2019 / CIRCLE FOR ROOMMATES

Finding Roommate Experience

Finding a roommate should feel trustworthy, seamless, and fun.

Animated isometric map illustration of New York City showing Central Park, Hudson River, and Empire State with colorful location pins

Animated isometric map illustration of Los Angeles showing Venice, Long Beach, Silverlake, Pasadena, and Hollywood neighborhoods with location markers

Overview

Circle for Roommates is a mobile application that helps users find verified, trustworthy roommates. In early 2019, I designed a new Map feature along with supporting illustrations, animations, and interactive elements. The goal was to make housing discovery not just functional, but also engaging and enjoyable — transforming what’s often a stressful process into a more delightful experience.

Opportunity & Goals

Maintain the young, approachable voice of Circle while introducing new functionality.
Design an innovative and interactive way for users to explore available properties.
Improve the overall experience with delightful illustrations, motion graphics, and interactions that make browsing more fun.

My Role

Led end-to-end design of the new Map feature, from early concept sketches to final prototypes
Created wireframes, UI designs, and interactive flows to integrate the feature seamlessly into the existing product.
Designed custom illustrations and animations to add a sense of warmth, personality, and playfulness to the user experience.
Focused on interaction design to ensure that navigation, transitions, and micro-interactions felt smooth, intuitive, and engaging.

Approach

1. Map as a Discovery Tool

Designed a visually driven, interactive map interface that allowed users to easily browse available properties and explore listings in a more natural, intuitive way.

2. Delightful Visual Language

Developed a system of illustrations, motion graphics, and playful animations to make the app feel friendly, human, and fun.

3. User-Centered Experience

Ensured the new feature was simple to navigate, visually engaging, and aligned with Circle’s youthful brand personality.

Impact & Outcomes

Circle marked my first real-world launch, highlighting my strength in designing products that are both practical and delightful — and helping make the roommate-finding experience more engaging, social, and fun.
The Map feature introduced a new dimension of value to Circle, allowing users to discover housing opportunities directly within the app.

OTHER WORKS

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