INDUSTRY:
STUDENT HOUSING
CLIENT:
LIVIN
YEAR:
2025
EXPERIENCE:
PRODUCT DESIGN, UX RESEARCH
Livin
about.
Livin is a platform that helps students find roommates, housing, and group living arrangements seamlessly. For this redesign, my team worked to pivot the focus of the site from a generic roommate finder to a clean, modern roommate and housing database with room for an AI-powered search.
The AI bot, created by the DormMe developer team, replaces the need for swiping and manual filters with a simple common language search. Students can describe their needs in plain language to auto-calibrate filters, be matched with most similar roommates, and get curated housing recommendations, streamlining the housing and roommate search process.
challenge.
Livin already had a user base and positive reviews before its rebrand, so a major challenge was implementing brand and layout changes without alienating existing users. The new AI chat feature required us to rethink the entire flow while retaining the central purpose of the site that users valued.
To validate our decisions, we conducted user interviews, surveys, and observational testing to identify pain points, test usability, and ensure the redesigned experience preserved trust while adding clear value.
I gathered qualitative and quantitative data, focusing especially on observational testing to see what resonated with users. Most of this was used to construct the homepage, along with users' first impressions and interactions with the AI search.
Beyond functionality, the founder wanted Livin's rebrand to fit into the "AI niche" while still retaining the current user base and overall site purpose. An analysis of user research data allowed us to solidify the typography, iconography, color, and layout of Livin's new visual identity in a way that delighted both past and new users.
results.
103% increase in daily active users during the month after redesign
43% increase in total users between September 2025 and June 2025
The redesigned Livin site delivered a more dynamic and engaging experience for students, with the AI chat providing a faster roommate and housing search option alongside the optimized manual search capabilities. Our research-driven design updates also helped retain the existing user base by enhancing both AI-focused and non-AI features of the website for those who were more hesitant to use it.
My primary contribution was restructuring and designing the homepage, supported by multiple rounds of testing and feedback from Livin's target demographics, founder, and developer team. Findings were pitched to the design lead, founder, and successfully implemented by the development team.
prototype.
The redesigned Livin platform has been launched but is still being iterated upon. The design team continues to monitor progress to ensure the site maintains usability and follows original design guidelines as it is continually improved and updated. You can see the live site by following the link on the upper right.
testimonial.
Nate’s research and design work reshaped Livin’s business plan and brand identity. I’d strongly recommend him for any future role!
Vasanth Pugalenthi
Founder of Livin
linkedin.com.in/lpeterson
