Room Magnet

Room Magnet was a university-sponsored senior capstone project developed in partnership with a real startup founder. The goal was to design and build an accessible digital marketplace that connects homeowners with available living space to individuals seeking affordable housing, while fostering trusted relationships through shared responsibilities and community.

Working alongside another UX designer and a multidisciplinary team of six software developers, we took the product from initial discovery and user research to a fully functional, implemented Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Our solution was recognized as one of the Top 3 Capstone Projects among our class.

Role | Timeline | Client | Team | Responsibilities

UX Designer/Researcher | 2020 | Room Magnet Start Up | UX - Developers - Stakeholders | UX Design - UX Research

Foundation

Finding affordable housing often requires compromising on cost, convenience, or trust. Existing platforms lacked a way to connect homeowners and tenants interested in flexible living arrangements built around affordability, shared responsibilities, and community. The challenge was designing a platform that made these unconventional living arrangements feel intuitive, trustworthy, and accessible for a wide range of users.

As one of two UX designers on an eight-person cross-functional team, I contributed throughout the entire product lifecycle from discovery to implementation. I collaborated closely with developers and stakeholders to conduct user research, define requirements, create user flows, develop wireframes, validate designs through testing, and support implementation of a fully functional MVP. Throughout the project, I advocated for accessibility, usability, and user-centered design to ensure the final product met both user needs and business goals.