Find My Roomie
Designed to take the guesswork out of roommate matching.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Industry
Lifestyle Tech
Duration
6 weeks
Discovery
The Problem
Lack of Centralized Platform
Students in the process of finding a roommate have not met anyone from their university, and rely on a mix of platforms such as Facebook housing groups, Instagram, and word of mouth. These are fragmented and require extensive searching and messaging.
02. Different Lifestyles
Many students struggle to find compatible roommates that match their lifestyles, interests, and schedules. Getting along with a roommate is, for many, essential to having an enjoyable college experience.
Methods
User Surveys & Interviews
I conducted surveys with peers from a variety of backgrounds to see what their issues were with the current roommate searching experience. I spoke with students to find out what the most important features would be for this idea, and what they look for most in a roommate.
Competitor Analysis
Looking at similar roommate matching websites, I found that most of them were subscription or pay based, which according to interviews was not ideal for students looking for an easy and efficient experience.
Define
This project started with a simple question: why is finding a good roommate so stressful? Instead of jumping straight to solutions, I focused on understanding real student experiences, frustrations, and needs. These early insights helped ground the design in communication and trust from the beginning.
User Personas
Developing user personas kept focus on user needs rather than assumptions/opinions, and allowed for greater empathizing with users.
User Flow Mapping
Mapping out the user flow of the app helped me understand which moments to design for, and gave me solid ground to stand on when moving forward with this project.
Develop
Initial Prototyping
Mapping out the user flow of the app helped me understand which moments to design for, and gave me solid ground to stand on when moving forward with this project.
User Testing & Feedback
Key feedback: Improve UI clarity, add more details to main roommate page, include user verification through school
Test users for the initial prototype noted a need for clearer, simpler UI, and that the lack of color and minimalist branding was not the friendliest.
Design Strategy
The final UI design uses clean graphics, vibrant gradients, and a structured layout to create a student-friendly experience. Profiles highlight key details and interests at a glance, making roommate matching simple and engaging.
Deliver
Reflection
Looking back on this project, there are a few key ideas that I would like to go back and iterate, improve, or add to the app.
Improved Accessibility
I would like to go back and see how I could implement adaptive text, contrast settings, screen reading features, and other accessibility features that could allow for a more diverse user audience.
Enhanced Security Features
Some students mentioned how university verification would make them feel more comfortable with an app like this, and I think using university emails to create and verify profiles could improve the security of Find my Roomie.
What I Learned
Inclusivity involves empathy
Implementing conversation starters and structured onboarding helps users feel comfortable and safe.
Challenge assumptions
What users might actually want in a product can completely differ from our assumptions of what we think they might want. Designing to question those assumptions creates a stronger, relevant outcome.
