Maison is a referral-based home services startup connecting trusted contractors with homeowners through real estate professionals. I led the frontend development of the platform’s core infrastructure, building out the Vendor Portal and Partner Portal. These role-specific dashboards were designed to power Maison’s operations at launch, enabling vendors to manage leads and territories, and partners to track and monetize referrals.
Maison is an early-stage startup aiming to reshape how homeowners connect with trusted contractors, not through ads or bidding platforms, but through referrals from real estate professionals like agents and designers.
To bring that vision to life, the team needed two key systems built from the ground up:
- A Vendor Portal to help contractors manage exclusive lead access and view their performance within claimed service areas ("patches")
- A Partner Portal to give realtors and designers a seamless way to submit referrals, track progress, and earn rewards
None of these systems existed yet. My goal was to design and build a frontend experience from the ground up that felt clean, intuitive, and scalable — setting the stage for Maison’s product launch.
My Role & Approach
As the lead frontend developer, I was responsible for designing and implementing the UI for both portals. My focus was on translating user flows into clean, intuitive components — ensuring each portal supported its core use cases while staying consistent with Maison’s brand and product goals.
I worked closely with the founder to map out role-specific journeys, to build a modular component system that could scale. From layout scaffolds to individual UI states, I led decisions around structure, usability, and how the interface should feel for vendors, partners, and admins.
Building the Solution
The platform is built with Next.js and Tailwind CSS, which allowed me to move quickly while keeping the UI system consistent and responsive. I focused on translating core user flows like submitting a referral, reviewing a new lead, and tracking patch performance into modular, role-specific components. Each portal adapts based on the user’s role, showing only what’s relevant to vendors or partners without adding unnecessary complexity.
Instead of designing static pages, I built flexible views that respond to real-time data and changing business needs. Referral progress and lead stages update dynamically, helping users understand what’s happening without needing to dig. The goal was always clarity — giving each user just enough context to take action with confidence, whether they’re managing jobs or sending a new client into the network.
Key Challenges
Since Maison hadn’t launched yet, I had to design and build without usage data. I relied on UX heuristics, competitor research, and internal team feedback to guide UI decisions that would feel intuitive to first-time users.
The platform supports multiple user types — each with different access levels and data needs. I implemented conditional layouts and reusable scaffolds that could adapt based on role while keeping code DRY and components testable.
The dashboards had to handle complex workflows (lead tracking, document handling, referral chains) without overwhelming users. I used progressive disclosure, collapsible panels, and consistent visual hierarchy to maintain a clear user experience.
The Impact
While Maison hasn’t launched publicly yet, these portals now form the foundation of the product.
They’re designed to:
- Enable efficient onboarding for contractors and partners
- Support referral and lead flow from day one
- Set up scalable frontend logic that maps cleanly to backend infrastructure
The systems are already being used internally for testing, onboarding demos, and preparing for pilot rollouts.
What’s Next
As Maison prepares for launch, I’ll continue refining the Vendor and Partner Portals based on real user feedback. Once early partners and contractors begin using the system, I plan to observe how they interact with the tools — what feels intuitive, where they hesitate, and which flows need simplification. My focus moving forward will be on strengthening the user experience through real-world testing, improving clarity, and making adjustments that support the way people actually work, not just how we imagined they would.
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Maison
APRIL 2025 - PRESENT
Frontend Development
Maison is a referral-based home services startup connecting trusted contractors with homeowners through real estate professionals. I led the frontend development of the platform’s core infrastructure, building out the Vendor Portal and Partner Portal. These role-specific dashboards were designed to power Maison’s operations at launch, enabling vendors to manage leads and territories, and partners to track and monetize referrals.
Understanding the Problem
Maison is an early-stage startup aiming to reshape how homeowners connect with trusted contractors, not through ads or bidding platforms, but through referrals from real estate professionals like agents and designers.
To bring that vision to life, the team needed two key systems built from the ground up:- - A Vendor Portal to help contractors manage exclusive lead access and view their performance within claimed service areas ("patches")
- - A Partner Portal to give realtors and designers a seamless way to submit referrals, track progress, and earn rewards
None of these systems existed yet. My goal was to design and build a frontend experience from the ground up that felt clean, intuitive, and scalable — setting the stage for Maison’s product launch.
My Role & Approach
As the lead frontend developer, I was responsible for designing and implementing the UI for both portals. My focus was on translating user flows into clean, intuitive components — ensuring each portal supported its core use cases while staying consistent with Maison’s brand and product goals.
I worked closely with the founder to map out role-specific journeys, to build a modular component system that could scale. From layout scaffolds to individual UI states, I led decisions around structure, usability, and how the interface should feel for vendors, partners, and admins.
Building the Solution
The platform is built with Next.js and Tailwind CSS, which allowed me to move quickly while keeping the UI system consistent and responsive. I focused on translating core user flows like submitting a referral, reviewing a new lead, and tracking patch performance into modular, role-specific components. Each portal adapts based on the user’s role, showing only what’s relevant to vendors or partners without adding unnecessary complexity.
Instead of designing static pages, I built flexible views that respond to real-time data and changing business needs. Referral progress and lead stages update dynamically, helping users understand what’s happening without needing to dig. The goal was always clarity — giving each user just enough context to take action with confidence, whether they’re managing jobs or sending a new client into the network.
Key Challenges
Since Maison hadn’t launched yet, I had to design and build without usage data. I relied on UX heuristics, competitor research, and internal team feedback to guide UI decisions that would feel intuitive to first-time users.
The platform supports multiple user types — each with different access levels and data needs. I implemented conditional layouts and reusable scaffolds that could adapt based on role while keeping code DRY and components testable.
The dashboards had to handle complex workflows (lead tracking, document handling, referral chains) without overwhelming users. I used progressive disclosure, collapsible panels, and consistent visual hierarchy to maintain a clear user experience.
The Impact
While Maison hasn’t launched publicly yet, these portals now form the foundation of the product.
They’re designed to:- - Enable efficient onboarding for contractors and partners
- - Support referral and lead flow from day one
- - Set up scalable frontend logic that maps cleanly to backend infrastructure
The systems are already being used internally for testing, onboarding demos, and preparing for pilot rollouts.
What’s Next
As Maison prepares for launch, I’ll continue refining the Vendor and Partner Portals based on real user feedback. Once early partners and contractors begin using the system, I plan to observe how they interact with the tools — what feels intuitive, where they hesitate, and which flows need simplification. My focus moving forward will be on strengthening the user experience through real-world testing, improving clarity, and making adjustments that support the way people actually work, not just how we imagined they would.