REALTOR.ca · Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
Modernizing REALTOR.ca, starting with the team.
I took a design team in transition from ad-hoc delivery to a shared process, growth plan, and a three-phase strategy to modernize Canada's #1 real estate platform, while having team embrace AI infused workflows.
- Role
- Lead Product Designer
- Team
- Sr. Graphic Designer, Product Designer, plus our first Jr. Product Designer hire
- Partners
- CEO and leadership, Product, Engineering, Marketing
- Scope
- Design org, process, design system, web + app platform strategy
- From 100
to 32messy DevOps tickets, restructured - $4.5K+saved every year by tidying up Figma licences
- 9 stepsCreated structured design process. Making collaboration more predictable.
- 3 monthsPromoted from Sr. to Lead Product Designer
The problem · August 2025
Team in transition, on a platform that had outgrown itself.
REALTOR.ca was operating on its own for the first time. Design was seen as a “nice-to-have” delivery team, with no seat at the table. And the current platform (R7) was outdated, slow, inconsistent, and full of UX gaps.
- CompanyTransition, unclear vision.Interim leadership, a new CEO coming in January 2026, and no clear core goal.
- TeamTurnover and burnout.Several designers had left. Low morale, and confusion about roles and structure.
- ProcessAd-hoc, no roadmap.No delivery process, no proper dev handoff or QA, AI and design tools restricted. We were vibing, not thriving.
- Design maturityNo systems in place.No design system, UI library, or templates. Outdated brand guideline burried in SharePoint. Web and app didn't match.
- ResearchScattered, no data.Insights spread across platforms, meetings, and vibes. No source of truth or success metrics.
Where we were
Design is a delivery team.
Where we were going
Design is a strategic partner that helps drive profit.
The solution
Modernize now, redesign later.
Instead of a big-bang redesign, I proposed a three-phase plan for R8, the next version of the platform. It ships visible progress early and builds the design system out of real product work.
- 01Modernize the UIRefresh the existing interface with the Untitled UI kit and Tailwind, and ship a design system that scales.3 to 9 months, with a dedicated full-time resource
- 02Improve core features, one at a timeA focused roadmap: better UX across the platform, in small, controlled steps we can measure.Incremental releases
- 03Deeper redesignInformation architecture and bigger UX changes, once the UI foundation is stable.After phases 1 and 2
Why this path, and not “fix the Information Archetecture first”
- SpeedVisible product impact, sooner
- RiskLower than a full redesign
- ScalabilityThe system grows through real product use
- Long-term valueFoundation for redesign later
Restructuring the IA first would have solved deeper problems, but it was slower, harder to scope, and at risk of analysis paralysis. IA and deeper redesign matter, but they shouldn't block UI modernization.
AI in the workflow
An AI-assisted design system, piloted before it scales.
The goal: anyone in the organization can ideate and prototype, while Design focuses on strategy, product influence and brand governance. We'd prove it in small, measurable phases first.
Today's workflow
- Sequential handoffs
- Manual implementation
- Fragmented documentation
- Repeated QA cycles
Future workflow
Figma + Claude + Tailwind + design system
- System-driven design in Figma
- Implementation-ready components
- Living docs with accessibility guidance
- Faster validation and iteration
- Pilot 1 · FoundationSmall scope, low risk.Brand colours, typography, buttons and Tailwind tokens, to validate the workflow and test generated documentation.
- Pilot 2 · FeatureThe Mortgage Calculator.A real feature, built by design and engineering together, to measure speed, consistency and fewer handoffs.
- Pilot 3 · ScaleRoll out what worked.Standardize validated workflows across R8 and mature the governance model.
How we'd measure it
- Delivery speed
- Implementation consistency
- Documentation quality
- Less handoff friction
- AI cost-to-value ratio
AI accelerates execution, while Design remains in the driver's seat.
Being in charge of governance, quality and strategic direction.
Phase 1, in Figma
The R8 design system, from the ground up.
Built on Untitled UI: an 11-step type scale, colour ramps for every state, line and solid icon sets, then components such as badges and buttons.
Tokens from the R8 Design System file, recreated here. Button and badge labels are examples.
How we got there…
Learn first, then lead.
01 · Listen
Learned the org before changing it.
For the first three months I reviewed documentation, Figma history and past research, and held 1:1s with people across the company. I focused on listening to understand first and delivering second, with small, visible wins to build momentum.
02 · Structure
Gave the team a shared process.
Design was a “black box” to Product, Marketing and Business Development. I introduced Design Process 2.0, a sign-off and a design ticket template. Cleaned up DevOps from 100+ messy tickets to 32 structured ones, started design sprints and retros. I also launched a custom GPT for writing tickets.
- 1Understand
- 2Plan
- 3Approve
- 4Research
- 5–6Design · Test · Iterate
- 7Approve
- 8QA
- 9Report
03 · Systems
Built systems, and saved money doing it.
I saved $4.5K+ a year by tidying up Figma licences, secured buy-in for our first design library and design tools. Created our first UX research hub in ChatGBT, and re-introduced templates that reinforced brand consistency.
04 · People
Grew the team, not just the backlog.
I wrote career paths from junior to manager for product design, UX research and graphic design. Our team was senior-heavy, so I recommended a Junior Product Designer over another senior hire, and got it approved. Goal was to be an org that invests into young talent and grows it. Created first University partnerships with Carleton and Guelph-Humber.
05 · Visibility
Made design visible, inside and out.
I partnered with Marketing, Product and Business Planning, presented the team's story and Vision 2030 to the CEO, and represented REALTOR.ca at Ottawa Design Club, CreativeMornings, guest lectures and a community Design Jam.
Where it was heading
Vision 2030: design as a strategic engine.
- Strategic partnerDesign drives growth across mortgage, insurance and ads.
- Data-drivenTest, learn, iterate, with A/B tests and analytics.
- Operational excellenceConsistent, scalable and accessible on every platform.
- Industry leadershipA design team that talent seeks out.
Need a design team that's a partner, not a service?