SaintsSelect

From Class Project to Real-World Opportunity

SaintsSelect started as a class project focused on improving Siena’s roommate matching experience. After seeing how the existing process could lead to poor roommate matches, I saw an opportunity to take the idea further.

I took the initiative to present the concept to the head of Siena’s Student Life, who supported the idea. From there, my partner and I continued developing the concept and refined the experience based on feedback from Siena students.

Siena’s original roommate matching form lacked structure, personalization, and meaningful compatibility indicators.

My Process

I took the lead in shaping the project and designing the mobile experience. We conducted 6 student interviews to better understand frustrations with the existing roommate process. Our interviews revealed issues like limited lifestyle questions, random matches, and not having enough information about potential roommates.

To better understand our target users, I also created a persona during the original UX class project. Sienna highlights her needs, preferences, and challenges when searching for a roommate.

Sienna - Persona

These insights directly influenced my design decisions. I mapped out the user experience and designed the high-fidelity mobile prototype in Figma, focusing on making the process feel simple, personalized, and easy to navigate.

The Solution

SaintsSelect brings roommate matching, compatibility, and communication into one experience.

Personalized Matching
A five-step questionnaire asks about sleep habits, cleanliness, room temperature, study routines, social habits, and other lifestyle preferences.

Compatibility-Based Profiles
Students can browse profiles that highlight shared preferences, making it easier to understand potential compatibility before choosing a roommate.
Built-In Messaging
Students can chat with potential roommates directly through the platform using their Siena email accounts.

Outcome & Reflection

The completed SaintsSelect concept was presented to Siena Student Life and later brought to Siena’s Software Engineering program for implementation. The application is currently being developed by Siena software engineering students.

What started as a class assignment became a project I took ownership of and helped move toward real implementation. This experience taught me that UX design can go beyond creating a prototype. Recognizing a real problem, advocating for an idea, listening to users, and helping move a project forward were just as important as the final design.

Check out the full Figma prototype here.