RoomSync Now Has Notifications!

by Anjali 31. August 2012 11:12

Greetings!

The RoomSync Nerdz have been working hard and building new features to enhance the user experience. Now students are notified inside Facebook in the 'Apps' section as soon as they are requested or accepted by a roommate in RoomSync. Previously, users were only alerted via email. This immediate notification allows users to get information about RoomSync in a way they are familiar with and also helps them respond to requests and confirmations more quickly, which ideally will help increase match rate.

According to a recent TechCrunch article, "good (mobile app) push notifications drive 67% of app usage the first month after download, 74% of usage two months after download, and 81% of usage three months after download." RoomSync Mobile has notifications similar to the Facebook app, which the RoomSync team believes "are those that are highly relevant to the user and focused on meeting [student] needs. "


New RoomSync Facebook app notifications

 

New RoomSync Features Help Clients

by Anjali 23. August 2011 18:35

New Layout for Client Network Pages

We’re excited to announce our new layout for RoomSync network pages! Our team has designed the layout to enhance the app and create a more streamlined and richer user experience. This new optimized layout seamlessly walks users through the RoomSync process and incorporates graphic elements to highlight features & important info, as well as gives users immediate access to features and their community.


Left-side Navigation Menu

Users can quickly access important info and pages in new streamlined left-margin menu 

Instead of reading information off one congested static network page, users can now easily navigate through multiple pages using our quick-access side navigation tab. This menu gives users easy access to relevant information on specific pages, with options of “Getting Started,” “Network Pages,” “Wall,” and “Find Roommates.”

 

GETTING STARTED

Users are directed here when they click on "Find Roommates" on the network homepage

The ‘Getting Started’ tab helps jump-start the roommate matching process on RoomSync by immediately prompting users to take action, starting with “Get Familiar with Network Info.” The process is clearly presented and users are walked through key steps they should take to find their ideal roommate.

 

NETWORK INFO

Students easy can view special network matching information under "Network Info" tab

The “Network Info” page, which is 100% customizable by clients, gives users access to important client/network information, including how matches work, that requests must be made to the network administrator, and the active network dates. This section ensures that users are given all the information they need to complete the process, so they can provide the housing department with the correct information in time.

 

WALL

Open network wall allows users to initiate public interaction with other members/potential matches in network

The interactive wall gives members a place to introduce themselves and interact with the community in order to start building connections, both as roommates and as friends.

 

FIND ROOMMATES

Users can either Browse or Search under the "Find Roommates" tab

The “Find Roommates” tab has “Browse” and “Search” options that make it easy and exciting for users to find potential roommates. The “Browse” option takes users to the roommates browse page where they can view a list of all their potential roommates, filtered by lifestyle preferences. The “Search” option lets users search for potential roommates with specific interests listed in their Facebook profile (e.g. “Soccer”). Users can also search by academic major and/or preferred residence hall.


Final Roommate Request Date and Members

 The "Final Roommate Request Date" and "Members" sections give users immediate access to important information

Below the new side navigation tabs on the left hand column, users will find our newly added “Final Roommate Request Date.” This section graphically highlights the network close date and constantly reminds users of the last day they can turn in their roommate request.

Finally, users can easily view other members in the network through the “Members” section, which is the last section in the left hand column.


User Experience and Satisfaction

We believe our new streamlined menu and other features will increase user success in finding a great roommate, but we are always looking to improve the application. Please let us know what you think about the new network page layout by commenting below or post additional feature ideas!

New Feature: Customize Lifestyle Matching Questions

by Rob 15. April 2011 05:07
The RoomSync application allows residents to enter lifestyle preference questions on 1-5 scales like preferred bedtime and visitor frequency. Up until now, these questions were the same for all communities.
We've just rolled out a new customization feature through our RoomSync Administration tool that allows clients to customize these questions. This was a highly requested feature because each community is unique. Customization these questions allows more targeted and relevant questions for students to complete. A screenshot of the backend customization for these lifestyle preferences is shown below.

New Feature: Housing Network Selection Screen

by Rob 1. September 2010 04:12

We’ve launched a brand new user interface this month based upon a lot of great feedback from students and our clients. Let’s take a tour of one of the new features:

Joining Your Housing Network

The process of joining your community’s RoomSync matching network is now much simpler. First, users can type in the name of their community and the network will auto-fill with the network name. Very similar to how the Facebook search box works to auto-fill with your friends’ names.

 

 

Next, the user finds their appropriate sub-network from the drop-down list. This could be their year in school, residence hall or any other unique sub-network customized by the community. If these sub-networks are access-code protected, they will also have to put in their access code given to them by the community.

 

 

In Step 3, the user selects their bedroom size from the drop-down and clicks ‘Submit’.