Reduced maintenance costs by over 50% through predictive IoT-driven design solutions.
My role - Product Designer
Client-project
30%
reduction in avg maintenance orders
2X
Faster Repairs
60%
cost reduction for maintenance
Imagine...
You're a property manager juggling dozens of maintenance requests, emergency repairs, and late-night calls about leaks or broken HVAC units.
Now imagine a world where those problems are caught before they happen, where your building alerts you when something’s wrong, not the residents.
That’s the vision we brought to life with Zentra, a smart access security company ready to expand its offering beyond locks and doors. Over 8 weeks, we partnered with Zentra to design a smart maintenance system powered by AI and IoT sensors, one that gives property managers superpowers to detect and respond to issues early, while making residents feel safer and more cared for.
RESIDENTS
David
Resident
“It took 3 days for my fridge to get fixed, we just had to move things from the vent. We lost a lot of food that week!”
Alexsis
Resident
“I don’t know what happens after I report a maintenance issue. Was it even received?”
Moira Rose
Resident
“My water pipe burst three times last winter. I didn’t know I had to turn on the faucets!”
Research
We spoke to 20 Residents, 6 property managers, and 4 Maintenance Staff.
While the residents indicated issues like:
lack of visibility, preventive guidance, and timely feedback in the current system.
The Property managers indicated issues like:
the need for efficient triaging, visibility into all areas, and resident education, all critical for minimizing costs and response times.
PROPERTY MANAGERS
Elijah
Property Manager
“We get 3–4 requests a day, and around 200 a month—some are honestly avoidable.”
Klaus
Property Manager
“Work orders inside units are tracked, but outdoor issues often go unnoticed.”
Kai Parker
Maintenance Staff
“Many issues could be fixed in a minute,or prevented entirely if residents were more informed.”
Secondary Research
We analyzed 10 companies offering predictive maintenance solutions, ranging from industrial sensors to smart HVAC monitoring. While their systems were robust, one thing became clear:
( None were built specifically for multi-family apartments with an integrated dashboard that connects residents, property owners, and maintenance staff.)
This gap validated our opportunity to design a solution that not only detects issues early but also fosters communication and transparency across stakeholders in shared living environments.
Brainstorming ideas
The Prototype
Predicting problems, protecting YOU
Alert System
Quick, accessible and easy!
Live Status/
progress Bar
Updates in real-time
Unified Dashboard
For easy multitasking
Self-
Diagnosis
Cauuse we don't want to stress you out!
Business Model Canvas
Our solution will serve as an additional revenue stream for the company, with potential models including subscriptions, software licensing fees, and maintenance and service charges.
Multiple plans that suit the property manager - UPremium, Premium, Standard. Based on a number of sensors, maintenance, updates, and coverage of property.
Impact and future Steps
The highlight of the project was our intensive 1-2 weeks of brainstorming, culminating in a final 5-hour group call. This phase was incredibly educational for me, as I gained insights into different perspectives, meticulously examined each part of the solution, experienced a "eureka" moment, and more. Despite the intensity of the discussions, this remains the most memorable part of the project. Without that rigorous session, we wouldn't have achieved the solution we did. It was worth it.
In conclusion, commencing with the refinement of the prototype in response to the feedback garnered during the evaluation phase, our iterative process involves continuous testing and evaluation with a broader user and expert base. Concurrently, we initiate the development of a framework for the subscription model, laying the foundation for the upcoming phases of our project.
fin
