Dublease

See Prototype

ROLE

UI/UX Designer

TEAM

Solo project

TOOLS

Figma, Adobe Illustrator

DURATION

4 months, Aug - Dec 2024

OVERVIEW

Brief

Dublease is a mobile app designed for students, by students that strives to make finding, posting, and managing subleases simple and stress-free.

Dublease is a mobile app designed to simplify the subleasing process for college students. Built as my senior capstone project, the app combines intuitive UX design with a cohesive visual identity to address the stress and confusion students face when trying to find or post subleases.

My Contribution

I independently led all aspects of the project including user research, UX strategy, visual design, branding, and prototyping. This project was part of my Senior Studio 402 course.

Problem

College students often struggle to find trustworthy, organized, and student-centered platforms for subleasing. Existing tools are fragmented and don’t reflect the unique rhythms and concerns of student life, such as academic calendars, trust between peers, and housing logistics.

Solution

The goal of Dublease is to create a mobile-first platform built for students, by students. One that provides a secure, easy-to-use space for managing sublease listings, with clear communication, visual profiles, and built-in accountability.

RESEARCH

User Intervew Findings

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To better understand how our users currently navigate subleasing and the pain points associated with that process, I conducted user interviews with some of my peers in the senior studio class. These students ranged from Sophmore to Seniors and provided me with four main takeaways:

1. Lack of Trust in Existing Platforms

Students expressed hesitation when using general marketplaces like Facebook or Craigslist, citing concerns about scams, unreliable communication, and lack of accountability. Many said they would prefer a platform tailored specifically to their campus community.

2. Difficulty Managing Sublease Details

Interviewees frequently mentioned feeling overwhelmed by the logistics of subleasing, including tracking rent dates, roommate agreements, and utility responsibilities. They wanted a clearer way to manage and share sublease terms all in one place.

3. Timing Misalignment with the Academic Calendar

Several students noted that sublease opportunities often didn’t align well with semester timelines, making it difficult to find matches. They wished for features that took academic schedules into account when posting or browsing listings.

4. Preference for Visual Listings, Profiles, and Ratings

Participants said that having photos, basic profile info (e.g., major, year), and user ratings made listings feel more trustworthy and relevant. Several mentioned they'd be more likely to reach out if they could get a sense of the lister’s vibe and reliability beforehand.

Competitive Analysis

To understand the current landscape of student housing tools, I analyzed three commonly used platforms: Facebook Marketplace, Zillow Rentals, and College Pads. While each serves a similar purpose, none offer a seamless, student-centered experience for subleasing. This analysis helped identify gaps and opportunities that Dublease could uniquely address.

Facebook Marketplace
Widely used by students, but lacks structure, filters, and trust-building features. Listings feel inconsistent, and communication happens entirely through external messaging.
Zillow Rentals
Professional and polished, but geared toward long-term leases and working professionals. Not tailored to the casual, short-term subleasing that students often need.
College Pads
Specifically targeted at students, but has an outdated interface and limited features. User trust, personalization, and visual appeal are lacking.

From this research, it became clear that Dublease had the opportunity to:

Create a more visually-driven and trustworthy platform through photos, bios, and ratings.
Prioritize a simple, intuitive experience focused on student workflows and language.
Foster a sense of community and safety by designing for students, by students.

THIS LED TO THE QUESTION:

How Might We...

create a subleasing platform that feels trustworthy, easy to navigate, and tailored to the student lifestyle and calendar?

RESEARCH

User Flow

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To guide the design process, I created a simplified user flow that mapped out the core actions users would take within the app like browsing, posting, saving listings, messaging, and confirming sublease details. This helped clarify the app’s structure and ensured a smooth, intuitive navigation experience before moving into visuals.

Ideation Sketches

With the task flow in place, I explored several layout ideas through quick ideation sketches. These early drafts helped me visualize key screens and interactions. I then tested the clarity of these concepts with classmates and used their feedback to select a direction that became the foundation for my wireframes.

Digital Wireframes

Next, I translated the chosen sketches into low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. These grayscale layouts helped me focus on structure and functionality without getting distracted by colors or visuals. I also conducted a second round of user testing at this stage, which offered more actionable feedback for elements and touchpoints as users were able to interact with the basic screen flows through the figma preview.

Visual Identity

Before moving into the high-fidelity prototype, I developed a complete visual identity for Dublease, including a logo system and style guide. While the full brand guide is available below, this phase of the project focused specifically on defining the color palette and typography showcased here.

Go to Brand Guide

FINAL PRODUCT

Hi-Fidelity Screens

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With the visual identity established, I applied the brand’s colors, typography, and design system to a full set of high-fidelity screens. These final prototypes showcase the complete user journey from onboarding to listing interactions, designed to feel intuitive, approachable, and tailored to the needs of a student user.

Onboarding & Account Creation

Users begin their journey on the onboarding screens, where they can log in or create a new account. A simple loading animation sets the tone, followed by clear options to sign in or get started with a new profile.

Home & Map View

After logging in, users land on the home screen featuring an interactive map centered on their current location. Nearby listings are marked in purple, allowing users to visually explore sublease options in their area.

Search & Filters

Users can refine their browsing experience through the search functionality. They can search by location, revisit recent searches, and apply filters to tailor results to their preferences and needs.

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Listing Details

By tapping on a listing icon from the map or search results, users can view detailed information about the listing and its lister. This screen includes photos, pricing, and other relevant sublease details to help users make informed decisions.

Save for Later

The saved listings screen allows users to easily access and manage properties they’ve bookmarked. Listings are organized by the date they were saved and can be removed or revisited at any time.

Messages & Profiles

Users can message other students or alumni directly through the messages screen to express interest in listings or ask questions. From here, they can also view lister profiles, read ratings, and access their other available listings.

User Profile & Listing Creation

In the profile section, users can update their personal information and post a new listing if they’re subleasing a room or property. This screen supports customization and gives users control over their presence in the app.

Notifications

The notifications screen keeps users informed of key updates such as new messages, saved listing changes, or activity on their own posted subleases, ensuring they never miss an important moment.

Next Steps

The current version of Dublease is a strong foundation, but there's still more to explore and validate. The next step would be user testing the high-fidelity prototype to gather actionable feedback and assess how well the design addresses real student pain points. From there, I’d iterate based on those insights, especially around features like messaging, trust signals (ratings, bios, and photos), and onboarding. Additionally, developing a desktop version would make the platform more accessible for users browsing on laptops, a common device for students researching housing options. Further collaboration with developers would also help explore the technical feasibility of dynamic listings and secure account features.

Takeaways

This project taught me how critical it is to approach user research with neutrality and curiosity, especially when interviewing peers. I learned to listen without guiding responses and to dig deeper into offhand comments, which often revealed the most useful insights. On the design side, I embraced a more iterative and experimental mindset, testing several visual directions before landing on a system that balanced functionality with a student-friendly vibe. Overall, Dublease reinforced the value of grounding design decisions in real user needs and creating with adaptability in mind.