Whyle Labs
Visitor Access App
I was the only designer at a SaaS startup, building the product from the ground up with two developers. The app lets apartment residents give visitors access without being home to answer the intercom, and I shaped every part of it, from research and usability testing to the interface and branding.
Role
Founding Designer (Intern)
Industry
SaaS
Tools
Figma
Year
Apr - Aug 2024
Problem
Apartment residents often miss deliveries or struggle to let visitors in, because the intercom only works if they’re there to answer the call. That leads to missed packages, visitors waiting downstairs, and unnecessary stress.
As the founding designer, I was responsible for every design aspect of the product, including user research, the interface, usability testing, and branding, working alongside two developers to bring it to life.
Common issues
Intercom users fall into two groups. Residents have to be present and let people in manually, while visitors and services face wait times and confusion. Both depend on the intercom.
Process
I worked in a loop: define the problem, analyze it, design, and test with users, then go back to analysis with what testing revealed.
The design process
Each round of user testing fed back into analysis, so the product kept improving between iterations.
Solution
What if residents could create personalized entry codes on their phones ahead of time? Visitors could get in without the resident being home, and nobody would have to wait downstairs.
Here’s how it works.
For the resident
During signup, residents give the product their intercom open code. It gives them a new intercom number to share with the concierge, then unlocks the door on their behalf when someone buzzes.
For the visitor
The visitor taps a button to let the product know they’ve arrived, then buzzes the resident. The product answers and opens the door for the next two minutes.
In short, the product becomes your assistant, taking intercom calls for you.
User flow
I mapped the full signup flow, from choosing a country of residence to verifying an email and adding building information, so every step and edge case was accounted for.
Screens
The high-fidelity designs guide residents from creating a code to sharing it with a visitor in four steps.
1. Generate a new entry code
The home screen shows active codes, a history list, and a Grant Entry button. Residents start a new code from the floating action button.
2. Select the type of visitor
Choosing a visitor type fills in the code settings automatically, and residents can add a label to the code.
3. Review the entry options
Residents review four basic settings, edit them if needed, and confirm to generate the code.
4. Give the code to your visitor
Residents copy a ready-made message with clear instructions on how to get into the building.
User testing
The concept was new to most people, so testing focused on whether residents understood what the product does and could get through setup on their own.
Usability testing
I walked users through each screen and collected their feedback directly on the designs, then grouped it into changes for the next round.
Challenge: too many input fields
Signup asks for a lot: the intercom phone number and open code, email and phone verification, and basic details. One long form risked overwhelming people.
Solution: one step at a time
I broke signup into guided steps with a clearer visual hierarchy, so users only deal with a few fields at once.
Before and after
Testing also simplified the home screen, putting active codes and history first and moving creation into a single Grant Entry button.
Reflection
Most users had never seen a product like this, so interactions that felt obvious to me needed more explaining. Each round of testing made the product clearer and easier to use. As the only designer, I shaped the entire visual direction, from the color palette to the interaction flow, making sure every visual choice also made the app easier to use.