A NYC sublet platform
HOMI
HOMI is a peer-to-peer NYC sublet platform. HOMI is designed to help the younger workforce, especially Gen Z with a short credit history and less deposit capital, to find their place in their circle/community easily and transparently. By linking various social networks, HOMI unifies access and simplifies the process to all available sublet posts from your friends. It makes apartment hunting more personal.
This is a capstone project with the intent to solve the problem that I (along with million of other New Yorkers) had while apartment-hunting amidst the COVID situation.
User Research | Prototyping | User Testing | User Interface
Role:
Product Designer
Team:
Solo Project
Time:
2022
Context
Amid the pandemic and rising Asian hate crimes, NYC rental prices hit record highs, forcing Gen Z to navigate housing shortages and hybrid work by resorting to risky transactions due to insufficient paperwork.
Pain Point:
Short credit history leads to rejection fears. New grads and interns struggle to secure rentals, often relying on friends or online groups, risking unsafe transactions.
I shifted from blaming search tools to highlighting Gen Z’s paperwork struggles and hidden sublet options to address NYC’s housing shortage.
Design
Onboarding Designed For Gen-Z Privacy
Building Trust With Group Verification
Join group to find friends, homies, and colleagues
Sign up flow
Connect to an exclusive group with an affiliated email. Social media links suggested affiliated groups; general or exclusive
Community Endorsement
Discover new listing
Before (L) VS. After (R)
Lister Over Listing VS. Listing Over Lister
Sign Up Flow
Browse By Group
