PROJECT TYPE
Senior capstone project
Senior capstone project
MY ROLE
UI designer
Graphic designer
Graphic designer
Branding & marketing
Branding & marketing
TOOLKIT
Figma
Figma
Adobe CC
Adobe CC
Canva
Canva
TIMELINE
Sep 2024 -
May 2025
TIMELINE
Sep 2024 - May 2025
OVERVIEW
Subletta is a web platform that makes subletting safer and simpler for students and young adults through a guided experience, strong user verification, and personalized search tools.
JUST WANT THE HIGHLIGHTS? WATCH OUR VIDEO!
JUST WANT THE HIGHLIGHTS?
WATCH OUR VIDEO!
The Challenge
At Drexel, where many students move frequently for co-ops and internships, subletting was a common challenge we saw across campus, and few people have had a smooth experience from start to finish. Because most people rely on social media or generic rental sites that aren’t built for short-term housing, we saw an opportunity to create a safer, clearer, and more transparent subletting experience.
Most rental platforms aren’t built for subletting, and it shows. They’re often generic, high-risk, and leave young adults feeling uncertain and overwhelmed as they navigate short-term housing. We saw an opportunity to fill this gap by creating a platform tailored specifically to the unique needs of subletting.
How might we…
… design a secure, guided subletting experience built for subtenants and sublessors to support safer, more confident subletting decisions?
How might we…
… design a secure, guided subletting experience built for subtenants and sublessors to support safer, more confident subletting decisions?
Coming soon…
Facets isn’t your
typical dating app…
It’s a platform committed to showcasing how people shine, challenging traditional dating app norms. Users can invite friends to contribute to their profiles, offering a multifaceted view of their personality. This fosters richer connections and, coupled with our daily profile limit and rejection-free model, transforms the dating experience by promoting genuine interactions.
As the UI Designer, I worked with our team's project manager, researcher, developer, and content strategist to create an innovative and intuitive experience that was both engaging and easy to use.
The Challenge
Most rental platforms aren’t built for subletting, and it shows. They’re often generic, high-risk, and leave young adults feeling uncertain and overwhelmed as they navigate short-term housing. We saw an opportunity to fill this gap by creating a platform tailored specifically to the unique needs of subletting.
How might we…
Create a platform that encourages mindful, genuine, and successful connection?
Research &
Guiding Insights
Preliminary research findings from an unmoderated anonymous survey targeting dating app users aged 18-23 shed light on the experiences and perceptions within this demographic.
We asked successful users what works for them and asked unsuccessful users what doesn't. Success was attributed to a user's profile quality, their communication skills, and luck. Struggles stemmed from the available user base on dating apps, struggling with communication, and frustrating app features.
50%
of users felt unsuccessful due to their superficial interactions.
Users felt their success depended on luck rather than meaningful matchmaking.
Users had varying opinions on friend involvement, highlighting the need for a thoughtful approach.
17 total respondents
Based on our research, we created three user personas reflecting user concerns about safety, conversation struggles, and partner commitment.
Laura – Seeks a genuine, slower-paced relationship.
David – Introverted entrepreneur who benefits from friend support.
Logan – Socially isolated ceramicist looking for compatible connections.
Iterative Design & Testing
SKETCHING & BRAINSTORM
To begin, we sketched out ideas to brainstorm and identify design opportunities, using similarities between ideas as foundational elements going forward.
FEATURE IDEATION
We used this opportunity to refine key features and terminology, ensuring clarity in how we help our audience start dating with dimension. This process led us to solidify our core features and clearly define what a "Facet" represents.
LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
& TESTING
Conducting one-on-one user testing sessions to evaluate the success rate of
Onboarding flow
Messaging flow
Rejecting users flow
After conducting user interviews, we identified areas of confusion, pain points, and frustrations, allowing us to outline the necessary changes for going into our mid-fi designs.
LOGO DESIGN
As we refined Facets’ tone and feel, I designed a logo to reflect its identity. The elegant typography and 4-point star detail symbolize the many facets of personality and connection in dating. The 4-point start became a key icon throughout our UI, reinforcing the brand and unifying the visual experience.
ICONOGRAPHY
I designed Facets' core feature icons, integrating branding into the navigation bar. Each icon has a soft, gem-like shape, reflecting the app's multidimensional theme, while the four-point star ties into the logo and home screen exploration.
MID FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
& TESTING
Conducting one-on-one user testing sessions to evaluate the success rate of
Feed refreshing
New approach to messaging
Profile actions
After conducting user interviews, we identified areas of confusion, pain points, and frustrations, allowing us to outline the necessary changes for going into our hi-fi designs.
HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
& TESTING
Conducting one-on-one user testing sessions to evaluate the success rate of
Improved account creation
Streamlined messaging
Editing profile
After conducting user interviews, we identified areas of confusion, pain points, and frustrations, allowing us to outline the necessary changes for going into dev hand-off.
DEV HAND-OFF
This app was designed and built to be a web app, made with React. Our dev lead began backend development early, allowing for parallel progress during front-end development.
ACCOUNT CREATION
POLISH YOUR PROFILE
Reflection
If I had more time, I would explore more iterations in the mid-fidelity phase to refine usability before moving to high fidelity. Additionally, I would conduct thorough testing of edge cases to ensure a seamless experience across different user scenarios. This would help identify potential pain points earlier and allow for more informed design decisions before development.