Modus / 2018–2019
Modus: Scaling Escrow From Prototype To Platform
The initial product had been built quickly to validate the concept, but lacked the structure and scalability required to support growth while pilot users were still testing the live system.
Executive Summary
Modus needed to mature a fast-moving escrow proof of concept into a reliable platform while pilot users were still testing the live system. As employee #5 and the first designer, I established product foundations, workflow architecture, and the first design system so buyers, agents, escrow teams, founders, and engineering could move with more structure.
Operating Context
A proof of concept was being tested by pilot users while the company prepared for growth and expanded operations. The product had to support buyers, agents, and escrow teams with distinct workflows while the team maintained the existing system and defined the next generation of the platform.
Decisions That Shaped The Work
- Designing for an ecosystemHome buyers, agents, and escrow teams were part of the same transaction, so each experience had to support the broader system around it.
- Support today’s platform while building what comes nextThe existing product still needed attention while the next-generation experience was being defined and developed.
- Keep operational complexity with the expertsSpecialized operational detail should stay with the teams equipped to manage it, rather than being pushed onto every user in the system.
- Establish shared design foundations earlyA common system reduces rework and prevents inconsistencies from multiplying as the product scales.
How the product evolved
Outcomes
What Changed
- Launched V2 and began phasing out the original productV2 launched within six months of my tenure, giving the company a clearer product foundation and allowing the original experience to be gradually retired.
- Created a connected escrow ecosystemBuyer and agent experiences remained connected to dedicated operational tools that helped internal escrow teams manage the same transaction more efficiently.
- Established shared design foundationsThe company’s first design system introduced reusable patterns that improved consistency and helped the team develop the product more efficiently.
- Helped position the company for acquisitionBuilt the product and design foundations that supported growth from 7 to 65+ employees during my tenure, helping Modus scale beyond 100 employees before its acquisition by Compass.Compass acquisition announcement
Principles I Carry Forward
What I Learned
- Early speed creates debt unless structure arrives soon after.As a product grows, adding more features can matter less than strengthening the foundations that make it coherent, usable, and scalable.
- A design system is most valuable when its patterns become predictable.Components help, but the real leverage comes from giving teams and users consistent, repeatable ways to understand how the product behaves.
- Early-stage product work requires balancing today with what comes next.I address operational urgency without losing sight of the longer-term product vision.
- Shared goals don’t mean similar experiences.People can participate in the same system while needing different information, decisions, and tools based on their role.
