Overview

MeteorMate is a roommate-matching platform built by students, for students at UT Dallas. As Lead Product Designer, I'm driving the end-to-end design strategy—from user research and information architecture to visual identity and developer handoff—while collaborating closely with product managers and engineers on an agile team.

I'm responsible for translating ambiguous user needs into concrete product features, prioritizing for MVP, and building a scalable design system that can grow with the product.

The Challenge

My Role

Research & Discovery

Competitive Analysis

Defining the MVP

Working with PMs and engineering, I helped define the MVP scope by identifying must-haves vs. nice-to-haves.

Why this mattered: With a small team and tight timeline (Spring 2026 launch), we needed to ship a functional product fast. I advocated for focusing on the core matching experience rather than overbuilding features users might not need.

Solving Ambiguous Problems

Problem 1: How do we make matching feel personal but not overwhelming?
Challenge: Students wanted detailed compatibility info but found long questionnaires tedious.

Problem 2: How do we build trust without over-engineering verification?
Challenge: Students wanted safety features, but building robust verification would delay MVP.

Problem 3: How do we differentiate from "Tinder for roommates"?
Challenge: Swipe mechanics work, but we needed MeteorMate to feel unique and credible.

Design Process

• Information Architecture & User Flows
  
  

  

  
  I mapped the complete user journey and identified key decision points:
  Key IA decisions: Single onboarding path (no renter/guarantor split like Cosign)
  Preference setup before swiping to ensure algorithm accuracy
  Match-first, message-second to reduce cold messaging

  
  

• Wireframing & Iteration
  
  

  

  
  I sketched multiple layout options and tested with developers for feasibility.

  
  Key iteration:
  Initially designed a dashboard-style home screen, but developers flagged complexity. I simplified to a swipe-first interface that aligned with technical constraints and user expectations.

  
  

• Brand Identity
  
  

  

  
  I designed the complete visual identity to make MeteorMate feel premium and trustworthy:
  Logo: Meteor-inspired curves with gradient suggesting motion and connection
  Colors: Deep space blues/purples + bright accent colors
  Typography: Inter (primary), Monument Grotesk (accents)
  Star Texture: Custom background reinforcing the space theme across all screens

• 
  

  High-Fidelity Design
  
  

  

  Big shoutout to Frabina on the ACM Development team, who collaborated with me on several of these screens. Their fresh perspective and attention to detail pushed the designs further.

  
  -Landing Page
  -Hero section with clear value prop, feature breakdown, and UTD-specific messaging
  -Onboarding Flow
  -3-step progressive sign-up collecting account info → preferences → deal-breakers
  -Swipe Interface
  -Card-based UI showing photo, bio, compatibility score, lifestyle tags, and verification badge
  -Profile Management
  -Editable preferences, settings, match history

Current Status & Next Steps

MeteorMate is in active development with a Spring 2026 MVP launch target. I've completed the brand identity, core user flows, and high-fidelity designs for all MVP features. Currently, I'm addressing gaps in secondary flows like settings and profile management, cleaning up UI inconsistencies, and preparing for usability testing with UTD students. Once testing is complete, I'll iterate on findings and support engineering through launch. Post-launch, I'll analyze user metrics and engagement data to inform V2 feature prioritization and continued product improvements.

Key Takeaways