| END-TO-END APPLICATION
CLASSMATE
An app that allows you to connect with other college students to find the ideal roommate who fits your needs and expectations.
Overview
Moving is often challenging, especially for college students navigating new cities and newfound independence. With limited budgets, shared housing is usually the most affordable option. However, finding a compatible roommate can be difficult, as differences in lifestyles, schedules, and habits can greatly impact the living experience. This adds to the stress of an already complex process, and a busy students day to day schedule.
My goal is to offer a solution that simplifies finding a compatible roommate who matches the users preferences, while also managing easy communication before placing a commitment to live together.
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
TOOLS
Figma
TIMELINE
1 Month
Table of Contents
| COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Research Findings
All sorts of platforms exist, but they are not specifically for finding roommates for college students. Below are a few samples of strengths and weaknesses I discovered during my competitive analysis research.
CIRTRU
ROOMIES
ROOMSTER
FACEBOOK GROUPS
3D Room Tours
Provides online 3D room tours of apartment complex, house, etc.
Easy Filters
Allows filtering by room type (private or shared), houses, apartments, and studios.
Vague Descriptions
A bit unclear whether a listing is posted by a real person, a landlord, or an automated bot.
Limited Options
Most listings are short-term leases. Not an ideal site for those looking for long-term leases.
Review & Rating System
Users can add reviews or comments about their experiences with roommates or landlords.
Detailed Filters
Can filter by location, budget, lifestyle preferences, and more, making it easier to find a roommate.
Limited Verification
While profiles are verified to an extent, there's still a chance of encountering fake or misleading profiles.
Outdated Listings
Some listings remain on the site even after rooms are filled, leading to frustration for users.
Language Support
Supports multiple languages, allowing accessibility for non-English speakers.
Landlord & Tenant Support
Allows property owners to post rooms or apartments for rent.
Potential Scams
Reports of fake profiles and fraudulent listings are common, posing a risk to users.
No Background Checks
No background checks required, potentially exposing users to feel unsafe.
Direct Messaging
Easy to connect directly with the person who created a post, leading to quick responses.
Wide Marketplace
Can buy affordable supplies or sell items in the users local area.
Potential Threats
Difficult to search for roommates or housing unless you use the search bar or join a specific group.
Limited Support
Facebook offers limited group-specific customer support, making dispute resolution difficult.
| USER INTERVIEWS
Understanding Their Stress
User interviews were conducted with 7 participants ranging from incoming freshman to senior college students. My goal was to gain insights on their pain points, stressors, and overall experiences when preparing to move into a new apartment and looking for a roommate.
Problem Statement
College students needs a cost-effective way to move because they can’t afford, don’t have time, and want to live with someone compatible.
“How might we design a solution to help college students find a roommate efficiently, given their time and budget limits?”
| PERSONAS
Understanding the User
Personas were created based on experiences gathered from incoming freshman, and experienced college students during user interviews.
“I’m juggling an internship, school, and my social life—moving’s the last thing on my mind.”
— Jay, Junior College Student
“Everyone else seems to have it figured out, and I’m just stuck, unsure what to do.”
— Tammy, Incoming College Freshman
| USER FLOWS
User Journey
Before beginning the wireframing process, I created user and task flows to build the app's structure. My goal is to outline each feature, define how user’s would navigate through the app, and identify potential roadblocks.
| LOW & MID-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Visualizing the User Flow
Low-Fidelity
I sketched out low fidelity wireframes using the flows as a reference, and translated those sketches into draft screens in Figma.
Mid-Fidelity
After brainstorming, I then moved onto mid-fidelity wireframes, and tested this prototype early on with participants from user interviews to ensure the app flow is clear and intuitive.
| BRANDING
Brand Development
Based on user feedback, and competitive analysis research, users have a hard time trusting resources due to potential risks of getting scammed. I selected a color palette with yellow-orange, and blue hues to convey trust and reliability. The name “Classmate” was used to indicate the app’s intentions of targeting college students as the main audience.
UI Kit
| HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
High-Fidelity Wireframes
After making minor adjustments, I applied the app's visual design and branding into the prototypes, and made minor adjustments from early user testing.
| USER TESTING
Gathering Actionable Feedback
I conducted user testing with 7 participants from user interviews during the research phase. They were instructed to complete 3 tasks:
Setup Your Account and Profile
Match with a Roommate
Use Chat Feature after Matching
Test Objectives
Time Duration
The amount of time it took to complete tasks in a timely manner. Task completion would ideally take less than a minute.
Navigation
Navigating the entire app beyond instructed tasks without anything confusing along the way.
Completion of Tasks
Completing tasks without any problems. Were there any confusing parts?
Usability
Is the entire app easy for the user to understand? Are they familiar with each action?
Test Results
| ITERATIONS
Listen, Learn, Refine
Although users completed the assigned tasks in under a minute, I noticed areas that still needed improvement. In addition to the main iterations, I made minor design adjustments to accommodate both light and dark modes. Below are the changes I prioritized based on user feedback.
Sign In & Verification
Pain Point
Participants wanted more ways to sign into their account, and wanted to make sure the verification system was strengthened.
Wall of Text
Pain Point
Users found it difficult reading students bio’s due to the length. Users wanted to see people’s preferences in a roommate vs. a wall of text.
History
Extra Screen
There was a need to have a type of tracking for profiles in case users wanted to go back to them later, but didn’t want to commit to matching yet. Added an additional screen for users to return to potential matches.
Solution
Added additional options for users to input a phone number or email, strengthened the verification system, and included a 30-day "Remember Device" checkbox.
Solution
Condensed the text and improved card clarity and readability. Added profile preferences for bedroom type and number of roommates, suggested by user feedback.
The navigation bar was updated with the addition of the “likes” tab to access potential matches. The notification bell was moved to the upper right of the home page for ease of access.
BEFORE
AFTER
The Final Product
