Zirrow Properties
Adem Awol
Casestudy
Dragged Ethiopian real estate out of WhatsApp chaos and into something that doesn't scream 1998.
Zirrow: The Not-So-Humble Attempt to Drag Ethiopian Real Estate Out of the Group Chat and Into the 21st Century
TL;DR
ZirrowProperties was an urban UX rescue mission. Goal: Fix a housing market powered by WhatsApp and voice notes. Result: A platform for searchable listings and clear pricing. The twist: The client ghosted before launch, but the work still stands.
The Market Landscape: A Glorious Dumpster Fire with Just Enough Wi-Fi to Hurt More
Zirrow's mission:
Centralized listings
Clear, honest pricing
A real platform—culturally grounded
The problem: disorganized listings, sketchy brokers, and outdated UX that wouldn't fly in any decade.
Stakeholder Analysis: Meet the Cast of Our Real Estate Reality Show
Stakeholders:
Basazen (Founder) – Visionary with a death wish to fix the market
Brokers – Drowning in paperwork and WhatsApp chats
Buyers and Sellers – Dodging scams and hitting "post" while crossing themselves
Dev Team – Building the platform
Investors – Watching from the sidelines
Assumptions That (Shockingly) Didn't Age Like Milk
Initial assumptions:
People crave transparency
Bad UX is not a cultural norm—it's just what was available
The market is ready for a platform
Market Research, UX Headaches, and a Crash Course in Reality
Market findings:
Brokers drowning in paperwork – Managing hundreds of listings across WhatsApp groups
Buyers dodging scams – No way to verify listings or pricing
Sellers hitting post and crossing themselves – Hope-based marketing strategy
From gut feelings to user-driven data.
From MVP to MVP: Minimum Viable Patience
MVP strategy:
Localized language and logic – Built for Ethiopian market context
Simplified flows – Streamlined property search and listing
Solved real problems – Image upload failures, navigation mazes, unclear pricing
Usability Testing: Where Our Design Got Grilled and Roasted to Perfection
Usability fixes:
Added image compression – Solved upload failures for users with slow connections
Added "Save Search" feature – Let users track their property preferences
Simplified flow with tooltips – Made navigation intuitive
Built feedback loop – Continuous improvement based on user input
Research Round Two: When "We Know Our Users" Turned Into "Oh, So We Didn't Know Anything"
Research outcomes:
Ran deeper interviews with brokers, buyers, and sellers
Replaced gut feelings with actual user quotes
Used Notion for organizing feedback and insights
Moved from assumptions to user-driven design decisions
Final Design Reveal: From "Please Don't Judge Us" to "Okay, This Actually Slaps"
Preview My Mental Breakdown
The final design addressed all major pain points:
Clean, searchable listings
Transparent pricing
Mobile-first interface
Culturally appropriate UX patterns
Streamlined broker workflow
The Plot Twist Nobody Asked For: When the Client Pulls a Houdini Just Before Takeoff
The client disappeared before launch. Despite the sudden end, the design work demonstrated:
Deep understanding of localized context
Effective stakeholder management across diverse groups
User-centered design process from research to final product
Adaptability in chaotic market conditions
Lessons from the Edge of Chaos: What Ethiopian Real Estate (and a Vanishing Client) Taught Me About Design That Actually Works
Key lessons:
Context is everything – What works in Silicon Valley doesn't work in Addis Ababa. Cultural and infrastructure differences require localized solutions.
Stakeholder syncs are therapy – Regular communication with founders, brokers, buyers, and dev teams prevents disasters and aligns everyone.
User testing is oxygen – Without continuous testing and feedback, you're designing in a vacuum. Real users will always surprise you.
Always save your receipts – Document everything, especially when clients are unpredictable. Your work is proof of your process.
Tools used: Figma (design), Notion (research organization), WhatsApp & Telegram (user research), Slack (team communication), JS libraries (development), Spreadsheets (data analysis)
Roles performed: UX Designer, UI Designer, User Researcher
Like this project
Posted Mar 31, 2026
Ethiopian real estate platform transforming WhatsApp chaos into searchable listings with transparent pricing—a UX rescue mission grounded in local context.
Likes
0
Views
0
