Income Verification
Income Verification is a product that provides our customers with an alternative way to verify the income of applicants. I supported a product team in improving this report so that customers could get a more holistic view of what a persons income was and their ability to pay for a given rental property.
Problem Statement
How might we help AppFolio Customers evaluate applicants for properties in the most efficient and ethical way.
User Interviews
I started the process of improving the income report by conducting outreach alongside the Product Manager to users that had been previously identified for beta testing. Emails were sent out and a script was created in order to keep interviews on track but also to be able to drive into certain areas. These conversations were centered around enhancements on the report and the ability for our customers to increase coverage by 20%.
Themes
Users were able to confirm how the process of verifying income was cumbersome without a income report. This process was defined as 1. View paystubs to confirm employment and consistent pay 2. Cross check that income against the rent amount to confirm ability to pay amongst other bills and obligations.
After identifying these major themes for users, I began rapid prototyping to create mockups of the ideas that came out of the calls.
Final Report Design
