Matchsaves

Online roommate matching platform

UX UI Case Study

Project Type Duration Tools Role

Individual Long Term Figma UX UI Designer

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About the Project

MatchSave is a revolutionary platform designed specifically for students who are new to their university. Recognizing the challenges and uncertainties that come with finding the right roommate, MatchSave seeks to streamline this process by offering an intuitive and user-friendly platform.

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Our Mission:
To simplify the roommate-finding experience by connecting like-minded students based on their preferences and lifestyles, ensuring a harmonious living environment.

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DISCOVER

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My Approach

Matchsaves

I employed the "Double Diamond" methodology to ensure my design approach remains user-centered, optimizing the functionalities of Matchsaves to ensure everyone can effortlessly find and connect with compatible roommates, enhancing their living experiences and fostering harmonious shared environments.¹

¹ The "Double Diamond" methodology was introduced by the Design Council to delineate the design process for both designers and non-designers. The framework comprises two diamonds which symbolize a sequence of exploring an issue expansively or deeply (divergent thinking), followed by undertaking focused action (convergent thinking). More details can be found on the Design Council's website.

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Problem

Students consistently face the challenge of finding compatible roommates. Approximately 68% report difficulties, which often result in conflicts and uncomfortable living environments.

The prevalent issue lies in the absence of platforms that prioritize roommate compatibility based on lifestyles and preferences. Consequently, many students, navigating life away from family for the first time, end up in unsatisfactory living situations.

Secondary Research

Urban educational centers highlight a significant trend: 64% of students experience conflicts with roommates within their initial year of cohabitation.

Focused research on students aged 18 to 30 uncovers a deeper concern. While they show a preference for shared living to cut costs, the lack of comprehensive tools to ensure compatibility results in heightened stress and conflicts.

User Interview

Discovering Student Sentiments About Roommate Matching

As part of my process, I recognized the importance of directly hearing from the students – the primary user group for Matchsaves. I sought out diverse insights, conducting comprehensive interviews with 10 university students in North America. This approach was instrumental in shedding light on their genuine feelings, apprehensions, and desires related to finding a roommate.

Key Insights Gathered:

🧑‍🎓 Understanding Preferences: Many students emphasized the need to find roommates who share similar living habits and lifestyles. It’s not just about sharing a living space; it's about coexisting harmoniously.

🧑‍🎓 Seeking Compatibility Over Convenience: While proximity to the university or affordability can be decisive factors, most participants prioritized compatibility. They believed a well-matched roommate would reduce the chances of disagreements or disputes.

🧑‍🎓 Desire for a Streamlined Process: Students expressed that while there are numerous platforms to find roommates, few offer a dedicated focus on matching based on personality, habits, and preferences. They desired a tool that takes the guesswork out of the equation and offers transparent, matched results.

🧑‍🎓 The Emotional Aspect: Transitioning to university life can be daunting. For many, it's their first time away from home. The prospect of sharing their personal space with a stranger adds another layer of anxiety. They desired a platform that could mitigate these feelings by ensuring they're paired with someone compatible.

Incorporating these insights, Matchsaves was designed with a deep understanding of user needs, ensuring that the platform not only connects students but also fosters lasting, harmonious living situations.

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DEFINE

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User Journey Map

Student Housing: The Quest for the Perfect Roommate

Navigating student housing is more than just finding a place; it's about the emotional journey of sharing that space. For Jason Wang, a 21-year-old in Seattle, this process is filled with hopes and anxieties. I created an experience map to visualize Jason's journey in seeking the ideal roommate.

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Design Challenge

How can we design a user-centric platform that efficiently matches university students with compatible roommates, ensuring a harmonious living environment while reducing the stress and uncertainties commonly associated with shared living situations?

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User Stories & Epics

Defining application functionality

User Stories & Epics

In pursuit of a user-centric solution, I formulated 30 user stories. Highlighted below are the selected user stories from the primary epic, specifically tailored to the process of roommate & housing search.

As a new university student, I want to create a profile with my preferences so that potential roommates can get to know me.
As a user, I want to set specific filters (e.g., non-smoker, vegetarian) so that I can narrow down potential matches.
As a user, I want to view profiles of potential roommates so that I can evaluate compatibility.
As a user, I want to send messages to those I'm interested in so that we can discuss living arrangements.
As a user, I want to receive notifications when there's a new match so that I don't miss out on potential roommates.
As a user, I want to bookmark profiles for later consideration so that I can make a decision when ready.

Epics:

Profile Management - Building and customizing user profiles.
Matchmaking - Searching and filtering potential roommates.
Communication - Interacting with potential matches.
User Experience - Ensuring efficient and effective use of the platform.

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DEVELOP

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Wireframes

From Sketches to digital wireframes

Considering my user journey map, I chose specific solution sketches. These were then digitized into wireframes, prepared for initial user testing.

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User Testing

Refining the product

In response to user feedback and a commitment to improving usability, I implemented significant enhancements to the Matchsaves platform. Here are the two main changes made following user testing feedback.

Change #1: Enhanced Online Interaction to Ease the Awkwardness of Face-to-Face Meetings

Another point of feedback was that chatting with potential roommates didn’t suffice for getting to know them, and in-person meetings could be awkward at first. To improve mutual understanding among users, I added an "Online Virtual Coffee Meeting" feature to the platform. This allows users to engage in a relaxed, face-to-face conversation over video chat, much like they would in a coffee shop. This feature not only reduces the discomfort of initial meetings but also helps users better assess compatibility before deciding on roommates.

These changes were made after a thorough understanding of user needs and experiences, aiming to make Matchsaves a more thoughtful, user-friendly, and effective platform for matching roommates.

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Change #2: Improved Transparency and Simplicity in Expense Sharing

Many users reported difficulty in calculating individual shares of bills, such as utilities and management fees, in a shared living arrangement. Originally, this required appointing one person to manage finances, an unfair obligation that could lead to unnecessary stress and responsibility. To address this issue, I introduced an automatic expense splitting feature on Matchsaves. This feature calculates and allocates each roommate's share of expenses based on the details entered, simplifying the process and ensuring fair distribution without the need for manual calculations.

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Change #3: Enhanced Billing Visualization

To make the billing process more transparent and user-friendly, I introduced a visual overhaul to how users view and interact with their expenses on the Matchsaves platform.

Before Enhancement:
Initially, the billing information was presented in a basic list format that showed the roommate detail and the rental term. User can only see the billing information by clicking detail. This format, while functional, did not offer an at-a-glance understanding of how the total costs were distributed among different expenses, and it is hard to use for new user.

After Enhancement:
The enhanced billing visualization includes a detailed breakdown of expenses in both a graph and a donut chart. The graph clearly illustrates the user's monthly spending over time, highlighting any significant increases or decreases in their share of the expenses. This helps in tracking spending habits and identifying potential areas to save costs.

The donut chart offers a colorful and segmented view of the various fees - such as utility, management, garbage disposal, and repair fees - allowing users to quickly grasp what portions of their total payment are allocated to which services. This visual representation is not only more engaging but also simplifies the complexity of cost sharing.

Additionally, I included a feature for users to submit queries or claims regarding their bills directly through the platform with the "Submit Claims" button. This encourages user interaction and offers a straightforward way for users to seek clarifications or adjustments to their bills, thereby enhancing user satisfaction and trust in the Matchsaves service.

These changes to billing visualization aim to empower users with better financial understanding and management in their shared living situations.

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UI Library

Structured design approach for consistent user experience

To ensure consistency in design iteractions, I structured the design system into clear template. Whenever a small change need to be made, the user experience will never be obstacled.To ensure consistency across design iterations, I have built the design system into a clear set of templates. This way, whenever minor changes are needed, the user experience is never hindered.

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High-Fidelity Prototype

At last, amalgamating all components, herein lies my ultimate design resolution

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To ensure the design outcomes aligned with our high standards of user satisfaction and usability, I conducted an advanced evaluation process. This involved soliciting detailed feedback from an additional cohort of 10 users and formulating a comprehensive set of acceptance criteria. These criteria encompassed critical elements such as the intuitiveness of the design and the accessibility features, thereby guaranteeing a superior and professional-grade user experience.

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Value Proposition

Precise Matching for Comfortable Co-Living

‍Matchsaves focuses on providing students with precise roommate matching services. Our platform employs advanced algorithms to intelligently recommend compatible roommates based on users' living habits, interests, and personal preferences. This meticulous matching process aims to ensure that users find roommates who are most suitable for them, creating a harmonious and comfortable living environment.

Personalized Experience for Ideal Co-Habitation

‍Matchsaves deeply understands each user's unique needs, offering a personalized matching experience. Users can set filters according to their preferences, ensuring compatibility with potential roommates on key aspects. This customized approach helps users achieve their ideal shared living situation, thereby reducing potential disharmony and conflicts in the future.

Intuitive Design for Simplified Matching Process

‍The interface of Matchsaves is designed to be straightforward and user-friendly, enabling easy browsing and selection of potential roommates. Our platform aims to make the process of finding a roommate as stress-free and accessible as possible, allowing every user to quickly find their optimal match.

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Next Step

Advancing the Matchsaves Platform

As Matchsaves continues to grow and evolve, we are committed to enhancing the platform to better serve our users. Our focus will be on addressing specific areas to improve the overall experience and effectiveness of the roommate matching process.

Key Areas for Future Development

Enhanced Compatibility Analysis:

Objective: To refine our matching algorithms to provide even more accurate roommate suggestions based on deeper compatibility metrics, including lifestyle preferences and personality traits.

User Feedback Integration:

Objective: To implement a system for collecting and incorporating user feedback more effectively. This will ensure that the platform continually evolves in response to the actual needs and experiences of its users.

Community Building Features:

Objective: To explore the addition of community features that allow users to share their experiences, tips, and advice on co-living, thereby fostering a supportive Matchsaves community.

Streamlined Communication Tools:

Objective: To enhance the communication tools within the platform, making it easier for potential roommates to connect, discuss, and establish a rapport before deciding to live together.

Product Designer

Innovator

Matchsaves

My Role

Timeline

Let us build a bettter life