Keyz - Housing Counselor Portal

The Keyz Housing Counselor Portal enables easy data sharing and personalized guidance between counselors and first-time homebuyers using the Keyz App. Through the portal, housing counselors can view client progress, conduct readiness assessments, and build action plans directly from synced app data. This connected platform completes the Keyz ecosystem, giving both counselors and clients the tools they need to collaborate seamlessly toward sustainable homeownership.

Prototype link: Click Here

1. Overview

  • Project Type: Web-based platform for housing counselors

  • Role: Product Designer (Research, UX/UI, Design System Integration, Prototyping, Testing)

  • Goal: Create a counselor-facing platform that syncs with the Keyz App to help housing counselors guide aspiring homeowners using shared data, real-time insights, and personalized action plans.

  • Timeline: 3 months

  • Team: (PM, engineers, counselors)

2. Problem

Housing counselors lacked a modern, connected tool to track, assess, and collaborate with homebuyers using the Keyz App.

Traditional housing counseling processes relied heavily on manual documentation, emails, and spreadsheets — creating friction in communication, delays in guidance, and inconsistent tracking of client progress.

Key challenges:

  • No centralized system to view client data from Keyz App

  • Hard to monitor buyer readiness or create personalized plans

  • Fragmented communication between counselor and client

3. My Role

I led design efforts from concept to delivery:

  • Defined user flows between the Keyz App and HC Portal

  • Conducted interviews with housing counselors and program coordinators

  • Designed dashboards, assessment tools, and client profiles

  • Collaborated with developers to ensure seamless data sync

  • Ran usability tests to validate counselor workflows

4. Goals

  • Enable housing counselors to easily view, assess, and guide clients through Keyz.

  • Streamline the homebuying readiness assessment process.

  • Improve communication and alignment between counselors and clients.

  • Build a connected experience between the Keyz App and the HC Portal.

5. Research & Discovery

Methods

  • Interviews with 8 housing counselors from nonprofit organizations

  • Observation of manual client onboarding workflows

  • Review of HUD-certified counseling tools and competitive landscape

Key Insights

  • Counselors wanted to spend less time gathering data, more time coaching.

  • They needed clarity on client progress (savings, credit, education).

  • Consistent, real-time updates from the Keyz App would help them tailor action plans.

6. Ecosystem Journey (App ↔ Portal Flow)

Journey Overview:

  1. Pitch: Client (buyer) learns about Keyz via KeyzToHome.com

  2. Access Request: Client signs up and downloads the Keyz app

  3. Data Sync: Client data flows into the HC Portal

  4. Assessment: Counselor reviews data and creates an initial assessment

  5. Readiness Check: Counselor requests a “Keyz Check” (mortgage readiness review)

  6. Goal Setting: Counselor defines Homebuying Target and shares it with client

  7. Action Plan: Counselor builds a personalized roadmap using the Keyz data

  8. Client Engagement: Client reviews the plan and uses tools like calculators and trackers in the Keyz App

7. Design Process

Information Architecture

Mapped counselor workflows to ensure quick access to:

  • Client overview and readiness metrics

  • Tasks and communication logs

  • Assessment and action plan templates

Wireframes & Prototypes

  • Designed dashboard with intuitive filters and status indicators

  • Created readiness assessment form and Keyz Check feature

  • Built a collaborative messaging module between counselor and client

Testing

  • Conducted usability testing with 5 housing counselors

  • Key feedback:

    • Simplify the process of linking clients from Keyz App

    • Make readiness data visual and color-coded for clarity

    • Add quick-action buttons for creating assessments and action plans

8. Design Highlights

Core Screens:

  • Counselor Dashboard

  • Client Profile Overview (linked with Keyz data)

  • Readiness Assessment Page

  • Homebuying Target Summary

  • Action Plan Builder

9. Outcomes

  • Reduced counselor onboarding time by 40%

  • Improved visibility into client readiness and progress

  • Streamlined data-sharing between app and portal

  • Positive feedback from pilot group counselors: “It finally feels like we’re coaching in real-time.”

10. Reflection

“Designing the HC Portal was about completing the Keyz ecosystem — turning isolated education into connected guidance.”

  • Learned to balance complexity with counselor usability.

  • Strengthened collaboration between mobile and web product teams.

  • Next step: Integrate lender data for automated pre-qualification insights.

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