RoomMate
The Idea
In today’s world of work-from-home setups, shared spaces, and busy households, interruptions have become an unavoidable part of daily life.
This project started with a simple yet deeply relatable frustration:
how can I design a product to reduce unwanted disruptions while maintaining clear communication between people sharing a space?
The result was Roommate
a smart digital meeting room schedule display that helps people manage their space, protect their focus, and stay connected, all at the same time.
Identifying the Problem
The initial spark for Roommate came from observing everyday life at home.
Whether I was deep in work, gaming, or unwinding, I found that unexpected interruptions from family members or housemates broke my concentration and added stress.
It wasn’t just me—friends and peers shared similar experiences.
The challenge was clear:
how can I create a product that gently informs visitors of someone’s availability without creating tension or requiring constant verbal reminders?
Concept Development
I began by sketching out initial ideas inspired by workplace meeting room indicators and home smart devices.
The key goal was to design something that could communicate availability at a glance.
The first concepts focused on simple status lights, but through further exploration, I envisioned something more interactive
a circular touchscreen display combined with tactile buttons to provide both modern usability and classic feedback.
From there, the concept evolved to include:
A traffic-light inspired status system (green = available, yellow = busy, red = do not disturb)
The option to sync a calendar or manually update status
Custom messages like “Don’t disturb unless it’s urgent”
And most importantly, a built-in video doorbell so users can see who’s outside without breaking their flow
Form Finding & Prototyping
Once the core features were defined, I explored various form factors using blue foam prototyping, experimenting with how the device would physically integrate into different home environments.
After pondering about display shape and size, the circular display emerged as the best fit, offering both aesthetic appeal and functional clarity, and also pays homage to the traffic lights we are all used to seeing.
Scale studies, 3D models, and renders helped refine the proportions and interactions.
I also considered materials and color schemes that would complement modern interiors
minimalist, neutral tones with a subtle gold glow to give the product some visual flair.
Design Challenges and Iteration
One major challenge was balancing simplicity with functionality.
I wanted Roommate to be easy enough for anyone in the household to understand at a glance, while still offering advanced features like calendar integration and custom messages for users who wanted more control.
I prototyped different interaction flows, tested button placements, and refined the interface layout to ensure a clean and intuitive user experience.
Another challenge was designing for scalability
Roommate needed to work just as well in a single bedroom as in a larger home with multiple devices.
Final Solution
The final design of Roommate features:
A circular high-resolution touchscreen display
Physical tactile buttons for quick interactions
Built-in video doorbell functionality
A simple green-yellow-red status system
Calendar sync and customizable messages
A sleek, modern form that integrates naturally with home decor
Roommate bridges the gap between privacy and connectivity.
It empowers people to manage their space on their own terms
because at the end of the day, it’s your room, your rules.
Launch & Next Steps
To bring Roommate to life, I designed a full pre-launch website, a Kickstarter campaign plan, and promotional materials including a social media-ready video ad targeted towards Gen-Z.
Reflection
Designing Roommate was not just about creating a product
it was about rethinking how we communicate boundaries in shared spaces.
It taught me the importance of blending hardware, software, and human-centered design to create solutions that fit seamlessly into everyday life.
This project deepened my passion for building products that don’t just look good, but genuinely improve the way we live.
