Puerto Moros Network State Platform Design

Role: Information architecture, systems, and interaction design, design system foundation, and art direction Tools: Figma, Claude Code, Flora AI Type: Network state, multi-sided platform

A members-only network state reimagining the Airbnb model, where members hold rotational tenure and opportunity to co-own properties in multiple cities worldwide

A multi-sided platform serving guests, member-hosts, and shareholders in a decentralized network state

Visual direction positioning the Members Only App for exclusivity

AI-assisted workflow: Figma, Claude Code, and Claude Design, resulting in a clickable, realistic prototype

Historically marginalized peoples now stepping into the world of digital nomads need to build toward homeownership without sacrificing the freedom to move between cities, because generations of exclusion from traditional homeownership have left them without a reliable means to build generational wealth. Rotational tenure, with pathways to co-ownership across a global network, is how Puerto Moros makes ownership achievable.

When assessing standard accommodation apps, they offer a traditional user experience flow for browsing, booking stays, and checking out. A Puerto Moros member has wants and needs that are wholly unique to their pioneer lifestyle. One might rent four locations across the world, each for three months, with annual renewal, but when they're away from a specific unit, another member occupies it for their needs. Their membership gives them the option to move into co-ownership through monthly payments to deepen their ties to the network, or to lower their monthly payments by contributing their time and energy to the network's hydroponics harvest or staffing the on-site restaurant.

On the same platform, we have guests outside the network booking short-term stays from the available inventory, and members supplying and/or supporting that inventory through investments, whether in labor or capital. While guests experience the platform as a booking model, members who upgrade to the Co-owner and Steward tiers experience it as a fractional real estate ownership vehicle.

Puerto Moros' two-sided marketplace is seeded with a founding node, a farm hotel, contributed by the founder's family, to supply the first inventory and generate guest demand. This provides a proof of concept to entice steward-level members at the outset to join and list a property.

The intention behind the product is to let members feel like they're making real progress toward generational wealth while still living the fullness of the digital nomad lifestyle they've chosen. While this use case is novel, property management apps, as an underlying pattern, remain a solid starting point to build on. Determining the flows for each member type and guest allows the platform to gate content and customize navigation and CTAs.

The overview of the user ladder goes like this: Visitor → Member → Resident → Shareholder → Steward. To help users move up the ladder, I designed an incentive system that reflects users' goals at each level. So a Guest Member may be interested in reducing the cost of their 6-week trip and decides to start contributing to the network by becoming a contributing member. At the same time, a Shareholder Member works toward Stewardship by building standing through the network's reputation system and meeting the eligibility criteria for the stewardship readiness review.

Flow diagrams — Mapped essential tasks for members contributing labor/capital/properties, as well as for members and guests booking stays identified during the research process.

Low-fidelity wireframes — Ideate the main screens on Figma, exploring various Dashboard options based on Information Architecture deliverables created. This led to a dashboard that adapts its UI and content based on the user type.

Navigation and style explorations — Utilizing the Figma MCP via Claude Code and Figma's own AI agent, navigation flows were quickly explored to test and finalize.

Visual direction — The initial visual direction was too similar to the competitor's visual language, prompting a significant pivot. As a members-only network state app, fitting in with competitors did not signal exclusivity, since their products are meant for the masses, not for an online society, as network states are sometimes described. A key design decision was to include models in the property listing photos to signal to target users that, yes, you belong here.

Clickable prototype — Exported .fig file to Claude Design to build a clickable, realistic prototype.

Reputation and trust infrastructure — Integrating a standard but robust trust layer, including a mutual review system, verification badges, and visible tenure history on each member profile. Since the network is decentralized, these trust signals are crucial to its health and growth.

Conversion-funnel strategy — Visitors are free to browse the available open inventory on the network and view public events. I design a funnel in which, as visitors book a place, the booking flow requires them to create an account before checkout. This is to convert that visitor into a member, potentially turning a short-term stay into a long-term membership. I also implement flows that deliberately route members to prompts to upgrade to the next membership tier.

My AI-assisted workflow enabled me to iterate at the speed of conversation, using a custom Design System and skill library built specifically for this project to structure the outputs. From Figma to Claude Design, my AI-assisted workflow allowed me to refine entire flows to address gaps that surfaced while testing. I view AI as a build partner capable of matching my hands-on director style, guiding it as it produces the front-end UI, turning informed design decisions into a stateful, realistic, clickable prototype.

As part of the building-in-public trend, the testable prototype was used to raise awareness and generate interest in the product. Now conversations are geared toward raising capital within the community, with incentives to allow early access for members interested in testing the experience, and to open the path for potential stewards and shareholders to secure an early stake and governance in the network.