Redesign Places4Students Website
Skills:
UX/Ui Design
Roles:
UX/UI Designer, Project Manager
Tools:
Figma, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Duration:
2 Months (September 2024 - October 2024)
Overview of the project:
This project focused on improving the user experience of a website designed to help students find housing and roommates. The redesign aimed to enhance navigation, simplify search functionality, and improve the overall usability of the platform.
Heuristic Evaluation:
Error Prevention (Severity: 5/5)
Problem: The search bar lacks real-time suggestions or validation, causing users to struggle with finding results when entering incorrect information.
Recognition Rather Than Recall (Severity: 5/5)
Problem: Users cannot browse schools or listings without logging in, forcing them to recall how to find these features rather than having clear and visible options.
Visibility of System Status (Severity: 4/5)
Problem: The map view button is difficult to locate after scrolling, leading to user confusion about how to access the feature.
Recognition Rather Than Recall (Severity: 4/5)
Problem: The site does not record search history, forcing users to manually recall their previous searches, increasing cognitive load.
Design Strategy:
Simplified the homepage layout to reduce clutter and focus on essential features like the search bar and clear navigation options.
Enhanced navigation with a sticky header and renamed vague tabs (e.g., "Multimedia") to more intuitive labels like "Student Resources."
Improved accessibility across desktop and mobile platforms by prioritizing usability in the design process.
Target Audience:
User Personas:
Sketching:
User Flow Diagram:
I made this user flow chart to outlines how users navigate Places4Students, from searching or signing in to browsing accommodations, finding roommates, or uploading profiles. It ensures clear steps to access features like contacting landlords and finding housing.
Wireframe:
After finishing the workflow and sketching, I visualized the app concept using wireframes. Before moving to the high-fidelity prototype, I made the clickable prototype by adding map images and links using Figma.
UI Kit:
To prepare for the hi-fi prototype, I developed a cohesive UI kit featuring interactive components such as dropdown lists, filter buttons, and search tools with recommendation functionality. Additionally, I refined the logo design to ensure visual consistency and enhance the overall user experience.
Final Product:
Feature #1
Advanced Searching room
Enhanced the room search functionality on Places4Students by integrating intelligent recommendations to provide more accurate results. Additionally, implemented a map browsing feature, allowing users to explore available rooms visually for a more intuitive and seamless experience
Feature #2
Searching Roommate
Understanding the financial burden faced by students, I developed a dedicated page that enables users to search for potential roommates, fostering a collaborative and cost-sharing living experience.
Feature #3
Property Details View
Simplified essential housing information by creating a minimalist yet comprehensive page that provides all the necessary details for renting.
Reflection:
Through this project, I gained valuable knowledge and skills that significantly enhanced my design process. Utilizing Heuristic Evaluation allowed me to deeply understand user pain points and systematically prioritize and address them effectively. Creating a sitemap helped me organize information in a more straightforward and intuitive way for users. Additionally, experimenting with diverse layouts for each page expanded my approach to UI elements, though it posed challenges when adapting complex layouts for the mobile version. While there may still be room for improvement in solving certain issues, this project remains one of my most passionate and dedicated efforts.
