Lead Designer

Doorsteps
Rent

Web Responsive

Doorsteps Rent is a real estate rental search app.

In 2013, we explored a new UI search paradigm that combined maps and real-estate listings—a fairly novel approach at the time. Through foundational qualitative research, we observed that users frequently toggled between Google Maps and Craigslist to find rentals, inspiring our integrated design solution.

Maps provide context

Maps serve as powerful tools for visualizing diverse information. At a glance, users can assess an area's accessibility to public transportation, proximity to freeways, and nearby amenities like grocery stores and dry cleaners.

Our research confirmed that maps are essential to the rental search process. We discovered that users often kept two windows open—one for the rental search site and another for Google Maps—to cross-reference listings with location details.

To streamline this experience, we made the map an integral part of our platform. By seamlessly integrating listings with an interactive map, we eliminated the need for constant toggling, creating a more efficient and intuitive search process for our users.

Our goal was to create a map-focused rental search experience that felt intuitive and deeply relevant to users. One of our biggest challenges was understanding how to make the platform genuinely useful in an industry often plagued by scams and misleading listings.

To tackle this, we analyzed platforms like Airbnb and Hotpads, identifying a key insight: localization builds confidence. Providing hyper-relevant neighborhood details—such as colloquial names and distinctions between areas (e.g., South Congress in Austin, commonly known as SoCo)—helps users feel understood and supported in their search.

Beyond competitive analysis, we conducted immersive field research to better grasp the nuances of renting outside of our home base in NYC. I traveled to Austin and stepped into the shoes of a local renter, exploring the market firsthand. This empathy exercise helped us uncover critical insights about apartment locators, rental complexes, and community perspectives on neighborhoods and gentrification.

Post-Launch Challenges

After launching, we faced slow growth in organic traffic. Given the competition in the rental search space, this wasn’t unexpected—but it was frustrating.

To improve visibility, we collaborated with Realtor.com’s SEO team and made strategic enhancements to our site, including:

  • Adding a "Browse Neighborhoods and Cities" page to improve discoverability

  • Incorporating amenities in our H1 tags for better search indexing

  • Enhancing listing detail pages (LDPs) with nearby search and search-by-amenity features

The impact was immediate. Within two weeks, our unique users (UUs) surged from under 2K per day to over 7K.

These changes reinforced the power of strategic SEO in driving organic engagement and ensured that more renters could find and benefit from our platform.