Back to ProjectsYoung professionals moving to new cities often struggle with untrustworthy listings, hidden costs and safety concerns.
Personal Project • Consumer Product • Mobile App
Designing a trust-first accommodation platform for people moving to new cities.
Making accommodation discovery more transparent, commute-first and confidence-driven.
02 / TL;DR
The story in four lines.
Current accommodation platforms optimize for listings instead of confidence.
Ran user interviews, surveys and competitor research to find what truly drives long-term accommodation decisions.
A trust-first experience centered around transparency, commute and safety.
Role
End-to-End Product Designer
Type
Personal Project · Consumer Product
Duration
14 Days
Responsibilities
Product Thinking · UX Research · Information Architecture · Visual Design · Design System · Usability Studies
03 / The Problem
Finding a home shouldn’t feel overwhelming.
Hidden costs create distrust
Fees that surface late make people second-guess the whole listing.
Safety is hard to verify
There’s rarely a credible way to check how safe an area really is.
Commute shapes daily life
A great room loses its shine after a two-hour daily commute.
Options are hard to compare
Listings live in silos, so weighing trade-offs is exhausting.
04 / Understanding Users
Moving cities is both exciting and stressful.
Young professionals and students are often stepping into independent living for the first time, and their choices are driven by trust, comfort and confidence. They aren’t simply choosing a room — they’re choosing their lifestyle for the next few months or years.
05 / Four Research Insights
What the research made impossible to ignore.
80%Prioritized office proximity.
DecisionCommute-first discovery.
75%Prioritized safety.
DecisionDedicated safety sections.
73%Wanted transparent pricing.
DecisionComplete cost breakdowns upfront.
68%Distrusted listing photos.
DecisionVerified visuals only.
06 / Market Opportunity
Existing platforms solved discovery, not trust.
PlatformStrengthGapOpportunity
AirbnbPolished discovery and booking.
Built for short stays, not long-term living.
Own long-term trust and transparency.
Stanza LivingManaged living at scale.
Limited choice and flexibility.
Give users real, comparable options.
ZoloWide inventory of PGs.
Thin on trust and clarity.
Lead with verification and cost clarity.
07 / The Experience
Building around real decision-making moments.
DiscoverCompareEvaluateTrustBook
08 / Information Architecture
The full journey, mapped end to end.
1
OnboardingA quick, low-friction start.
2
ExploreCommute-first browsing.
3
FiltersNarrow to what matters.
4
CompareWeigh options side by side.
5
Property DetailsThe trust-first deep dive.
6
Schedule VisitMove from screen to real life.
7
WishlistPark and revisit favourites.
8
MessagesTalk directly, build confidence.
9
ProfileManage everything in one place.
09 / Visual Execution
Transforming uncertainty into confidence.
The property page is designed like a virtual property tour — each fold answers a specific user question in the order it naturally arises.
Compare Functionality
Compare
Users can compare PGs on rent, safety score, amenities and more — tapping compare, then choosing the property to weigh it against.
Side-by-side view
A side-by-side layout highlights the key differences across rent, security, safety score and amenities at a glance.
10 / Reflection
What this project taught me.
User psychology beats features.
The decisions that mattered happened in people’s heads, long before any screen.
Trust is a UX problem.
Confidence has to be built into the flow — it can’t be assumed.
Relatable problems build understanding.
Having moved cities myself, the friction was personal — and that sharpened every call.
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