OVERVIEW
International Christian University (ICU) is a liberal arts university in Tokyo, Japan. Their online housing website is the primary source of information for incoming residents and is the first glimpse into dorm life. During my study abroad, I redesigned their housing website as a personal project.
TOOLS
Figma
Zoom
Background
When I was applying for on-campus housing, I was swamped by the laundry list of information. However, looking closely, I realized that the website houses an abundance of resources that can make one feel excited to live on campus. Overall, this revealed a broader pattern that I’ve noticed in Japan: the disconnect between Japan’s functional, seamless physical user experiences and outdated digital interfaces. Recognizing this gap motivated me to redesign the housing website to reflect the vibrant campus culture and excite future students.
User Research: Interview & Testing
I conducted a user interview with 4 peers who had recently completed the ICU housing application process and 3 new users who had never interacted with the housing website.
‼️ Preliminary research revealed a major usability issue: the “On-Campus Housing” link led only to an “Application Closed” page, creating a dead end with no dorm details. Users had to search elsewhere (e.g., Google). To address this, I tested two navigation conditions.
❗️85% (6 out of 7)
Confusing how similar content were spread out between different links/pages.
❗️100% (7 out of 7)
Clicked on images expecting them to lead to more detailed pages, but were unclickable.
❗️57% (4 out of 7)
Overwhelming list of info.
Problem Statement
“Students seeking on-campus housing need a clear way to view available dormitories and learn about unique traditions because information is scattered across multiple pages, making it difficult to choose and apply.”
The Vision
💡 Consistent pages showing logistics for each dorm
💡Organized dorm logistics with meaningful hierarchy
💡Limit links to “On-campus Housing,” “Off-campus Housing,” “Homestay,”
💡Make information on dorm life and culture visually accessible in the homepage
The Design
Welcome! You can explore the values of living in ICU’s culturally rich and diverse dormitories and hear about former residents’ experiences. You can also discover our off-campus and homestay accommodations that ICU partners with.
HOMEPAGE
You can make unforgettable memories by becoming part of ICU’s unique dorm traditions. Immerse yourself in dorm life through the experiences shared by alumnis.
DISCOVER DORM COMMUNITY AND CULTURE
Are you excited to find your home away from home? Explore our dormitories by comparing facilities and fees, browsing images, and discovering what makes each residence hall unique.
ON-CAMPUS DORMITORIES
Probe into Zelkova, Oak, and Ginkgo House! Dive into the details of community expectations and what it means to be part of these special living communities. Can you picture yourself living here?
DORM LOGISTICS
User Testing
I conducted a second round of user testing using a within-subjects design with randomized task order to compare user interactions between the original site and my redesign.
Task 1: You’re an exchange student who wants to live in a less-populated dorm. Show me how you’d find the best option.
Completion Rate
33% --> 100%
100%
Error reduction
💡 By fixing broken navigation pathways and providing an organized page with all the dorms, the redesign significantly improved completion rate, ensuring students can properly explore their potential home. Students expressed less frustration for my redesign.
Task 2: Find a dorm event or tradition that you look most forward to as a new student.
Completion Rate
100% --> 100%
100%
First-click success
💡 While all users eventually found dorm culture information on both sites, the redesign eliminated the frustrating trial-and-error navigation that required users to click through multiple arbitrary links before reaching their goal.
Reflection
Redesigning ICU’s housing website helped me reflect on my own experiences of applying and being immersed in the dorm culture. Knowing there were others feeling a similar way, redesigning with the people in mind made the process much more meaningful.
What I learned and would do in the future:
☝️ Remind myself of who I’m designing for and focus on the problem. This project was inspired by my own experiences, but it is important for me to isolate my own opinions and biases and truly listen to other people with an open mind.
✌️ I don't have to rush into design. I sometimes got too lost in making the UI aesthetic, leading me to design iterations that do not advocate for my users. Taking a step back and reorganizing the user flow, properly defining my problem statement, and assessing my user insights helped me efficiently make design decisions.
☝️+✌️ Implement a 3D virtual dormitory tour. If desired by people and technically feasible, including more visual content such as 3D virtual room tours would help future residents immerse themselves in their potential home away from home.
carisohjung@gmail.com