RateMyRoommate - Case Study
Intro
RateMyRoommate is an app I designed as a student that I incorporated into my UX design class. The app mirrors Rate my Professor but for college students searching for a roommate.
Deliverables:
Background
This was an idea that I had my sophomore year of college. I was able to implement the idea into a class project my junior year. As of now, I am working on bringing my idea to life by developing the actual app and crafting strategic advertising.
I have learned a lot from my small idea some of which I have highlighted below:
Developing my design skills: By learning how to configure the prototype across various platforms (Adobe, Canva, and Figma), I was able to enhance my design skills as well as become comfortable with different designing programs
Conducting Research: As a published journalist, I am no stranger to interviewing people from all walks of life; however, conducting how users interact with a design was a whole new ball park. This helped me better understand my user’s needs for the basis of the design and what people my age are drawn to and what they are willing to use.
Learning how to ask for help: Since the end of my class project, I had all of the basics outlined and ready to use to help me establish my app. Lacking business experience and expertise, I wasn’t sure what to do next so I reached out to my University’s Entreprenuership coaching team for guidance through this process (which was terrifying but has been so worth it).
Everyone I know in college has had a bad roommate experience, including myself, which is why I wanted to create a space for people like me to find an individual they feel comfortable with while also sharing the same lifestyle habits.
I conducted interviews with students on my campus to see if this is something that they would use and also what they wanted in a roommate
Users need a functional app interface that looks similar to how current dating apps function.
Users need an app that allows someone to feel secure with their information while scrolling through an app.
Users need a space within the app to communicate with potential roommate(s).
Prototyping.
The ability to rate roommate and/or find a roommate:
Upon download, users are prompted to either rate a roommate or find a roommate. For both actions, users must create their own profile and is interchangeable if the user would like to conduct both tasks.
Settings:
Connecting:
Users are able to message each other as well as create group messaging between multiple roommates.
Ratings:
Users are able to rate previous roommates by rating them on various aspects such as cleanliness, sleep habits, outgoing personality, etc.
Identified areas and next steps.
Some key takeaways from this project are as follows:
Protecting user privacy and slander: While users will have to go through a verification process, it is unclear the best way to confirm previous users roommate experiences
Launching the app: This will involve various processes which are in effect as of now
Create a strategic marketing plan: This will help me to reach my target audience through in-app ads as well as sponsored marketing tactics
