Umi

Story

People always face various dilemmas when looking for roommates, such as the limitations of social circles and the limited channels of information access, which make it difficult to meet new people to become their roommates. Uncertainty of online platforms: Although there are many platforms on the internet to find roommates, the authenticity and validity of the information are often difficult to guarantee. Problems such as false advertising and intermediary fraud are daunting. Limitations of traditional channels: Finding roommates through friends, school bulletin boards, and other traditional methods, while relatively reliable, is limited in scope, especially for those who have just arrived in a new city or are far from home. In addition, trust and security issues are also major factors for people to consider when looking for roommates. Without sufficient understanding and trust, it is difficult for people to judge whether a new acquaintance is suitable for becoming a roommate. Differences in lifestyle incompatibilities, personality incompatibilities, cleanliness, privacy, and space needs can all become potential problems.

These situations are exactly the dilemma that all members of our team have experienced in finding roommates, and they also became the initial inspiration for us to make Umi APP. When we were thinking early on, we wondered, could we create an APP that would help us solve all of these problems listed above? This APP needs to be considered for people's safety, to reduce the risk of having bad roommates. Assuming that you are an 18-year-old starting your college life, you must seriously consider the possibility of living with an opposite-sex roommate in your 40s. That's why we're targeting young adults in metropolitan areas as our primary demographic, this group is typically tech-savvy and comfortable using mobile apps for everyday needs. They seek stable, living arrangements and are interested in finding roommates who align with their lifestyle, interests, and values.

Once the target audience was confirmed, we thought it would be best if the APP allowed users to join groups or offline activities related to their interests, such as outdoor sports, cooking, reading, or music clubs. Compared with the instability of looking for roommates online, face-to-face contact and communication seem safer and more reliable. When users contact potential roommates in offline activities, both parties maintain an open and friendly attitude. Through chatting, users can learn about their living habits, interests, and personalities, and give each other some time and space to adapt and understand. This helps users get to know each other more intuitively and determine if they are a good fit as roommates.

This is the birth process of Umi and the minds of all the team members. We start on our own and try our best to improve every detail we can consider. We sincerely hope that Umi can bring a good user experience for people to find roommates.

What We Did