Roomin
Roomin is an app that makes the process of finding roommates easier by encouraging increased transparency and trust amongst users
Overview
Roomin is an app that me and my team worked on as a capstone project in our masters course. This app makes the process of finding roommates easy and it edges out on it's competition by having features that prioritize trust and transparency amongst users.
Role
UX Designer, UX researcher, Visual Design, Prototyping, Testing.
Duration
Sep 2024 - Dec 2024
The Process
The UX Process we followed for Roomin is based on the Double Diamond Theory. We aim to incorporate the key phases of Discovery, Definition, Ideation and Implementation in all of our projects.
Understanding The Problem
To Understand the problem me and my team conducted primary reserach in the form of - user interviews with students that are renting and working indidvuals that are also renting, and secondary reserach in the form of reading articles, blog posts, reviews, videos etc. to understand the problem users are facing in terms of finding roommates.
My research encompassed:
3 user interviews to understanding the user goals and needs
6 Secondary sources reviewed to find common user complaints
Uncovering pain points with the existing user journey by reviewing apps and articles
Gathering Insights
After collecting the recordings from the user interviews, I conducted affinity mapping with my teammates to synthesize the pains identified. We grouped these problems under common themes and features in the platform.
Prioritization Of Features
After organizing the common themes, we decided to conduct a SWOT analysis to figure out which features seem to make the most sense for our initial launch, we focused on features that were yielding the most value with the least amount of effort to implement.
Narrowing Down The Scope Of Work
Based on the user interviews conducted with 12 users on the existing Audience wizard, we found the following key issues:
87% of users were worried about trusting a roommate in competitor apps.
75% of users wanted a verification system in place
63% of users wanted an easier way to find roommates
75% of users wanted advanced lifestyle filters
Wireframing the Solution
Based on the above problems identified, I worked towards addressing these pains by coming up with potential solutions:
Compatibility score: Clearly show how well you align with potential roommates.
Learn about your compatibility: Easily understand why you’re a good fit.
Share honest reviews: Build trust with real feedback from others.
Feel at home right away: Simple navigation that puts everything at your fingertips.
I quickly mocked up some basic wireframes to gather feedback from Professors, Industry Experts and the Users on the overall layout and structure of our 4 Key Frames (Home Page, Compatibility Page, Review Page, Filter Page)
Validating the Design
I conducted usability testing sessions and a 5-second test to evaluate the effectiveness of our wireframes and identify improvement areas. For the usability test, I created a "happy path" scenario where users navigated from the home page, set their own filters and preferences, and returned to the home page.
The 5-second test revealed how users initially perceived the home screen, while the usability test provided deeper insights into navigation and task completion. Key findings included:
Overwhelming home screen: Users felt there was too much information, making it difficult to focus on key details.
Hard-to-find filter preferences: Filters were not easily accessible, frustrating users trying to set their preferences.
Lack of content prioritization: Users wanted the home screen to highlight the most important information clearly.
Clunky task flow: While users could complete the happy path, the experience felt unintuitive due to poor content organization.
These insights emphasized the need to simplify the home screen, improve filter visibility, and prioritize critical information to deliver a more seamless and user-friendly experience.
Developing The Designs
My team and I worked together to create a high-fidelity prototype, incorporating feedback from usability testing. We focused on improving usability and ensuring the design aligned with our goals of trust and transparency.
Key design updates included:
Visibility of compatibility score: We placed the compatibility score prominently to help users easily assess potential matches.
Intuitive filter button: A simple, recognizable filter icon was added at the top right for easy access.
Explore more CTA button: We introduced a clear call-to-action to let users quickly access profiles of interest.
Progressive disclosure: Filters were hidden under dropdown menus to reduce clutter and present only essential information.
These updates were designed to create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience, ensuring the interface felt seamless and aligned with user needs.
Design System
To support the new prototype, I created a design system to ensure consistency and clarity across the app. It included a cohesive colour palette, standardized typography, and reusable button components to enhance usability and maintain a unified experience.
Refining the Prototype
After creating our high-fidelity prototype, my group presented the case study to our class, which included industry experts. Their feedback highlighted a critical flaw: the rating system could introduce unnecessary bias, contradicting our app’s goal of fostering trust and simplicity.
Based on this feedback, we decided to remove the rating system entirely and reworked the design to maintain a more neutral and straightforward user experience. This change aligned with our vision of creating a transparent and unbiased platform for users.
Removed Ratings from Home Page
Removed Ratings from Reviews Page
