E-basho: an online room finder app
UX Case Study
Aadi Srivastava
Objectives & Goals
Create a seamless and secure platform for students to find affordable and verified housing.
Simplify the rental search and booking process.
Our Process
Discover
Define
Ideate
Design
Business Challenges
Ensuring listings are authentic and landlords are verified to prevent fraud.
Standing out in a saturated rental marketplace with unique value propositions.
Encouraging long-term app engagement beyond just booking a room
Finding a sustainable monetization model.
Scaling to new cities with diverse rental needs.
Product Users
The product users include students, working professionals, and travelers looking for affordable and verified rental accommodations, as well as landlords or property owners seeking to list and manage their rental spaces.
Quantitative Research
Observations
50%
of users prefer an app that offers verified listings with genuine reviews.
80%
of respondents find it difficult to discover affordable rental rooms in new cities.
30%
of renters struggle with communication barriers when interacting with landlords
90%
believe that an in-app chat system would improve their booking experience.
60%
expressed concerns about hidden costs and unclear pricing in rental listings.
The quantitative research here is done with the help of google forms which made it easy for me to understand what the current state and mindset of people regarding apps like these
User Needs
Transparent and Verified Listings – Users need reliable and verified room listings with genuine reviews to avoid scams and misleading information.
Seamless Communication – Renters require an in-app chat or call feature to easily communicate with landlords and clarify doubts before booking.
Clear Pricing and Cost Breakdown – Users want upfront pricing with no hidden costs to make informed rental decisions without unexpected charges.
Features & Functionalities
To resolve user needs
Interactive map based search
In-App Chat & Booking System
Verified Listings & Reviews
Product User Challenges
Ensuring verified listings, secure payments, and reliable hosts to build trust among users.
Reducing friction in the booking process to improve user retention and prevent abandonment.
Maintaining an adequate number of room listings to meet user demand across different locations.
Enabling smooth interactions between renters and hosts while preventing spam or fraudulent messages.
Competitive Analysis
ZoloStays
A fully managed co-living and PG rental platform offering furnished accommodations with amenities in major cities.
Features and Weakness:
Offers fully managed accommodations with amenities like WiFi, food, and housekeeping.
Limited customization for students looking for specific housing needs.
Google Reviews
So, for the competitive i took the google reviews in consideration as i think the people who used the app on the daily basis would provide us a better picture of what the problems they faced were.
Amber Student
A global student housing platform that provides verified listings, virtual tours, and seamless booking for student accommodations, also rated 4,7 stars on app-store.
Features and Weakness :
Verified listings with virtual tours for transparency.
Limited budget-friendly options in high-demand cities.
Google Reviews
So, for the competitive i took the google reviews in consideration as i think the people who used the app on the daily basis would provide us a better picture of what the problems they faced were.
Mahesh Sharma
Student
About
22
Lucknow
B-tech
Student
User Persona-1
Maslow Pyramid
Self Actualisation
Love Belonging
Safety
Physiological
Esteem
Description
Mahesh is a 3rd year college student studying in Amity University Lucknow campus and is a B-tech student who lives in lucknow in a hostel
A day in their life
1.Mahesh usually starts his day at 9:00 AM and travels to college.
2.He attends clsses 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and spends sometime in the campus to chill.
3.He also goes to gym to keep himself fit.
4.He has to travel 7km daily while travellin to and from college.
Pain points
1.Has to travel a long distance to come to college and has to change multiple autos.
2.The room is not very well maintained and does not offer a lot of facilities
I do wish that there was an app that would have helped me find a better room that this, that would be near to the uni and the rent would be low “lol” as i do need to save some money XD
Shivansh Mishra
Student
About
20
Lucknow
BCA
Student
User Persona-2
Maslow Pyramid
Self Actualisation
Love Belonging
Safety
Physiological
Esteem
Description
Shivansh too is a 3rd year college student studying in Amity University Lucknow campus and is a BCA student who although is from Lucknow but because of the distance from his house to the university has to live in a hostel near the university.
A day in their life
1.He usually wakes up at 7:00 AM.
2.He attends classes 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and also takes part in extra-circular activities and is very well recognized.
3.He works-out at home to keep himself fit.
4.Usually sleep at 11:00 PM at night as he has to wake up early.
Pain points
1.Although he lives near the university he does not find his room pleasing “too compact” is what he describes it as.
2.The owner does not communicate well enough and does not help with the problems with the room.
I just need a space that feels like mine, not just a box to crash in. This room? Too cramped, too dull. I barely have space to move, let alone unwind after a long day. And the owner? Almost nonexistent when there’s an issue. I wish I had a place that actually felt comfortable—a little more space, a better setup, and someone who actually listens when things go wrong.
Task Mapping
Steps
Discover
Shortlist
Contact Host
Finalize & Move-in
Environment
Challenges
Emotions
Thoughts
Urgency Level
Design
Opportunity
Saves preferred listings and checks reviews.
Comparing options on mobile or desktop.
Confusion in comparing listings and trust issues.
"This place looks good, but is it really as described?"
Enable comparison features and highlight top-rated listings.
User browses listings based on budget, location, and amenities.
Browsing app at home or on the go.
Overwhelmed with too many options, unsure of reliability.
"Will I find something in my budget?"
Provide filters, recommendations, and verified badges.
Excited but anxious about affordability.
Low – just exploring options.
Medium – needs to make a decision soon.
High – needs quick responses from host.
Very high – needs confirmation and preparation for move-in.
Hopeful but worried about hidden conditions
Nervous about negotiation and legitimacy.
Relieved but stressed about moving logistics.
Contacts host for inquiries, schedules a visit or virtual tour.
In-depth discussions via chat, call, or visit.
Host unresponsive or delay in replies.
"Will the host accept my offer?"
Improve host response times with auto-reminders & chatbot support.
Confirms booking, makes payment, and prepares to move in.
Packing, paperwork, and moving logistics.
Last-minute issues like unavailability or contract complexities.
"I hope everything goes smoothly when I move in."
Offer checklists, moving guides, and in-app document handling.
Tasks
Eisen Hover Matrix
Urgent
Not Important
Not Urgent
Important
Book a room before the deadline.
Respond to host messages.
Verify documents for lease.
Complete payment to secure room.
Browse listings casually.
Check non-essential amenities.
Chat with hosts without booking.
Read student living blogs.
dolor, quam donec id
Research locations and prices.
Check reviews and ratings.
Compare room options.
Plan move-in logistics.
Explore room decor ideas.
Explore room decor ideas.
Think about upgrades later.
Plan social activities.
5 Why Analysis
Users abandon the booking process before completion.
Users find the booking form too long and complicated.
Too many required fields and document uploads at once.
No option to save progress and continue later.
Users feel pressured to complete everything in one go.
Users feel pressured to complete everything in one go.
Prioblem
Root Cause
Home Screen
Profile Setup
Id Verification
Search
Filters
Tabs for different Room Options
Maps option
Login
Onboarding
Profile Section
Settings
Hosting
Support
Legal
Log In/Out Buttons
Search Bar
Account Info
Settings Options
Notifications
Messages
Bookmark
Profile
Home
Search Bar
Message Filters
Community Tabs
Start
Information Architecture/User Flow
Major Screens
Home Screen
Search bar
Notifications
Map view
Location
Tabs for Roomn
CTA Buttons
Navigation bar
Messages Screen
Search bar and Filters
Messgaes
Filter
Navigation bar
Bookmarks
Search bar
Edit option
Bookmarked Rooms
Navigation bar
Home Screen
Notifications
Options
Profile
Navigation bar
Screens
Thanks for reading