Rapid exploration & a pragmatic staged release.
Role
UX/UI cover within cross-functional squad
Team
Legal advisor, Product Manager, Developers, Partner Squad
Challenge
Impact
First German seller retained and unblocked
A minimal compliant path shipped quickly while we worked on a fuller solution, keeping a seller in the funnel at a critical moment in the company's market expansion.
Reduced potential for seller error with our iterated version
We followed up with a dynamic form, adapted to each certificate type, steering sellers to the right fields and improving data clarity for potential buyers.
Wider team equipped to scale energy efficiency work
Full documentation of certificate logic and requirements gave the whole department the knowledge to progress the work without repeated discovery.
Our full solution enabled easy submission and viewing of mandatory property energy efficiency data. This followed our initial quick-win solution.
Clear guidance and easy inputs were integrated into the existing listing creation flow. The form adapted dynamically based on property and certificate type.
Submitted details and uploaded certificate pulled through into the admin interface, to ensure listings were fully compliant.
This valuable information was presented cleanly within the existing listing page structure, with the certificate itself available to view alongside other property documents.
(Uncovering legalities & exploring competitors.)
Working closely with the Product Manager and a legal advisor, I gathered official guidance documentation, real certificate examples and conducted competitor analysis to fully understand what was required for us to be compliant.
Energy certificates vary, and the legally required information in property listings isn't fixed. It shifts depending on a combination of factors.
Plus there was an added hurdle:
German sellers wouldn't necessarily have this information to hand. In some cases, they'd need to apply for the certificate itself before they could complete the listing. We would need to make all of this clear, to ensure they could meet the legal requirement without confusion.
Required energy information depended on:
(Turning complexity into shared reference point.)
By translating the variables and requirements into a shared flow diagram, I created a digestible reference point that allowed the team to spot gaps, input, ask the right questions, and adapt as understanding developed.
(Efficient exploration using our design system)
With many details to locate on the certificate and input into the property listing, I wanted to minimise input effort and potential confusion for the sellers.
Sellers' needs:
Potential buyers' needs:
We discussed feasibility of a more automated route, but at the time the development team couldn't see a technical solution that fit our timeline. However, we came back to this idea during a later Design Sprint. See Reflections.
So I quickly explored solution variants using design system components, identifying inputs that would to minimise manual effort and errors.
I also had to consider how we could display the energy data to potential buyers in the listing view.
(Free text input, no logic or tailored inputs.)
(Distinct energy section within listing creation, section & fields displayed dynamically based on detected property type & inputs.)
The squad reviewed and debated all variants together, inputting into feasibility considerations and trade-offs.
| Most basic: free text | Most logic: dynamic inputs | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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Pros
Cons
Pros
Cons
(Progress over perfection.)
The most basic proposal required minimal development effort and was confirmed legally acceptable by our advisor.
I pushed for us to move ahead with this as a temporary measure, unblocking the seller immediately while the preferred solution was usability tested and developed in parallel. The pragmatic framing was deliberate: good enough now, better soon.
German seller unblocked
Energy certificate data could be captured fully and displayed in the platform, allowing our first German listing to go ahead.
Complexity aligned across the squad
Flow diagram and structured design options gave team and legal a shared reference point for certificate logic.
Risk managed through staged delivery
A minimal compliant path shipped first while the preferred experience was usability tested and developed in parallel.
Involving German sellers earlier would have surfaced this requirement
By the time we discovered the energy requirement, we were close to our planned launch date. Earlier discovery would have given the team more time and less pressure to design a solution.
I raised this directly in a department reflection meeting, making the case for involving representative users in the discovery process.
Comparing options aids decision making
Presenting multiple scoped proposals helped the squad debate trade-offs openly instead of anchoring on one implicit solution.
Automated data extraction as a better approach
A later design sprint gave us the space to explore AI-assisted data extraction from the energy certificate itself. We produced a promising proof of concept that significantly reduced seller effort.
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