Uni‑Verse

Universe

Prototype

Helping students find people, events, and belonging.

ROLE

Product Designer · UX Researcher · Behavioral UX

TIMELINE

8 Weeks

TEAM

2-person team

At a Glance

Uni-Verse is a student-first campus engagement app that helps students connect, belong, and thrive. It brings events, communities, friends, and campus movement into one real-time experience, turning everyday campus life into opportunities for discovery and connection.

Social Heat Map

Real-time view of campus activities, events, and student activity zones.

Tag-Along

Join friends at events and make showing up feel easier, safer, and less awkward.

Communities

Interest-based spaces for students to find people, groups, and shared belonging.

Shuttle Tracking

Live shuttle updates that make campus navigation easier and less stressful.

Student-First Vision

A clear platform direction built around belonging, access, participation, and trust.

Prolem

University students, especially freshmen and internationals struggle to connect, adapt, and stay engaged on campus, often leading to loneliness and missed opportunities.

01

Difficulty in building friendships and adapting to new cultural environments.

02

Limited access to real-time information on events, communities, and campus resources.

03

Logistical barriers such as transportation, scheduling conflicts, and hesitation to attend events alone.

The Goal

Design a digital companion for students that reduces isolation, connects communities, and makes participating in campus life simple and welcoming.

Solution

Street Name

I’ve got what’s happening around you.

Social Heat map

Don’t just go—tag along.

Together feels better.

Design Process

01

Empathize

02

Define

03

Ideate

04

Design

05

Testing

01.Empathize

During this phase, we validated the problems we had observed such as loneliness, hesitation to attend events alone, and transportation issues while also discovering new challenges students face, like feeling ignored in groups, struggling with cultural adjustment, and missing opportunities due to poor event visibility.

Competitive Analysis

Event Discovery & Networking

A platform aimed at student engagement through event discovery and networking. However, the website's purpose is unclear, and navigation is challenging.

Popularity

2/5

Usability

2/5

• Conceptually focused on event discovery

• Networking-oriented approach

• Student engagement focus

• Website lacks clarity regarding purpose

• Navigation is difficult and unintuitive

• No comprehensive college database

• Improve UI/UX for better usability

• Develop structured database

• Define clear value proposition

• Competition from established platforms

• Low user retention due to poor UX

Mobile Event App for Universities

A mobile event app widely used in educational settings like Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge. Provides real-time updates, personalized schedules, and interactive features.

Popularity

4/5

Usability

2/5

• Popular among top universities

• Real-time event updates

• Personalized schedules

• Complicated and unintuitive UI/UX

• Difficult navigation

• Limited search functionality

• Simplify UI/UX design

• Expand event listings

• Build centralized database

• Better usability from competitors

• User frustration with complexity

Student Engagement Platform

Designed to enhance student engagement through event hubs, student organizations, and social media integration. Offers real-time updates and personalized agendas.

Popularity

3/5

Usability

3/5

• Good UI and clean design

• Comprehensive club management

• Event and organization sections

• Events page loading issues

• Ineffective college search

• Missing transportation features

• Improve website performance

• Enhance search functionality

• Add transportation integration

• More streamlined competitors

• Performance issues affecting retention

Feature Analysis

Available

Not available

★Unique Feature

Feature Details

Uni-Verse

ThriveUp

Eventee

Modern Campus

Cultural Adaptation★

Centralized Event Hub

Last-minute Event Joining★

Real-Time Heat Map★

Live Event Updates★

Study Cohort System

Tag-Along Features★

Transportation Integration★

Sports Partner Matching★

Interactive Features

Vibe Matching★

University Building Finder★

User Survey Insights

To validate assumptions and uncover real needs, we conducted a survey with 58 students. The results revealed that many hesitate to attend events alone, cancel plans without company, and struggle to find like-minded peers for activities such as studying, sports, or hobbies. Students also highlighted frustration with missed shuttles and poor visibility of campus events, confirming the need for a solution that combines social connection with logistical support.

In order to further validate the issues found during heuristic evaluation, I conducted a user survey. Read the data below.

OVERVIEWBAR CHARTPIE CHART

72%

FEEL LONELY OFTEN OR SOMETIMES AFTER ARRIVING

89%

DESIRE TO MAKE NEW CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

89%

NEED EMOTIONAL OR SOCIAL SUPPORT FROM OTHERS

74%

FOUND IT HARD TO ADAPT TO CULTURE

33%

FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE FRIENDS

02.Define

At this stage of the process, We created personas, empathy mapping, and visualized customer journeys.

Empathy Mapping

I want to make new friends but don't know how.

I feel nervous about joining events alone.

I wish I had someone to guide me through campus and city life.

Lonely and overwhelmed by cultural shock.

Hesitant and socially awkward in large groups.

Anxious about missing out on opportunities.

Cultural differences will make it harder to fit in.

Wants a buddy system to ease the transition.

Studying in groups could help him stay on track.

Scrolls through event boards but rarely attends alone.

Relies on limited acquaintances or flatmates for socializing.

Avoids campus events when he doesn't have company.

I wish I had a reliable study buddy.

I don't have time to explore social activities.

I need better ways to keep track of events.

Overwhelmed with coursework and responsibilities.

Regretful about missing out on social life.

Frustrated when events clash with studies or transport fails.

Balancing academics and social life is impossible.

Wants networking opportunities before graduation.

Reliable transport would make life easier.

Focuses heavily on academics at the expense of socializing.

Studies alone even when it feels demotivating.

Skips events because logistics feel complicated.

User Journey Mapping

To validate assumptions and uncover real needs, we conducted a survey with 58 students. The results revealed that many hesitate to attend events alone, cancel plans without company, and struggle to find like-minded peers for activities such as studying, sports, or hobbies. Students also highlighted frustration with missed shuttles and poor visibility of campus events, confirming the need for a solution that combines social connection with logistical support.

Journey Stages

Stage 1

Arrival & Orientation

Stage 2

Initial Socialization

Stage 3

Joining Activities

Stage 4

Academic Adjustments

Stage 5

Exploring Beyond Campus

Stage 6

Building Deeper Connections

Feelings

Excited but overwhelmed, feels isolated in a new environment

Curious but hesitant to approach others

Interested but nervous about going without friends

Stressed and lonely during study hours

Excited but frustrated with unreliable transport

Wants deeper friendships but struggles to transition from small talk

Actions

Arrives on campus, explores orientation events, tries to navigate transportation

Attends first classes, sees groups forming, checks out student clubs

Browses club fairs and event posters, debates attending a sports match

Attends lectures, starts assignments, struggles with coursework style

Plans to explore dining, hikes, and the city

Starts making casual friends through classes and events

Pain Points

Doesn't know anyone, struggles with cultural adjustment and finding guidance

Feels shy and socially awkward, avoids joining events alone

Cancels plans if no one to accompany him, misses opportunities

No study partner, lacks motivation, difficulty forming study groups

Shuttle timings unclear, misses buses, wastes time waiting

Cultural differences and lack of continuity hold him back

Opportunities

Push notifications for newcomer events, buddy system, cultural adaptation resources

Tag-Along feature to confidently join activities with others

Communities where he can find like-minded peers and plan group activities

Cohorts & study matching to find partners and share resources

Social Heat Map + Shuttle Tracking for real-time updates and stress-free commuting

Long-term Communities and shared interest groups to nurture lasting relationships

02.Ideate

We established the information architecture to ensure seamless navigation across all core features and defined the brand guidelines that shaped a consistent, intuitive, and visually cohesive user interface.

Information Architecture

The platform’s information architecture is designed for clarity and ease of use, structured around core sections such as Tag-Along, Communities, Events, and the Social Heat Map. Each section addresses specific student needs for example, we designed Tag-Along to enable students to join activities without going alone, while we built the Social Heat Map to provide real-time event visibility and shuttle tracking to reduce uncertainty.

UniVerse App

Authentication

Login

Sign Up

Apple

Google

Meta

Email + Password

Forgot Password

Name

Email

Password

Confirm Password

Home

Top Nav

Map Shortcut

Events Section

Cohorts Section

Event Cards

View All Events

Cohort Cards

View All Cohorts

Map (UniMap)

Search Bar

Filter Tabs

Pins on Map

Shuttle Timings

Event Pins

Cohort Pins

Tag Along Pins

Shuttle Pins

Events

Events Main Page

Event Detail Page

Event Created

Event Cards

RSVP Button

Event Info

RSVP Status

Tag Along

Tag Along Discovery

Tag Along Detail

Approval Flow

Tag Along Cards

Activity Info

Tag Along Button

Waiting for Approval

Tag Along Accepted

Cohorts

Communities Main

Cohort Detail Page

Your Cohorts

Explore Cohorts

Create a Cohort

Cohort Info

Members

Chatbox

Virtual Events

Create

Create Main Page

Create Tag Along

Create Cohort

Create Event

Activity

Vibe Tags

Description

Schedule

Who Can Join

Confirmation

Name

Interests

Vibes

Who Can Join

Confirmation

Name

Description

Location

Vibe Tags

Rules

RSVP Enabled

Confirmation

Direct Messaging

DM List

DM Threads

DM Chat Screen

By Tag Alongs

By Cohorts

Notifications

Notifications Main

Tag Along Notifications

Event Notifications

Cohort Notifications

Profile

Profile Main Page

Edit Profile

Settings

User Info

Connections

Interests

Privacy

Notification Prefs

Logout

Delete Account

FIT

Sketches

This was the moment where ideas started to take shape. We dove into the design phase with quick, low-fidelity sketches that allowed us to explore possibilities without overthinking. Inspired by what we heard in user interviews and guided by both business goals and usability principles, these early sketches gave form to student needs and pain points, setting the stage for a simple, friendly interface.

Mid-Fidility Screens

Using Figma, we translated our first sketches into mid-fidelity wireframes. We started by laying out all the screens we needed to design. We blocked out sections for each element and did our detailed work.

04.Design

Design Kit

This design kit is more than a collection of visuals; it’s a foundation for meaningful experiences. Every element buttons, menus, icons, colors, and typography was intentionally crafted by us to feel clear, consistent, and approachable. It serves as a guide that not only streamlines collaboration but also ensures that every interaction feels natural, intuitive, and respectful of the user’s journey.

High Fidility Screens

This design kit is more than a collection of visuals; it’s a foundation for meaningful experiences. Every element buttons, menus, icons, colors, and typography was intentionally crafted by us to feel clear, consistent, and approachable. It serves as a guide that not only streamlines collaboration but also ensures that every interaction feels natural, intuitive, and respectful of the user’s journey.

Login

Multiple sign-in options – Apple, Google, Meta for quick access.

Traditional entry with email and password.

Password recovery – “Forgot Password?” ensures easy account retrieval.

Simple onboarding – Clean layout reduces friction for new users.

Home

Quick access bar – Tag-Along and Clubs pinned at the top for instant navigation.

Interactive Heat map helps students to track shuttles and explore live events

Cohorts preview – Quick access to joined communities/ Groups

Bottom nav bar – Simple navigation across Home, Explore, Tag-Along, and Profile.

Events section – Shows upcoming activities with RSVP option with an option to navigate and view all events

Event details – Clear info: host, time, date, and location.

Search

Search bar – Quick lookup for events or cohorts by name/keyword.

Visual cues – Image-based tiles make browsing intuitive and engaging.

option to navigate to cohorts and events page

Category cards – Clear options like Fitness, Gaming, Sports, Music, Books & Arts.

Social Heat Map

Search bar – Quickly find events, Tag-Alongs, or shuttle info.

Filter buttons – Toggle between All, Tag-Alongs, Events, and Shuttles.

Live map view – Real-time visualization of events, clubs, and student activity.

Shuttle tracking – Live updates on shuttle location and next arrival.

User presence – Shows peers attending nearby events, reducing hesitation to join.

Create

Clear entry point – Users choose what to create: Tag-Along, Cohort, or Event.

Minimal layout – Simple design keeps focus on action, reducing friction.

Events and Communities

Tabs – Toggle between Events and Cohorts for easy discovery.

Event card – Displays image, host, title, time, date, and location.

RSVP button – Simple call-to-action to confirm attendance.

Community visibility – Shows number of attendees to encourage participation.

Create a Cohort – Easy entry point to start a new group

Community grid – Visual cards (e.g., Hiking, Football, UX Club) for quick discovery.

Explore section – Highlights active communities students can join instantly.

Join button – Clear CTA for effortless onboarding into a group.

Data Input

Overall App

05.Testig

Final usability testing for Uni-Verse was conducted with 5 students across campus using scenario-based tasks, think-aloud protocol, and guided prototype walkthroughs. Participants were asked to complete key flows across events, communities, Tag-Along, and the Social Heat Map while sharing their thoughts in real time. The testing helped evaluate task success, ease of navigation, interaction clarity, and overall fit with student needs, leading to the following results.

8/10

9/10

7/10

7/10

✅Join Event via Tag-Along

⏳Use Social Heat Map

✅Join a Community

⏳RSVP to Event

Join Event via Tag-Along85%

Use Social Heat Map65%

Join a Community75%

RSVP to Event90%

•Smooth navigation flow

•Heat map cues unclear

•Tag-Along reduces hesitation

•Cohorts need better filters

Usability Report • Q2 2023

Uni-Verse Analytics

Prototype

Reflection

Working on Uni-Verse was deeply personal for us. We believe that true innovation comes when you’ve actually gone through the pain and experienced it yourself and we had. Missing classes because of unreliable shuttle timings and feeling hesitant to attend events alone were challenges we lived through, which gave us the empathy to design meaningful solutions.Throughout the project, we made it a point to seek feedback from peers after every milestone, which sharpened our collaboration skills and helped us see problems from different perspectives. We also held ourselves accountable by setting collective deadlines and meeting them, which strengthened our time management. In the end, Uni-Verse didn’t just solve problems for students it helped us grow as designers who lead with empathy, embrace iteration, and believe in solving from lived experience.

BTS

Awarded as the best UX/UI Designer for Uni-verse by ASU GIT

Survey & Interview

Team at Work

AB Testing (Naming the App)

Sticky Note Wall