Improving Social Integration Through Design: An Audit of International Student Transition Challenges

Transitioning to life in the UK can be daunting for international students, as they must navigate housing, adapt to new cultures, and find community. Drawing from personal experience and Livability Theory, I designed NestGuide, a mobile app prototype that reimagines student accommodation.

Focused on well-being and connection, NestGuide simplifies housing, promotes social integration, and creates a sense of belonging. This app empowers students to thrive personally and academically by addressing real challenges with a human-centered

Project Aim

NestGuide aims to create a mobile app that supports international students by simplifying accommodation, promoting well-being, and fostering community for a smooth academic transition.

My role

  • To investigate international students’ obstacles to finding suitable and affordable accommodation in the UK.
  • Analyze how the accommodation experience influences students’ well-being and academic success.
  • To explore the importance of social support and community building in creating a sense of belonging and smooth integration.
  • To conceptualize and develop a user-centric mobile app prototype that simplifies the accommodation search process and enhances the overall experience for international students.

Here’s a Sneak Peek: Exploring a Key Feature of Nestguide Prototype in Action!

User research

I researched international students’ accommodation challenges by:

  • Conducting in-depth interviews with international students and the office responsible for student well-being to explore housing struggles.
  • Engaging students in focus groups to identify shared challenges and brainstorm solutions.
  • Distributing surveys to 50+ students to gather insights on housing preferences, challenges, and experiences.
  • Reviewing studies and reports on the impact of the accommodation on student well-being and academic success.

Key Insights Gathered

Research revealed key challenges, such as difficulty renting, isolation, and a lack of community, which directly shaped NestGuide’s design.

Humanizing the Problem: Personas, User Journeys, and Empathy Maps

Based on the insights gathered from user research, I created personas, user journeys, and an empathy map to bring the international students’ experiences to life. These tools helped translate raw research data into actionable design directions, ensuring the final solution was genuinely aligned with user needs.

Persona: capturing students’ thoughts, feelings, and challenges to understand their needs deeply.
Empathy Map: Capturing students’ thoughts, feelings, and challenges to understand their needs deeply.
User Journey Map : Visualizing the step-by-step rxperience of international student finding and securing a home.

Generating Ideas Through Sketching

Insights from the competitive analysis and user research guided feature brainstorming, prioritizing solutions for social integration, and a seamless housing search. Focusing on simplicity, I sketched ideas to visualize key interactions, ensuring alignment with user needs and market differentiation. These early sketches laid the foundation for NestGuide’s design, shaping the app’s interface and user flow.

UX Sketch 1 of 2: Early UX sketches exploring key interactions and feature integration to create a seamless user experience for NestGuide.
UX Sketch 2 of 2:Early UX sketches exploring key interactions and feature integration to create a seamless user experience for NestGuide.

Analyzing the Competitive Landscape

Image showing the key platforms evaluated during the research phase of the project

User flows

Building on sketches, I created user flows to map key interactions, ensuring seamless navigation, simplicity, and alignment with user needs.

Userflow (1 of 4) : User flow diagram mapping key interactions to ensure seamless navigation and an intuitive experience in NestGuide.
Userflow (2 of 4) : User flow diagram mapping key interactions to ensure seamless navigation and an intuitive experience in NestGuide.
Userflow (3 of 4) : User flow diagram mapping key interactions to ensure seamless navigation and an intuitive experience in NestGuide.
Userflow (4 of 4) : User flow diagram mapping key interactions to ensure seamless navigation and an intuitive experience in NestGuide.

Structuring the Experience

I created a sitemap to define NestGuide’s structure, organizing key features like housing search, community groups, support resources, and events into a clear hierarchy. Informed by sketches and user flows, this blueprint ensured seamless navigation and usability, laying the foundation for wireframing and prototyping.

The sitemap visualises NestGuide’s structure, organizing key features for intuitive navigation and a seamless user experience.

Creating Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Using the sitemap as a guide, I created low-fidelity wireframes to map out the app’s layout and functionality. These early designs focused on clarity, usability, and seamless navigation for key features like housing search, community tools, and user profiles

Low-fidelity wireframes outline NestGuide’s layout and functionality, ensuring clarity, usability, and seamless navigation.

Building a Cohesive Brand Identity

I developed NestGuide’s brand identity by designing the logo and selecting colors, typography, and icons, ensuring a consistent, trustworthy, and community-focused visual system.

Brand Identity Development for the Nestguide App.
NestGuide’s color palette, including primary and accent colors, designed for consistency and a cohesive app experience.
Typography 1 of 2: Typography selection for NestGuide, ensuring consistency and readability across the app.
Typography 2 of 2: Typography selection for NestGuide, ensuring consistency and readability across the app.

Reusable Components

Reusable components for Nestguide app (1 of 2)
Reusable components for Nestguide app (2 of 2)

First Iteration & User Testing

After finalizing the visual identity and wireframes, I developed the first high-fidelity design iteration for NestGuide, focusing on core features like accommodation search and community-building. Key testing areas included navigation, visual design, community features, and search functionality, with feedback highlighting areas for improvement in filtering, event access, and accessibility..

Key Takeaways

  • Simplified accommodation filter options for clarity.
  • Enhanced visibility of local events.
  • Improved onboarding with clearer visual cues.
  • Focus on accessibility, including voice search and screen reader support.
The first iteration of the Nestguide app.

Refining The Experience

User feedback from the first iteration helped simplify the accommodation search and improve access to community features. The final design integrates these changes, creating a more seamless and intuitive experience for international students.

The refined design was based on feedback received during user testing.
The refined design was based on feedback received during user testing.

Outcomes

  • Streamlined app flow, making accommodation searches easier for users.
  • Enhanced accessibility with improved color contrast, scalable text, and better screen reader support.
  • Users found the app more intuitive and user-friendly after refinements.

Lesson Learned

  • Continuous testing and feedback led to better results, showing the importance of refining the design.
  • Listening to real users and understanding their needs helped me make meaningful improvements.
  • Addressing accessibility early on ensured a more inclusive product, saving time in later stages.

Next Steps

  • Conduct more user testing to refine the final version before development.
  • Finalize designs and documentation to ensure a smooth transition to development.
  • Track user feedback after launch and continue making improvements based on real-world usage.

Here’s a quick look at how users navigate through NestGuide—smooth and simple!

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