Maple Nest
Case Study
UX/UI Design
Personal Project: Design a mobile app that simplifies apartment hunting and roommate matching for residents in Vancouver, Canada.
Methods: Competitor Analysis, User Interviews/Surveys, User Persona, User Testing, Wireframing, Prototyping
Role: Sole UX/UI Designer
Duration: 2 months (Jan 2025 - Mar 2025)
Tools: Figma, Google Forms, Zoom, Miro,
Maze, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe illustrator
Maple Nest
Case Study
Service Design
UX Research
UI Design
Personal Project: Design a mobile app that simplifies apartment hunting and roommate matching for residents in Vancouver, Canada.
Methods: Competitor Analysis, User Interviews/Surveys, User Persona, User Testing, Wireframing, Prototyping
Role: Sole UX/UI Designer
Duration: 2 months (Jan 2025 - Mar 2025)
Tools: Figma, Google Forms, Zoom, Miro,
Maze, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe illustrator
OVERVIEW
Here’s where it all started!
Maple Nest started because we know how frustrating it can be to search for an apartment or a roommate in Vancouver. The market’s tough, listings are scattered, and finding someone you click with can feel like a never-ending task. That’s why we built Maple Nest to help you find your perfect home and the right people, all in one place, without the stress.
CHALLENGE
Balancing User Needs and Personalized Solutions.
Designing a housing and roommate app that addresses Vancouver residents' diverse needs by providing organized listings while accommodating personal preferences and compatibility factors.
HYPOTHESIS
What We Believe So Far.
Vancouver residents struggling with apartment hunting and roommate matching need a centralized, easy-to-use app that organizes listings and connects them with compatible roommates based on personal preferences.
We’ll know we’re on the right track when Maple Nest becomes the go-to place where users effortlessly discover their next home, craft their personal space, and spark connections with future roommates — all in a seamless flow.
A closer look at potential users.
USER RESEARCH
I conducted a user survey with 20 participants using Google Forms and in-depth interviewed 5 participants via Zoom and in-person. The participants, aged between 18 - 35, have actively used housing or roommate finding platform in the past 6 months.
RESEARCH GOALS
Things to consider:
Identify the main obstacles users face when searching for housing in Vancouver.
Understand the difficulties in finding compatible roommates with similar lifestyles and preferences.
Explore users' expectations and frustrations with existing housing and roommate-finding platforms.
Most of the participants prefer an app that combines housing listings and roommate matching in one platform
60%
90%
YES
More than half of the participants chose photos of the property as the most important
Three quarters of the participants faced challenges in finding a compatible roommate
75%
YES
“
”
Finding a roommate is really tough
when you're living in a foreign country.
Key Takeaway: Newcomers and those in foreign countries struggle to find compatible roommates.
“
”
As an early bird with a night owl roommate, we both had to tiptoe around each other to avoid making noise.
Key Takeaway: Roommate compatibility involves more than just gender or cleanliness; lifestyle differences like sleep schedules can cause tension.
“
”
I ended up wasting money hiring someone to check the room for me because I wasn’t available to do it.
Key Takeaway: Users often find it hard to verify listings because of time constraints, and sometimes the photos don’t match the actual place.
Seamless Transition: Find a home close to work and public transport that fits her lifestyle.
Roommate Matching: Find roommates based on shared preferences, lifestyle, and personality for smooth living arrangements.
Efficiency: Search for housing and roommates quickly without wasting time on irrelevant listings.
Trust and Transparency: Clear, honest reviews from past roommates and landlords for confident decision-making.
GOALS & NEEDS
Sebin Lee
27
Single
Product Manager
Vancouver, BC
Introvert , Tech-savy
NAME
AGE
STATUS
OCCUPATION
LOCATION
PERSONALITY
USER PERSONA
Sebin is a young professional with a busy work life. She is always on the go and prefers a balanced lifestyle where she can work efficiently and enjoy time with friends. She’s tech-savvy and relies on digital tools to organize her personal and professional life.
LIFESTYLE
Overwhelming Housing Market: Vancouver's housing market is competitive and scattered, making it hard to find the right listings quickly.
Roommate Compatibility: She needs to reduce costs but finding roommates who share similar habits and communication styles has been a challenge in the past.
PAIN POINTS
Moving should be exciting, not stressful. I just want to find the right place and the right people, without all the complications.
”
“
Competitor Analysis
Company / Function
Property Listings
Message System
Notification System
Local Experiences
Rent with a Roommate
Craigslist
Marketplace
Zumper
IDEATION
Turning pain points
into features
Compatibility
Suggests compatible roommates and apartments based on your preferences, habits, and lifestyle goals.
Trust
Allows users to request room tours (virtual or in-person) to verify apartment legitimacy and roommate compatibility.
Overwhelm
Provides advanced search filters to help users narrow down apartment and roommate options based on personal preferences.
1
How might we help users find compatible roommates based on their lifestyle preferences and habits?
2
How might we provide a more trustworthy experience by allowing users to verify the apartment and roommate before committing?
3
How might we streamline the apartment and roommate search process to save users time and frustration?
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
To ensure the app's structure was logical, I conducted an open card sort with 5 participants using Maze Website tools. The feedback was positive, and it helped me adjust the hierarchy to make navigation more intuitive for users.
Original site map vs. Updated site map after card sorting
USER FLOW
It helps me visualize the entire journey a user will take when searching for an apartment. This flow is essential for understanding how users interact with key features, like deciding whether they want a roommate, requesting a room tour, and completing the rental process.
Paper Sketch
It is an invaluable tool that helps me visualize the core functions and elements of the app before committing to detailed designs. By starting with a simple sketch, I can easily experiment with different ideas, figure out what works best, and get a clear sense of the app’s flow without being distracted by design details.
Low Fidelity wireframes
It acts as the basic framework for the app, providing a clear structure and helping to define the functionality and elements before moving on to the visual design. It allows for a better understanding of how the app will function and ensures that all key components are considered early on in the design process.
USABILITY TESTING
Addressing the issues
This is where I tested my mid-fidelity prototype with real users. I observed how smoothly they navigated the app and identified key entry points while they completed two scenario tasks.
01
Roommate Compatibility: Including detailed roommate preferences such as sleep schedules, lifestyle habits, or work hours could make it easier for users to find someone they’ll get along with. Matching users on these deeper aspects could reduce future conflicts.
02
Real-Time Updates: Participants expressed interest in receiving timely alerts when someone interacts with their profile. The addition of pop-up notifications for connection requests helps ensure users can respond more quickly.
03
Neighborhood Insights: Users wanted quick access to local information like nearby grocery stores, transit stops, and amenities to make informed location choices.
Here's what users are loving!
“Navigation feels much clearer, and I like being able to view photos directly on the homepage. Grouping room listings with roommate profiles makes sense. The filter functions are helpful, and separating room details into sections makes it easier to find what I’m looking for.”
When Aesthetics Take the Spotlight
Design isn’t just about looking nice, it’s about making you feel at home.
We’ve made sure that every part of the app is easy to use and visually appealing,
so you can find your perfect place and roommate with ease and enjoy the process
Aa
Typography
Roboto
Maple Nest help find your place,
meet your people
Rent Success!
I would like to rent this
User - friendly
Personalized
Efficiency
Time - saving
Trustworthy
Final Design
This is where everything comes together, showcasing the full user flow from personalized room listings
to roommate matching, with a clean, intuitive interface designed for ease and connection.
Found Your Potential Roommate
This screen displays detailed information about a potential roommate, including their lifestyle habits, preferences, and interests. Users can browse photos, see compatibility scores, and review any specific house rules or expectations to help decide if they’d be a good fit.
Connect!
When a user is interested in a potential roommate, they can send a request. The recipient can then view the user’s profile and choose to accept or decline the request, making the matching process mutual and respectful.
Pop Up Notification
Notifying the recipient
about the request
Send Request
Connect with someone they would like to become roommates with
Set Date
Set Time
Find Your Availability
Schedule a Tour
Like what you see? Easily schedule a tour, choose between a live video tour or an in-person visit. Hosts share their availability so you can find a time that works for both sides. See the space for real, not just in photos!
Voilà! Payment Success
Several Options
Make a Payment
Ready to secure your spot? Easily send your deposit or first-month rent through the app.
Fast, secure, and transparent so you and your future roommate can move forward with confidence.
Split Rent
Enables users to divide
rent with roommates
Room Details
Provides comprehensive information about each listing
Filter
Based on specific criteria, helps users quickly find options
Home Page
The home page serves as a personalized feed, showing room listings that align with the user’s preferences such as budget, location, and lifestyle.
Roommate Option
IIf users are also searching for a roommate, compatible profiles
will appear alongside listings.
Compatibility
Matches users with roommates based on shared preferences and lifestyle
Share Your Story
To find the best matches, users start by sharing details about themselves which helps the app connect them with compatible roommates.
Saved
User can tap the save button to bookmark it
Galleries
Allows users to preview spaces at a glance.
Filter
Enables users to narrow down listings
Takeaway & Next Steps
Designing Maple Nest revealed how essential user feedback is to creating an intuitive and meaningful experience. While I started with a rough concept, research and testing uncovered key usability issues and led to a design that evolved far beyond the original idea.
Due to time constraints, not all user suggestions could be implemented but they highlight valuable directions for future development. Expanding research to include landlords would also provide a more balanced perspective.
Looking ahead, I plan to enhance the app with features like an in-app calendar or review system to support users through every step of their housing journey. Additional testing will help refine the experience and ensure Maple Nest continues to meet user needs.
Let’s
Collaborate
drop an email at jiratchaya.jns@gmail.com
JEAN JURANUKUL
©
JEAN JURANUKUL
2025
Let’s
Collaborate
drop an email at jiratchaya.jns@gmail.com
JEAN JURANUKUL
©
JEAN JURANUKUL
2025
Maple Nest Case Study
UX/UI Design
Role: Sole UX/UI Designer
Duration: 2 months (Jan 2025 - Mar 2025)
Personal Project: Design a mobile app that simplifies apartment hunting and roommate matching for residents in Vancouver
Tools: Figma, Google Forms, Zoom, Miro,
Maze, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe illustrator
Methods: Competitor Analysis, User Interviews/Surveys, User Persona, User Testing, Wireframing, Prototyping
OVERVIEW
Here’s where it all started!
Maple Nest started because we know how frustrating it can be to search for an apartment or a roommate in Vancouver. The market’s tough, listings are scattered, and finding someone you click with can feel like a never-ending task. That’s why we built Maple Nest to help you find your perfect home and the right people, all in one place, without the stress.
CHALLENGE
Balancing User Needs
and Personalized Solutions.
Designing a housing and roommate app that addresses Vancouver residents' diverse needs by providing organized listings while accommodating personal preferences and compatibility factors.
HYPOTHESIS
What We Believe So Far.
Vancouver residents struggling with apartment hunting and roommate matching need a centralized, easy to use app that organizes listings and connects them with compatible roommates based on personal preferences.
We’ll know we’re on the right track when Maple Nest becomes the go-to place where users effortlessly discover their next home, craft their personal space, and spark connections with future roommates, all in a seamless flow.
A closer look at potential users.
USER RESEARCH
I conducted a user survey with 20 participants using Google Forms and in-depth interviewed 5 participants via Zoom and in-person. The participants, aged between 18 - 35, have actively used housing or roommate finding platform in the past 6 months.
RESEARCH GOALS
Things to consider:
Identify the main obstacles users face when searching for housing in Vancouver.
Understand the difficulties in finding compatible roommates with similar lifestyles and preferences.
Explore users' expectations and frustrations with existing housing and roommate-finding platforms.
Most of the participants prefer an app that combines housing listings and roommate matching in one platform
60%
90%
YES
More than half of the participants chose photos of the property as the most important
Three quarters of the participants faced challenges in finding a compatible roommate
75%
YES
“
”
Finding a roommate is really tough
when you're living in a foreign country.
Key Takeaway: Newcomers and those in foreign countries struggle to find compatible roommates.
“
”
As an early bird with a night owl roommate, we both had to tiptoe around each other to avoid making noise.
Key Takeaway: Roommate compatibility involves more than just gender or cleanliness; lifestyle differences like sleep schedules can cause tension.
“
”
I ended up wasting money hiring someone to check the room for me because I wasn’t available to do it.
Key Takeaway: Users often find it hard to verify listings because of time constraints, and sometimes the photos don’t match the actual place.
Seamless Transition: Find a home close to work and public transport that fits her lifestyle.
Roommate Matching: Find roommates based on shared preferences, lifestyle, and personality for smooth living arrangements.
Efficiency: Search for housing and roommates quickly without wasting time on irrelevant listings.
Trust and Transparency: Clear, honest reviews from past roommates and landlords for confident decision-making.
GOALS & NEEDS
Sebin Lee
27
Single
Product Manager
Vancouver, BC
Introvert , Tech-savy
NAME
AGE
STATUS
OCCUPATION
LOCATION
PERSONALITY
USER PERSONA
Sebin is a young professional with a busy work life. She is always on the go and prefers a balanced lifestyle where she can work efficiently and enjoy time with friends. She’s tech-savvy and relies on digital tools to organize her personal and professional life.
LIFESTYLE
Overwhelming Housing Market: Vancouver's housing market is competitive and scattered, making it hard to find the right listings quickly.
Roommate Compatibility: She needs to reduce costs but finding roommates who share similar habits and communication styles has been a challenge in the past.
PAIN POINTS
Moving should be exciting, not stressful. I just want to find the right place and the right people, without all the complications.
”
“
Competitor Analysis
Company / Function
Property Listings
Message System
Notification System
Local Experiences
Rent with a Roommate
Craigslist
Marketplace
Zumper
1
How might we help users find
compatible roommates based on their lifestyle preferences and habits?
2
How might we provide a more trustworthy experience by allowing users to verify
the apartment and roommate before committing?
3
How might we streamline the apartment and roommate search process to save users time and frustration?
IDEATION
Turning pain points into features
Compatibility
Suggests compatible roommates and apartments based on your preferences, habits, and lifestyle goals.
Trust
Allows users to request room tours (virtual or in-person) to verify apartment legitimacy and roommate compatibility.
Overwhelm
Provides advanced search filters to help users narrow down apartment and roommate options based on personal preferences.
USER FLOW
It helps me visualize the entire journey a user will take when searching for an apartment. This flow is essential for understanding how users interact with key features, like deciding whether they want a roommate, requesting a room tour, and completing the rental process.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
To ensure the app's structure was logical, I conducted an open card sort with 5 participants using Maze Website tools. The feedback was positive, and it helped me adjust the hierarchy to make navigation more intuitive for users.
Original site map vs. Updated site map after card sorting
Paper Sketch
It is an invaluable tool that helps me visualize the core functions and elements of the app before committing to detailed designs. By starting with a simple sketch, I can easily experiment with different ideas, figure out what works best, and get a clear sense of the app’s flow without being distracted by design details.
Low Fidelity wireframes
It acts as the basic framework for the app, providing a clear structure and helping to define the functionality and elements before moving on to the visual design. It allows for a better understanding of how the app will function and ensures that all key components are considered early on in the design process.
Here's what users are loving!
“Navigation feels much clearer, and I like being able to view photos directly on the homepage. Grouping room listings with roommate profiles makes sense. The filter functions are helpful, and separating room details into sections makes it easier to find what I’m looking for.”
USABILITY TESTING
Addressing the issues
This is where I tested my mid-fidelity prototype with real users. I observed how smoothly they navigated the app and identified key entry points while they completed two scenario tasks.
01
Roommate Compatibility: Including detailed roommate preferences such as sleep schedules, lifestyle habits, or work hours could make it easier for users to find someone they’ll get along with. Matching users on these deeper aspects could reduce future conflicts.
02
Real-Time Updates: Participants expressed interest in receiving timely alerts when someone interacts with their profile. The addition of pop-up notifications for connection requests helps ensure users can respond more quickly.
03
Neighborhood Insights: Users wanted quick access to local information like nearby grocery stores, transit stops, and amenities to make informed location choices.
Send Request
Connect with someone they would like to become roommates with
Found Your Potential Roommate
This screen displays detailed information about a potential roommate, including their lifestyle habits, preferences, and interests. Users can browse photos, see compatibility scores, and review any specific house rules or expectations to help decide if they’d be a good fit.
Room Details
Provides comprehensive information about each listing
Compatibility
Matches users with roommates based on shared preferences and lifestyle
Share Your Story
To find the best matches, users start by sharing details about themselves which helps the app connect them with compatible roommates.
Filter
Based on specific criteria, helps users quickly find options
Roommate Option
If users are also searching for a roommate, compatible profiles
will appear alongside listings.
Saved
User can tap the save button to bookmark it
Galleries
Allows users to preview spaces at a glance.
Filter
Enables users to narrow down listings
Final Design
This is where everything comes together, showcasing the full user flow from personalized room listings to roommate matching, with a clean, intuitive interface designed for ease and connection.
Connect!
When a user is interested in a potential roommate, they can send a request. The recipient can then view the user’s profile and choose to accept or decline the request, making the matching process mutual and respectful.
Pop Up Notification
Notifying the recipient
about the request
Set Date
Set Time
Find Your Availability
Schedule a Tour
Like what you see? Easily schedule a tour, choose between a live video tour or an in-person visit. Hosts share their availability so you can find a time that works for both sides. See the space for real, not just in photos!
Voilà! Payment Success
Several Options
Split Rent
Enables users to divide
rent with roommates
Make a Payment
Ready to secure your spot? Easily send your deposit or first-month rent through the app. Fast, secure, and transparent so you and your future roommate can move forward with confidence.
Takeaway & Next Steps
Designing Maple Nest revealed how essential user feedback is to creating an intuitive and meaningful experience. While I started with a rough concept, research and testing uncovered key usability issues and led to a design that evolved far beyond the original idea.
Due to time constraints, not all user suggestions could be implemented but they highlight valuable directions for future development. Expanding research to include landlords would also provide a more balanced perspective.
Looking ahead, I plan to enhance the app with features like an in-app calendar or review system to support users through every step of their housing journey. Additional testing will help refine the experience and ensure Maple Nest continues to meet user needs.