UniLeaser
Product Designer
Summer 2026
Figma Design
Personal Project
CONTEXT
Subleasing is a struggle experienced by many college students
During this summer, 3 of my friends all faced the same issue: they needed to sublease their places for the upcoming semester. One was leaving school for a co-op, another for an internship, and the last for a semester abroad. They expressed that the process was tiring and stressful, as they would post on multiple platforms and struggled to navigate scammers and reach interested subletters.
USER RESEARCH
To explore this issue, I surveyed 16 students across different universities
Students belonged to either one or both of the following user groups:
Subleasers: typically students leaving mid-lease for an internship or studying abroad, who want to cut losses from leaving their place empty while they're gone
Subletters: typically students graduating a semester late/early or returning from internships or studying abroad, seeking housing for a single semester.
The survey revealed that:
75%
of respondents post & search for sublets across at multiple different platforms
4/5
is the average difficulty score for finding subleasers/subletters, 5 being highly difficult
80%
of respondents said they are more likely to trust subleasing to/from a fellow student compared to a stranger
Conducting competitive analysis revealed a current need gap
I mapped existing methods/platforms students reported based on two axesā how much trust they offer, and how much information is consolidated/directly provided.
This shows that students lack a platform that is both informationally complete and trustworthy.
How might we make subleasing simpler, safer, and more centralized for college students?
UniLease: a subleasing app for students, by students
UniLease is a subleasing marketplace for university students within the same institution. Users can login with their .edu email to verify student status, ensuring trust across subleasers and subletters alike.
Create a listing (Subleaser)
Add photos, pricing, and essential information in just a few steps. Your address is hidden from public by default for maximum security.
Explore and filter listings (Subletter)
Filters are based on what actually matter for college students: price, semester timelines, distance from campus, and level of privacy.
View details and express interest (Subletter)
Find essential details, such as estimated commute to campus and more. Reach out to express your interest.
Approve requests for messaging (Subleaser)
Find essential details, such as estimated commute to campus and more. Reach out to express your interest.
From user flow to initial structure
I started off by creating a user flow diagram to determine what pages the app should have. I also listing out important information that needs to be included in listings and filters.
Then, I rapidly created low fidelity screens of the core flows. During this process, I iterated on the listing cards, condensed the listing creation process, and established the core features.
DESIGN DECISIONS
Maintaining the privacy of subleasers, while surfacing relevant information to subletters
A major concern that I hadn't considered was surfaced during the design process: Privacy. Subleasers may not want unwanted individuals from their school knowing exactly where they live, as it poses a serious safety risk. However, it is still essential for legitimately interested subletters to know the exact address.
Before: Full address is revealed to all users on listing, compromising security
After: Only reveal relevant information like neighborhood and distance from campus
After: Subletters can see the address if their interest request is approved
Creating an extra layer of trust
I added a short bio and student verification badge on the profile card to build a sense of safety and connection between students.
At the top of individual listings, so subletters trust subleasers
Inside message requests, so subleasers trust subletters
Adding student-specific features
I added additional features surrounding university student's specific needs:
Commute time estimates is essential for students who might not have a car or a bike.
Semester timeline filtering is a quicker way to set dates based on the academic term rather than calendar dates.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Drawing visuals from popular apps trusted by college students
For the visual language of UniLeaser, I looked to apps that most college students already use, like Claude, Hinge, and Granola. I noticed that they pair serif type with warm tans and grays, and incorporated my inspirations into the color palette and typography.
OUTCOMES
Final prototype testing & feedback
75%
of testers reported an greater willingness to trust other users on UniLeaser than other platforms.
1.5/5
was the average difficulty score for creating a listing, 1 being extremely straightforward.
100%
of testers successfully navigated narrowing down the search using filters,
TAKEAWAYS
Design with a specific user group in mind.
Inputting the number of bedrooms and subleasing an entire home don't accurately reflect a college student's needs. Narrowing down the user group helped expose more pain points and generate new ideas.
Make connection feel human.
Digital interactions can sometimes feel impersonal, but paying attention to the design of small details can close that gap.