition and reassurance, which is exactly the tone HAVN needs to earn trust and inspire action.
Prototype
Polished, Precise, Purposeful
With the structure solid and the visual direction locked in, I brought HAVN’s interface to life through high-fidelity mobile screens. This is where the clean, modern aesthetic of the mood boards meets real-world usability.
My goal → to elevate the interface with refined visuals and purposeful interactions, tailored to Rashida’s fast-paced, tech-forward lifestyle.
Pixel by pixel, I refined every element to deliver a cohesive experience Rashida could rely on.
Low-Light, High Impact
In 2025, nearly 82% of smartphone users prefer dark mode.
It’s a smart choice too: utilizing dark mode can reduce battery consumption by an average of 67%, a big plus for users like Rashida who need reliable access on the go without always having a charger handy.
My goal → to ensure that users can customize their experience for both aesthetics and practical use - especially when encountering varying lighting conditions - by choosing light or dark mode.
Intentionally Interactive
Staying true to the theme of personalization and Rashida’s need for quick, data-driven decisions, I designed a range of interactive components and pickers that help her fine-tune property search results with ease.
My goal → to make the property search smarter, faster, and way more personalized.
Try them out to experience how these micro-moments make a major impact!
Clearly Conveying Transitions
Drawing from the HAVN mood board, I created a smooth, animated transition between the personalized onboarding and home screen.
This gives users clear feedback that their inputs are being processed, while keeping the experience flowing seamlessly.
My goal → to improve user experience by reducing perceived wait time with branded animations on loading screens.
Test
Testing for Clarity
At this point in the project, I decided to conduct a remote preference test for the property pins using Lyssna.
My goal → to step outside of my bias to determine the most user-friendly color combination.
This quick test gave me actionable insights without disrupting momentum—an efficient way to validate design decisions with real user feedback.
The results were almost unanimous, with 90% of participants preferring the moss and champagne color combination, giving me the clarity to move forward with confidence.
Based on the results, I updated the property pin design to better meet user preferences while supporting the app’s sleek, modern aesthetic. Refining these small but impactful details not only enhanced usability, but also set the tone for the visual consistency carried through in the style guide.
Refine
Building Visual Trust
HAVN’s interface pairs intuitive design with a modern, high-contrast aesthetic—rooted in quiet luxury and built for clarity, confidence, and long-term value.
This foundation shaped the entire style guide, guiding thoughtful decisions around visual hierarchy, consistency, and the kind of polish that earns user trust.
My goal → to develop a refined visual identity for HAVN that enhances the user experience by instilling a sense of confidence and sophistication, making every interaction feel premium and purposeful.
With responsiveness at its core, the style guide translates HAVN’s refined aesthetic into a flexible system that scales effortlessly across devices while maintaining a polished, cohesive feel.
Fluid, Flexible, Familiar
As I approached the final stages of the design, optimizing the design for responsiveness was a key priority.
My goal → to ensure that users would have a smooth, intuitive experience whether they’re on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
I started by sketching low-fidelity tablet and desktop screens in my Rocketbook Matrix, and translated them into high-fidelity wireframes in Figma.
I finished by fine-tuning the design at every breakpoint to maintain smooth navigation and a clean design to help users achieve their goals of finding the perfect investment property, no matter the screen size.
Retrospective
Designing HAVN challenged me to zoom in on the details while keeping sight of the big picture. From early research to polished prototypes, every decision was rooted in Rashida’s experience. It wasn’t just about making something beautiful (though I absolutely aimed for that); it was about building something that works hard for the user, quietly guiding smart, confident choices in a complex space.
If I were to revisit this project, I’d like to:
focus more on UX research and explore usability testing across a broader range of devices;
enhance the data visualization features and their interactivity to help users digest market trends and personalized financial insights on a deeper level;
and experiment with some AI features such as intelligent property recommendations or predictive filtering based on user behavior.
This project deepened my appreciation for responsive systems, meaningful microinteractions, and the power of good design to make intimidating decisions like investments feel more empowering. I also learned best practices for designing dark mode experiences that balance visual appeal with usability, accessibility, and battery efficiency.
Most of all, working on HAVN reinforced the kind of designer I strive to be: one who leads with empathy, designs with intention, and keeps raising the bar with every project.
