Easing the transition into the student housing market.
→ Students gain reassurance and structure throughout a complex and stressful process
ROLES
UX Researcher
Product Designer
Brand Designer
TIMELINE
3 months
Sept. 2025 → Nov. 2025
TEAM MEMBERS
Ibrahim Ma
Gabriel Schnobb
Hanh Minh Tran
TOOLS
Figma Design, Slides
Miro
01
Context
Where do university students find the most friction in completing common processes?
Tasked with addressing a problem faced by university students, we looked towards our friends' common complaints. With continuous co-op cycles in Waterloo, finding and subletting housing every other term is a complicated and tiresome process that many students experience for the first time in their lives.
02
User Research
Conducting user interviews
We interviewed 12 university students spanning different years and programs. Compiling our findings in a final affinity diagram, we identified three main pain points.
Uncertainty
The individual housing search process leaves students in the dark when they look for the first time.
Credibility
Difficult to determine trustworthy places and landlords from scams.
Time Constraints
Quick turnaround time between co-op terms and study terms in addition to other commitments.
User personas
The Newcomer
WANG, 1ST YEAR UNI STUDENT
GOAL
Gain an understanding of the local housing system to secure student housing as an international student.
NEEDS
Guidance during a complex and stressful search process.
PAIN POINTS
No reassurance or structure when navigating his search for student housing.
The Nomad
NADINE, 3RD YEAR UNI STUDENT
GOAL
Find a sublet while finishing her co-op term.
NEEDS
Determine a trustworthy platform and subletter on her own.
PAIN POINTS
She has to look through multiple listing platforms and compile comparisons externally.
03
Reworked Problem Statement
How might we centralize and streamline the rental and subletting process for post-secondary students?
04
User Journeys
Two possible user journeys
Based on our two personas' goals and pain points.
THE NEWCOMER
Centering around a personalized timeline feature
Guide international students or students unfamiliar with the housing process.
THE NOMAD
Taking a rating-based system approach
Determine credibility and increase efficient communication.
05
Low-Fi
Wireframes
As a group, we discussed specific features and details of our app to create low-fi wireframes. My wireframes reflected my own ideas and early considerations of my team.
Onboarding
Home Page
Search + Messages
Timeline + Saved
06
Visual Identity
A friendly mascot that guides users as they search.
It was important to choose inviting and approachable colours for our visual identity. These were especially prevalent in our onboarding screens that serve as a user's first impression of our experience.
First Draft
Final
07
User Testing
Identifying gaps in user flow: the Timeline
After working towards a working prototype and conducting usability tests from university students, we identified issues concerning clarity in our main feature.
Usability Issues
— Subtask vs. individual task perception
— Tight padding, less digestible
— Missing task completion feedback
— Different task order interpretation
Our Improvements
+ Reposition current task placement
+ Improved padding and legibility
+ Differentiate completion through colour
+ Numbered tasks
+ Emphasized current task as a CTA
Before
After
08
Final Solution
Onboarding
Learning users' goals, deadlines, and preferences.
Student Verification
For students, by students.
Home Page
Accessible, suggested places and overview.
Listing Overview
Student-relevant, noting distances to nearby schools and varying lease lengths.
Messages
Split into rentals and sublets, communicate with landlords in one place.
Conversation Topics
Receive common lease questions to cover all your bases.
09
Takeaways & Next Steps
With three months to complete a fully prototyped app, I appreciated the time we could spend doing user research in comparison to the speed of one or two-day design competitions. Specifically, having the opportunity to complete user testing and iterate upon feedback was a welcome change from ideating, building, and presenting all within eight hours.
Unsurprisingly, user testing is critical to a polished and thoughtful product.
Owning the Timeline feature, I learned the most from considering user feedback and making the necessary changes to improve its navigation. The remaining features of our app were more conventional and therefore had a foundation to build off of.
If time permitted, I would consider:
Landlord View
Due to time constraints, we could only design student-facing materials. Develop additional landlord functions and features.
Subletting
Designing to accommodate sublet-specific pain points, such as compatibility and a rating system.
Contract Integration
We understand that all leasing organizations have their own online portals and methods. Allowing accessible views to these documents would be convenient.
visit again soon!
Easing the transition into the student housing market.
→ Students gain reassurance and structure throughout a complex and stressful process
ROLES
UX Researcher
Product Designer
Brand Designer
TIMELINE
3 months
Sept. 2025 → Nov. 2025
TEAM MEMBERS
Ibrahim Ma
Gabriel Schnobb
Hanh Minh Tran
TOOLS
Figma Design, Slides
Miro
see final prototype →
see final screens →
01
Context
Where do university students find the most friction in completing common processes?
Tasked with addressing a problem faced by university students, we looked towards our friends' common complaints. With continuous co-op cycles in Waterloo, finding and subletting housing every other term is a complicated and tiresome process that many students experience for the first time in their lives.
02
User Research
12 User Interviews
Each member interviewed 3 university students spanning different years and programs. Compiling our findings in a final affinity diagram, we identified three main pain points.
Uncertainty
The individual housing search process leaves students in the dark when they look for the first time.
Credibility
Difficult to determine trustworthy places and landlords from scams.
Time Constraints
Quick turnaround time between co-op terms and study terms in addition to other commitments.
User Personas
The Newcomer
WANG, 1ST YEAR UNI STUDENT
GOAL
Gain an understanding of the local housing system to secure student housing as an international student.
NEEDS
Guidance during a complex and stressful search process.
PAIN POINTS
No reassurance or structure when navigating his search for student housing.
The Nomad
NADINE, 3RD YEAR UNI STUDENT
GOAL
Find a sublet while finishing her co-op term.
NEEDS
Determine a trustworthy platform and subletter on her own.
PAIN POINTS
She has to look through multiple listing platforms and compile comparisons externally.
03
Reworked Problem Statement
How might we centralize and streamline the rental and subletting process for post-secondary students?
04
User Journeys
Two possible user journeys
Based on our two personas' goals and pain points.
THE NEWCOMER
Centering around a personalized timeline feature
Guide international students or students unfamiliar with the housing process.
THE NOMAD
Taking a rating-based system approach
Determine credibility and increase efficient communication.
05
Low-Fi
Wireframes
As a group, we discussed specific features and details of our app to create low-fi wireframes. My wireframes reflected my own ideas and early considerations of my team.
Onboarding
Home Page
Search + Messages
Timeline + Saved
06
Visual Identity
A friendly mascot that guides users as they search.
It was important to choose inviting and approachable colours for our visual identity. These were especially prevalent in our onboarding screens that serve as a user's first impression of our experience.
First Draft
Final
07
User Testing
Identifying gaps in user flow: the Timeline
After working towards a working prototype and conducting usability tests from university students, we identified issues concerning clarity in our main feature.
Usability Issues
— Subtask vs. individual task perception
— Tight padding, less digestible
— Missing task completion feedback
— Different task order interpretation
Our Improvements
+ Reposition current task placement
+ Improved padding and legibility
+ Differentiate completion through colour
+ Numbered tasks
+ Emphasized current task as a CTA
Before
After
08
Final Solution
Onboarding
Learning users' goals, deadlines, and preferences.
Student Verification
For students, by students.
Home Page
Accessible, suggested places and overview.
Listing Overview
Student-relevant, noting distances to nearby schools and varying lease lengths.
Messages
Split into rentals and sublets, communicate with landlords in one place.
Conversation Topics
Receive common lease questions to cover all your bases.
07
Takeaways & Next Steps
With three months to complete a fully prototyped app, I appreciated the time we could spend doing user research in comparison to the speed of one or two-day design competitions. Specifically, having the opportunity to complete user testing and iterate upon feedback was a welcome change from ideating, building, and presenting all within eight hours.
Unsurprisingly, user testing is critical to a polished and thoughtful product.
Owning the Timeline feature, I learned the most from considering user feedback and making the necessary changes to improve its navigation. The remaining features of our app were more conventional and therefore had a foundation to build off of.
If time permitted, I would consider:
Landlord View
Due to time constraints, we could only design student-facing materials. Develop additional landlord functions and features.
Subletting
Designing to accommodate sublet-specific pain points, such as compatibility and a rating system.
Contract Integration
We understand that all leasing organizations have their own online portals and methods. Allowing accessible views to these documents would be convenient.