This step felt like the moment where all the research finally needs to choose a side — to stop being descriptive and start being prescriptive.

With personas, user stories, and journey maps on the table, the task here was to crystallize each user’s core need and the “why” behind it into a single, sharp statement. These aren’t just summaries — they’re the filters for every design decision that comes next.

Revisiting my starting point

I’m not working in a vacuum here.

In 2023, I co-designed and shipped a UE5 home configurator for the real estate market. This was a real, functioning product — not a student prototype — used by actual buyers to explore and customize their future homes.

The project had:

• A clear scope (serve a specific real estate development)
• A tiny team (me on UX + 3D, one engineer on programming)
• Market validation (people actually used it to make decisions)

But now the context is different:

• That original product is retired because the real estate development is complete.
• I’m working solo, covering design, UX strategy, and technical considerations.
• The goal isn’t just to rebuild — it’s to redesign with a broader, user-centered mindset, leveraging the personas and journey maps I’ve developed.

The challenge