Case StudyMarketplaceiOS · Android · Web

Roomster®

An end-to-end redesign of a roommate-matching marketplace — taming complex profiles, search and listing creation into an experience that feels effortless across mobile and web.

Type

Real-estate marketplace & roommate matching

Role

Lead UX / UI Designer

Platforms

iOS, Android & responsive web

Scope

Research → IA → UI → design system

Roomster web marketplace shown on a tablet

01 — Overview

A matching platform, only as simple as its hardest screen.

Roomster helps people find roommates, rooms for rent, and shared housing. The platform matches users on preferences, lifestyle and location — and that depth is its product moat.

But depth has a cost. Every quality match is built on rich profiles, structured search, granular filtering and detailed listings. Spread across iOS, Android and web, that information had outgrown its interface. My job was to keep the matching power while making each surface feel light.

3×

Platforms unified

Workstreams led

Shared design system

End-End

Research to UI

02 — Responsibilities

Six workstreams, one accountable lead.

Website redesign

Rebuilt the responsive web marketplace around search and discovery.

Design system creation

A shared token, component and pattern library across all platforms.

Mobile app redesign

Native iOS and Android flows rethought from onboarding to chat.

UX optimisation

Cut friction from high-effort tasks like listing creation and filtering.

Information architecture

Re-mapped navigation, content hierarchy and entity relationships.

User-flow improvements

Smoother paths from sign-up to first match, message and booking.

03 — The key challenge

Enough information to match well — without losing the user.

High-quality matching needs a lot of input: preferences, lifestyle, budgets, photos, house rules. But every extra field is a chance to abandon — especially during onboarding and listing creation, where too much complexity quietly kills conversion.

Needs

Deep, structured data for great matches

Risk

Friction that drops users mid-flow

04 — Approach

Break the hard screens into easy moments.

Across every surface, the same principle: ask for one thing at a time, show progress, and let real content — photos, places, people — carry the weight.

/ 01 — Onboarding & listing creation

Complex-form optimisation

Long forms, broken into single decisions.

The most information-heavy moments — creating an account and listing a room — are sequenced into focused steps, each carrying a single ask and a visible progress bar.

Progressive disclosure — one clear task per screen instead of a wall of fields.
Friendly minimums — “Upload at least 6 photos” sets expectations before effort.
Inline controls — sliders, currency pickers and dropdowns replace free text.

/ 02 — Search, filtering & discovery

Find a place

Powerful filters that stay out of the way.

The web home leads with a single search bar, city shortcuts and rich listing cards — putting results and imagery first, with price, rooms and keyword filters one tap away.

One bar, three filters — location, price range and rooms, never a modal maze.
City tabs — instant context switching across San Francisco, London, Tokyo and more.
Scannable cards — photo, title, address and price in a consistent rhythm.

/ 03 — The listing experience

Trust & detail

Detail-dense, but never overwhelming.

A listing carries gallery, host, price, amenities, full description and roommate preferences. A sticky photo header with a draggable detail sheet lets people skim or dive, at their pace.

Verified host signals — identity badges build trust before contact.
Amenity chips — elevator, gym, laundry, pool at a glance.
Live social proof — “Viewing now: 3 people” nudges timely action.

Detail sheet showing host and description

/ 04 — Messaging & safety

Connect

Conversations that feel safe by default.

Matching only matters if people can talk. The inbox separates active and archived threads, shows presence and read receipts, and surfaces safety guidance right inside the chat.

Active / archived split — keeps a busy inbox calm and findable.
In-context safety notes — never share access codes; meet before paying.
Presence & receipts — online status and delivery ticks set expectations.

05 — Design system

One language across web and mobile.

A shared system of tokens and components keeps every surface consistent — the same green, the same cards, the same rhythm whether you're on a phone or a desktop.