

Homie
Homie simplifies room and roommate discovery, modernizing the way users customize and share their housing preferences to find the ideal match in an outdated market.
Timeline
Aug - Oct 2023
Role
UX designer
My story begins with observing a concerning trend:
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The widespread consumption of sugary snacks and beverages among young adults, particularly students. This normalization of high sugar intake troubled me, evident in the prevalence of vending machines stocked with such items. Motivated by the health risks posed by excessive sugar consumption, I embarked on this project to promote healthier eating habits and mitigate potential health hazards among students.

Understanding the users
The design journey was initiated by addressing these questions first:
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Who is our target audience?
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What kind of goals do they have?
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How this application will help?
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What is the scope of the project?
Research method used

Competitive Analysis -
To construct a concise and solid foundation for Homie, I had to venture out and see what the prominent room and roommate-finding applications were already doing and what user goals they were not reaching.

User Surveys -
I conducted a research study with individuals who relocated for educational or job opportunities. Through surveys and one-on-one interviews, I collected responses from 20 participants. Analyzing the survey's 10 questions provided valuable insights into their experiences and emotions.
60%
Percent of students relocating for educational purposes
18-35
Age group
340k
Number of students moving every year for studies

Many participants expressed frustration in finding a suitable place to live and compatible roommates.

Several respondents shared experiences of encountering fraudulent listings where the actual living space did not match the advertised pictures.

Participants highlighted a lack of customizable options and insufficient information available for finding compatible roommates.

All participants expressed concerns about the authenticity and safety of roommate-finding applications, indicating a need for platforms that prioritize security and trustworthiness in connecting potential roommates.
Prioritization Plotting -
Plotting a list of the possible features onto a graph helped narrow down what was absolutely crucial for delivering the mvp and could be built upon further down the road.

User Interviews -
To better understand the challenges of high sugar consumption in our target audience, we conducted one-on-one interviews. The 6 participants we interviewed shared their dietary habits and various different insights about sugar consumption.




This helped us to create a persona that was kept front and center while designing.


Brainstorming & Ideation

Sketching & Prototyping




Proposed Solution
Homie revolutionizes the process of finding the perfect room and roommate, offering a modernized platform for users to effortlessly customize and share their housing preferences.
In an antiquated market, Homie streamlines room discovery by simplifying the search process with just a few clicks. Users can easily input their requirements and preferences, enabling Homie to match them with compatible roommates and rooms tailored to their needs. By providing a user-friendly interface and personalized recommendations, Homie aims to empower individuals in their quest for ideal living arrangements, making the journey to finding the perfect room and roommate a seamless and enjoyable experience.

Information Architecture

Final Designs
Comprehending the data
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Creating an easy-to-understand customized feed for users was a goal that helped drive this project as far as it did. A lot of the time, users don't know how to search, find, or comprehend the data that apps throw at them. I solved this issue by giving the user options to add his interests, personality traits, and living habits.

Seamless exploration
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Before establishing familiar navigation throughout the app, I had to decide what kind of navigation would work best for the user. I decided to combine user’s needs and wants to improvise the user experience. Placing the navigation at the bottom and the main content at the centre of the screen allowed me to create a natural bridge between the contents of the screen

Search history
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I wanted to allow users to explore their search history. It's cool for users to go back and see what places or profiles they've viewed so far, what type, and how long ago it was. It helps you get a better feel for what kind of places you've been viewing lately at a glance without having to go into your profile.

“What kind of people do you like to be around”
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Ahh, the age-old question... "Which kind of people interests you?" or "What kind of people do you like to be around?" Answering this question is no longer an issue as users can easily share both the profiles and the housing details with one tap, allowing you to share with others exactly the perfect kind of place and roommate you can enjoy time with.

Future Scope
We plan on integrating user and expert feedback to enhance our platform's functionality. Our goal is to improve user engagement and event completion rates. We’d also focus on regularly assessing new features to refine the design and enhance the user experience. Plus, we’ll be testing social connection features to foster a stronger community vibe. Continuous improvement through iterative design and user input is at the heart of what we do.
Takeaways
Being someone who was once in search for a room and roommate herself, working on Homie was incredibly rewarding. I got to experiment with some of the new Figma’s features, and narrow down my design process. Although I was not able to fully flesh out other features and designs I wanted to within Homie due to time constraints, it's not to say I won't try to incorporate them in future projects down the line.