UX Design project
Sharing a home with roommates can be a rewarding experience, but it often comes with a unique set of challenges that can impact your overall living experience. We have created a digital service that specifically solves the challenges of international students in Canada.
Members: 5 students
Duration: 1 months
Tool: Figma, FigJam
Deliverables:
User research, Affinity map, Empathy map, User Persona, Task flows, Wireframe, Prototype
Problem Statement
International students sharing housing grapple with complex challenges including expense management, cleanliness upkeep, relationship-building, and communication obstacles.
Cultural diversity and language differences amplify uncertainty regarding shared items and responsibilities. A dedicated digital platform could streamline expenses, coordinate cleaning, enhance communication, and promote cross-cultural understanding, optimizing their shared living experience.
Process
1.Empathize
This article delves into the quantitative and quality research gathered from surveyed 37 individuals and interviewed 7 who are part of shared living arrangements.
The results of the survey
-The research highlights key demographic information, revealing that the majority of respondents are aged between 18–24 (48.6%) and 25–30 (40.5%).
-Interestingly, 75.7% of participants are students, underlining the prevalence of this demographic in shared housing situations.
-Among the challenges faced, 43.2% occasionally encounter difficulties managing household expenses, while 62.2% emphasize the importance of cleanliness and order in common areas.
-Communication emerges as a crucial issue, with 56.8% preferring face-to-face interactions, 37.8% relying on WhatsApp, and 29.7% using Instagram.
-Moreover, 64.9% express interest in using a digital platform to manage shared documents and expenses, indicating a readiness for technology-based solutions.
The results of the interviews
Delving deeper, the qualitative responses shed light on roommates’ feelings, motivations, and concerns. Language barriers pose a significant challenge, with some feeling frustrated by miscommunications due to different languages spoken. The desire for effective communication, both among roommates and with landlords, is a recurring theme.
Some participants even encountered situations where miscommunication led to being locked out of their own homes.
The need for clear rules and responsibilities resonates, as does the aspiration to create a sense of community through respectful interactions. Concerns over privacy and the sharing of personal information via apps underscore a vital consideration for any technology solution.
2.Define
3.Ideate
Our final solutions
Considering these findings, several opportunities for design solutions emerge. To address language barriers, a real-time translation feature could enable effective communication among roommates who speak different languages.
A digital platform could facilitate streamlined expense tracking and payment reminders, alleviating financial stress. Additionally, a communal calendar could help coordinate cleaning schedules, fostering a clean and harmonious living environment.
4. Prototype
We created a user flow, thought about the service configuration in wireframes, and finally completed a prototype.
Purple symbolizes unity, cooperation, and a sense of shared purpose- all of which are essential in maintaining a peaceful living environment. purple encourages empathy and open communication, two values that are at the core of our web app's mission.
