Finastra Global Hackathon
POPBOX
Real Estate Marketplace
A responsive platform helping home buyers realize their dream of owning a home—from affordability assessment to mortgage application.
Role
Lead & Solo Designer
Team
5 Members
Scope
Discovery, Research, Design
Year
2021
My Role
Solo designer in a global hackathon
As the sole designer on a 5-person team competing in the Finastra Global Hackathon, I was responsible for the entire design process—from initial discovery and user research to final UI design and prototype development.
Working within tight hackathon constraints, I conducted rapid user interviews, synthesized insights into actionable design decisions, and created a fully responsive prototype that demonstrated our end-to-end home buying solution.
The Challenge
No single platform for the end-to-end home buying journey
The whole process of buying a house felt complicated and cumbersome to first-time home buyers and new Canadians. Home buyers had to switch between different tools to accomplish interrelated tasks—mortgage affordability, approval, home search, and mortgage application.
First-time home buyers had no idea what they could afford, what market terminology meant, or what their mortgage options were. Newcomers to Canada—forming a significant population in the real estate market—were particularly unaware of rules, processes, and steps involved in owning their dream home.
With home purchases at an all-time high and mortgage rates at an all-time low, the real estate industry isn't slowing down. Yet the digital tools available felt fragmented and inadequate for today's home buyers.
Research Insight
Canadian Home Buyer Survey 2018
The Design
End-to-end home buying experience
The Outcome
Hackathon finalist among 160+ teams
PopBox became a finalist in Finastra's Global Hackathon, where over 4,600 participants competed in 160+ teams from around the world.
Best POC
Nomination
Best UX Design
Nomination
Best Product
Public Vote Nomination
4,600+
Participants worldwide
160+
Teams competed
3
Award nominations
Want to dive deeper?
I'd love to walk you through the detailed design process, user research insights, and additional screens. This content is protected under NDA—reach out to learn more.