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Places4Students

COLLABORATORS

Sarika Bhageratty

Rosa Moriya

TOOLS

Figma

Adobe Illustrator

DURATION

7 weeks

01

The Problem


What is Places4Students?

Defining the User Flow

Defining the User Flow

Places4Students aims to connect students with rental housing, but its current platform presents several usability challenges.

The Challenges?

Defining the User Flow

Defining the User Flow

Students struggle with a cluttered interface, unclear listing details, and a noticeable lack of trust indicators. The outdated design (figure 1) falls short of modern expectations and fails to deliver a seamless, mobile-friendly experience.

Figure 1 : Old design for Places4Students

For both local and international students, already juggling academics, part-time work, and independent living, the housing search should be simple and stress-free, not an additional source of frustration.

02

The User


Our primary audience was international students searching for off-campus housing (figure 2). Their key concerns centred around ease of search, credibility of listings, and a stress-free decision-making process (figure 3).

Our primary audience was international students searching for off-campus housing (figure 2). Their key concerns centred around ease of search, credibility of listings, and a stress-free decision-making process (figure 3).

Our primary audience was international students searching for off-campus housing (figure 2). Their key concerns centred around ease of search, credibility of listings, and a stress-free decision-making process (figure 3).

  • Figure 2 : Target Audience

  • Figure 3 : Target Audience's Pain Points

  • Figure 2 : Target Audience

  • Figure 3 : Target Audience's Pain Points

  • Figure 2 : Target Audience

  • Figure 3 : Target Audience's Pain Points

  • Figure 2 : Target Audience

  • Figure 3 : Target Audience's Pain Points

  • Figure 4 : User Persona #1

  • Figure 3 : Target Audience's Pain Points

  • Figure 4 : User Persona #1

  • Figure 5 : User Persona #2

  • Figure 4 : User Persona #1

  • Figure 5 : User Persona #2

  • Figure 4 : User Persona #1

  • Figure 5 : User Persona #2

By understanding our users' unique goals, frustrations, and behaviours, we were able to design a more intuitive and user-centred experience tailored to their needs.

Empathy Mapping

To deepen our understanding of user needs, frustrations, and motivations, we developed empathy maps for both primary user groups.

For students seeking roommates, the emphasis was on trust and compatibility. Their main concerns included finding someone with similar living habits, avoiding unreliable matches, and ensuring a safe, respectful, and comfortable living environment (figure 6).

For students searching for off-campus housing, key concerns included unclear listings, security, and affordability. Their priority is a stress-free, trustworthy platform that offers verified information and a straightforward process, empowering them to make confident housing decisions (figure 7).

  • Figure 6 : Empathy Map #1

  • Figure 7 : Empathy Map #2

  • Figure 6 : Empathy Map #1

  • Figure 7 : Empathy Map #2

  • Figure 6 : Empathy Map #1

  • Figure 7 : Empathy Map #2

  • Figure 6 : Empathy Map #1

  • Figure 7 : Empathy Map #2

03

Design Process


Heuristic Evaluation

Heuristic Evaluation

Heuristic Evaluation

We conducted a heuristic evaluation using Nielsen Norman's 10 usability heuristics to identify usability issues. Each heuristic was classified and tagged to pinpoint specific problem areas within the website (figure 8), which helped guide our redesign strategy.

Figure 8 : Read our full Heuristic Evaluation report

Visual Design & Brand Identity

Research revealed a strong preference for clean, minimalist aesthetics among our target audience. This insight informed our design direction (Figure 9), guiding the adoption of a modern, intuitive visual style.

Figure 9 : Style Tile

Colour Palette

To stand out from platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Zillow, while also conveying safety, warmth, and modernity, we carefully selected a distinctive colour scheme:

• Primary Colour: Instead of the conventional “trust blue,” we chose a bold yet sophisticated purple to signal both credibility and freshness.

• Secondary Colour: A warm, inviting yellow complements the purple, evoking a sense of coziness, friendliness, and familiarity for student users.

Defining the User Flow

We designed two distinct user flows to address the platform's core use cases:
• Students searching for a compatible roommate (figure 10)
• Students looking for off-campus housing (figure 11)

By tailoring the experience to these specific goals, we created a more intuitive and efficient navigation process for each user type.

  • Figure 10 : User Flow #1 - Finding a Roommate

  • Figure 11: User Flow #2 - Finding Housing

  • Figure 10 : User Flow #1 - Finding a Roommate

  • Figure 11: User Flow #2 - Finding Housing

  • Figure 10 : User Flow #1 - Finding a Roommate

  • Figure 11: User Flow #2 - Finding Housing

  • Figure 10 : User Flow #1 - Finding a Roommate

  • Figure 11: User Flow #2 - Finding Housing

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Figure 12 : Low-fidelity wireframes

04

Usability


During the usability testing, we gathered feedback from four participants, analyzing their responses in relation to the four key issues identified during our heuristic evaluation of the original Places4Students website.

To validate our design decisions, we conducted usability testing with three participants, each completing a series of key tasks:
1. Signing up as a new user
2. Subscribing to a meal kit
3. Purchasing a produce box

We gathered qualitative feedback for each task, helping us identify usability issues, clarify user expectations, and uncover opportunities to improve the overall experience.

To validate our design decisions, we conducted usability testing with three participants, each completing a series of key tasks:
1. Signing up as a new user
2. Subscribing to a meal kit
3. Purchasing a produce box

We gathered qualitative feedback for each task, helping us identify usability issues, clarify user expectations, and uncover opportunities to improve the overall experience.

50%

participants were confused with certain terms used throughout the website.

75%

participants were initially confused about where to find the roommate feature and suggested double-parking the link.

05

Final Design


Guided by peer feedback, we completed multiple rounds of iteration to resolve key usability issues. These refinements enhanced the user experience, clarified visual hierarchy, and ensured the final design was both functional and aligned with the brand identity - resulting in a seamless, engaging experience.

Based on peer feedback, we made several rounds of iteration to address common usability issues. These refinements allowed us to refine the user experience, optimize visual elements, and ensure that the final design was both aligned with the brand's identity and functional - delivering a seamless and engaging experience for the users.

Based on peer feedback, we made several rounds of iteration to address common usability issues. These refinements allowed us to refine the user experience, optimize visual elements, and ensure that the final design was both aligned with the brand's identity and functional - delivering a seamless and engaging experience for the users.

Creating an account & renting a room

Contacting a potential a roommate

Creating an account & renting a room

Contacting a potential a roommate