Simplifying the College Roommate Pairing Process: Creating 'Spark'
Designing Spark’s brand identity, landing page, app prototype, and business concept.
Problem Statement and Target Market
Addressing Pain Points
Brand Identity
UX Design
Motion Design
Research
Strategy
"Spark," founded by Cam Hager and myself, redefines college roommate matching. My role’s responsibilities span branding, user experience, strategy, and research.
This platform simplifies roommate searches, prioritizes diversity and inclusion, and brings significant advantages to students and universities. The business plan & prototyped app placed semi-finals in the Fowler 2023 Business Plan competition and we are pursuing the idea further.
We are still in the ideation & testing process.
Finding a college roommate takes hours bouncing between multiple apps talking to potential roommates. There is no personalization to who you can see. And if you have roommate issues, third party intervention may take even longer. This led us to conduct research.
Our research, involving 84 students through surveys and interviews via google surveys, QR code fliers around campus area, and social media stories, exposes the challenges in finding compatible college roommates.
Addressing Pain Points
During our own college experiences, we recognized a common pain point among our peers - roommate troubles. This insight prompted us to create surveys and conduct user interviews, which confirmed the widespread stress and dissatisfaction in finding a college roommate.
Competitive Matrix
Lack of Efficiency & Personalization
User Flow Journey
Brand Identity and User Experience
Brand Identity
We aim to embody authenticity, playfulness, friendliness, community-mindedness, and inclusivity. Spark's brand identity is rooted in fostering inclusive connections and enriching college experiences.
Visual Design
Our visual branding is characterized by vibrant and inclusive color schemes. We use friendly, approachable fonts and imagery that reflects diversity and unity.
Simplifying the College Roommate
Pairing Process: Creating 'Spark'
Designing Spark’s brand identity, landing page, app prototype, and business concept.
Problem Statement and Target Market
Addressing Pain Points
Brand Identity
UX Design
Motion Design
Research
Strategy
"Spark," founded by Cam Hager and myself, redefines college roommate matching. My role’s responsibilities span branding, user experience, strategy, and research.
This platform simplifies roommate searches, prioritizes diversity and inclusion, and brings significant advantages to students and universities. The business plan & prototyped app placed semi-finals in the Fowler 2023 Business Plan competition and we are pursuing the idea further.
We are still in the ideation & testing process.
Finding a college roommate takes hours bouncing between multiple apps talking to potential roommates. There is no personalization to who you can see. And if you have roommate issues, third party intervention may take even longer. This led us to conduct research.
Our research, involving 84 students through surveys and interviews via google surveys, QR code fliers around campus area, and social media stories, exposes the challenges in finding compatible college roommates.
Addressing Pain Points
During our own college experiences, we recognized a common pain point among our peers - roommate troubles. This insight prompted us to create surveys and conduct user interviews, which confirmed the widespread stress and dissatisfaction in finding a college roommate.
Research Findings
Our competitive matrix unveiled Spark's distinct advantages over competitors. It excels in a landscape that lacks diversity and inclusion features, personalization, and market awareness.
Competitive Matrix
Lack of Efficiency & Personalization
We created a user flow journey chart to demonstrate the average incoming college student using Spark to find a roommate match. This was helpful in referencing our user’s needs and goals when prototyping the app.
User Flow Journey
Brand Identity and User Experience
Important Features
Brand Identity
We aim to embody authenticity, playfulness, friendliness, community-mindedness, and inclusivity. Spark's brand identity is rooted in fostering inclusive connections and enriching college experiences.
Visual Design
Our visual branding is characterized by vibrant and inclusive color schemes. We use friendly, approachable fonts and imagery that reflects diversity and unity.