UNIUS
Facilitating Professional Networking and Career Growth Through Student Housing
ROLE
UI/ UX Designer team of 3
User Research
TOOLS
Figma
Typeform
Maze
METHODOLOGY
Quantitative & Qualitative Research
Persona
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Iteration
TIMELINE
9 months
Oct 2023 - June 2024
Current Stage
A client has approached me with an innovative idea to revolutionize the student housing search experience for Arizona State University students, moving beyond traditional housing to benefit both their present needs and future aspirations. The goal is to transform traditional university housing into an experience that not only enhances students' academic skills and lifestyles but also provides opportunities for career growth.
Business Goal
Improve customer engagement
We are designing this app to encourage students to use it and connect with their peers, gradually integrating UNIUS into their student lives.Attract early-adopter
Engage early-adopter customers and confirm a product concept at the initial stages of product development.
Problem
Arizona State University students face significant challenges in finding housing that not only meets their immediate needs but also supports their long-term aspirations. Traditional university housing options often fail to offer an environment conducive to academic excellence, personal development, and career growth. This lack of comprehensive housing solutions results in students struggling to balance their academic, personal, and professional lives effectively.
How might we help the student housing experience to create an environment that meets students' immediate living needs?
How might we help the student housing experience to support their academic success and career aspirations?
Preliminary Research
I conducted preliminary research on Reddit to understand users' sentiments and gather insights.
Result
"Campus club, campus gym, work on campus, or any other housing facility instead of living in the dorm?"
"Water leaks, odors, broken locks/gates! Needless to say, navigating through this to find a decent apartment is nearly impossible."
"Who still feels uncomfortable sharing a room?”
"What sort of speeds were people getting for their network connection at shared housing?"
"Is there a good place for studying besides the library?”
Takeaway
Enhanced Academic Environment: Providing spaces that are conducive to studying, group projects, and academic collaboration.
Lifestyle Support: Pairing amenities and services using filters and algorithms that cater to students' daily needs, wellness, and social interactions
Career Opportunities: Integrating features that connect students with their peers in the same industry, major, and interest.
By transforming traditional university housing into a holistic experience, this solution will not only meet the immediate housing needs of students but also support their overall growth and future success.
User Interviews
We aimed to thoroughly understand the needs and challenges of the student housing search experience at Arizona State University. Below is a summary of our methodology and findings:
What amenities in student housing are most important to you, and how do they affect your decision when choosing where to live?
Can you share your experiences with maintenance services in your current or past housing, and what improvements would you like to see?
How do you feel about the study spaces available in your housing, and what changes or additions would make them more effective for you?
How do you typically use common areas for group work or peer interactions, and what features would enhance your experience in these spaces?
What professional development opportunities would you like to see offered by your housing community, and how important are these opportunities to you?
Persona
After prioritizing user needs and stakeholder goals, we created personas for the key stakeholders to align with the company's product objectives.
UX Introduction
Onboarding: due to time constraints, we implemented onboarding to attract early adopters and introduce the product to the market.
Community page: the community feature enables landlords and renters to anonymously connect and engage in conversations like human beyond regular filters, allowing them to determine if there is a good fit.
Rating system: the rating system allows users to see the housing conditions based on real reviews from other tenants.
User Flow
Based on my user research and persona insights, I decided to focus on users seeking a roommate with shared goals for the next few years. This choice reflects the complexity of not only finding suitable matches through filters but also building meaningful human connections reflecting with chat feature.
Style Guide
Creating a UI element and mood board centered around the keywords adventure, bookworm, and outgoing gamers was an exhilarating journey. It involved blending vibrant colors and dynamic shapes to capture the spirit of adventure, incorporating elegant fonts and textures that evoke a love for books, and integrating playful, interactive elements that appeal to outgoing gamers. The result is a harmonious and engaging design that brings these diverse themes together in a visually captivating way.
Reframing the Problem
I began by creating an initial persona to accurately capture the client’s target audience for the product, which was then validated through client feedback. After aligning on user goals, I developed the initial user flow for the onboarding and setup process.
We proceeded iteratively, with each section involving the creation of user flows and corresponding wireframes for the app's various tasks. These tasks were designed to support Ryan's objectives of peer connection, early career development, and networking.
Introduction Summarize the Purpose and Needs
Onboarding aims to demonstrate how the app can enhance users' housing experience by providing access to amenities, fostering meaningful social connections, and facilitating career development through networking opportunities.
By collecting relevant user information and encouraging profile completion, the onboarding process ensures that users feel welcomed and are able to immediately engage with features that best meet their individual needs and interests.
Community page
The feature allows users to interact more naturally and express what they are looking for.
Rating system
Allows users to understand the overall rating of each apartment from real reviewers (data from Google Reviews).
Overall Rating System
Allows users to understand the city's environment, commute, and safety.
Net promoter score (NPS)
To assess user satisfaction, I conducted a flow test using a maze and gathered data on completion times, ease of navigation, heatmaps, and the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The NPS was rated at 8, which met our team's satisfaction criteria.
UX Designer and UX Researcher: Dynamic Duo
The extension was developed in collaboration with the client, who acted as the product director. They ensured the product vision and requirements were maintained and secured a developer to build the product after the design phase was complete. As the designer, I conducted user research, user flows, wireframe prototypes, and the final UI design for developer handoff.
Throughout the project, the client and I worked closely together, meeting regularly via Zoom to discuss progress and make adjustments based on feedback. I used Figma to develop the wireframes and prototypes, and we collaborated asynchronously between meetings by leaving notes within the design files.
Given that this was a contract role with a limited budget, I had to carefully manage the project's scope to prevent scope creep, occasionally advising the client against adding too many features to the initial launch version.
Accessibility Test
I conducted an accessibility test to ensure the product meets AA compliance standards from the color contrast to font sizing.
Success Launch
At the end of the contract, the app was successfully published in the App Store. I continue to maintain contact with the client for occasional maintenance and updates.
The app has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from reviewers on the App Store, currently holding a 5 out of 5 rating. Launched at a time when ASU students faced challenges in finding student housing, this product has proven to be highly effective in supporting students' academic growth, networking, and social lifestyles.
For more information on the current version of the app, please visit their site.
