UX Design
Interaction Design
Prototyping
User Research
User Testing
Illustration
TEAM
Designer x1
Developers x5
Marketer x2
TIMELINE
Sep - Oct 2023 (~4 weeks)
RESULTS
Led design process
Designed subletter interface
Contributed to ideation and feedback for subtenant interface
RESULTS
Launched feature (March 2024)
How are students currently finding subletters and subtenants?
Students often sublet at the end of the semester use a wide variety of platforms and methods for finding subletters. The disorganization makes the process unnecessarily stressful and difficult.
Some examples of all the different platforms where students are posting their listings:
What pain points do subletters and subtenants face?
30 min. interviews
2 subletters
4 subtenants
Subletters
Search
Can’t find someone who matches timing of the sublet
Trust
Hard to know if subtenant will keep the apartment clean
Price
Awkward to negotiate price if subletting to a friend
Subtenants
Search
Can’t find housing unless you know someone/come across posting
Trust
Uncertain whether listings will be scams
Price
Awkward to negotiate price if subletting from a friend
Mapping out a basic user flow
We started out by walking through the process of posting and finding a listing along with developers and a couple of other designers in Penn Labs.
Refining the design based on user feedback
For the subletter interface, I did 3 in-person user tests with Penn students. Using a mid-fi prototype, I asked them to complete tasks such as posting a listing and viewing candidates while narrating their thought process. Based on their feedback, I made the following revisions.
15-20 min interviews
2 juniors
1 senior
Selecting Amenities
Old Design
Small touch point
Revision
Candidate Messaging
Old Design
Revision
Taking a listing off a marketplace
Old Design
Confusion around meaning of "mark as claimed" button
UI clutter with stacked buttons
Revision
Button placement fits user flow better (subletters must click into details to view candidates)
Confirmation message gives more clarity around what action the button accomplishes
Features on the subletter side
Subletters can click into the details of the listing they made, edit, and view candidates who expressed interest in their listing.
On the candidates page, subletters can click on the messaging icon to directly contact the candidate through text messaging.
Once the subletter has decided on a subtenant, they can take their listing off the marketplace.
Ensuring smooth handoff
To follow through to the end of the design process, I made sure the designs on Figma were clear to developers who would have to understand the logic and flow of the wireframes.
Detailing Flows
One way I did this was by drawing out flows and communicating where the user would be taken to an external app like Photos or Messages.
Input Fields & Error States
I also made sure to show different types of input fields types as well as UI for error states.
# Roommates
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
# Bath
Select a valid range
06/06/2022
Yes
No
Yes
Negotiable?
Unresolved Problems
With only 4 weeks to complete designs, we ended up leaving a few problems unresolved. Given more time, these are possible solutions to these problems:
Subtenant Information
To build more trust for subletters, we could include some basic information on subtenants (year and university)
Location Searching
To improve the subtenant experience, we could use a draggable map to make it easier to find housing based on location
Roommate Information
Most subtenants will have to live with roommates, so including basic roommate information or allowing group subletting could help subtenants feel safer.
Thanks for viewing!
chelsea12x2@gmail.com
made with <3 by chelsea