College Buddy
College Buddy
College Buddy
Smarter Student Life
Smarter Student Life
About this Project
About this Project
About this Project
College Buddy is a campus engagement app created during Tufts Producthon 2025, a 36-hour design challenge. Our team designed a solution that helps students discover events, connect with peers, and feel more integrated into college life. The goal was to reduce the gap between available campus activities and how easily students can find and join them, resulting in a simple and personalized platform that makes campus life easier to navigate.
College Buddy is a campus engagement app created during Tufts Producthon 2025, a 36-hour design challenge. Our team designed a solution that helps students discover events, connect with peers, and feel more integrated into college life. The goal was to reduce the gap between available campus activities and how easily students can find and join them, resulting in a simple and personalized platform that makes campus life easier to navigate.
College Buddy is a campus engagement app created during Tufts Producthon 2025, a 36-hour design challenge. Our team designed a solution that helps students discover events, connect with peers, and feel more integrated into college life. The goal was to reduce the gap between available campus activities and how easily students can find and join them, resulting in a simple and personalized platform that makes campus life easier to navigate.
Roles
Roles
Roles
Product Manager
UX/UI Designer
Product Manager
UX/UI Designer
Product Manager
UX/UI Designer
Tools
Tools
Tools
Figma
Figma
Figma
Team
Team
Team
2 UX/UI
Designers
2 UX/UI
Designers
2 UX/UI
Designers
Timeline
Timeline
Timeline
36 Hours
36 Hours
36 Hours
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Students often struggle to find relevant campus events and build meaningful connections because information is scattered across multiple platforms. This creates frustration, low event turnout, and a missed sense of community.
Students often struggle to find relevant campus events and build meaningful connections because information is scattered across multiple platforms. This creates frustration, low event turnout, and a missed sense of community.
Students often struggle to find relevant campus events and build meaningful connections because information is scattered across multiple platforms. This creates frustration, low event turnout, and a missed sense of community.
Background
Background
Background
Students—especially transfers, first-years, and international students—feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure where to start.
College Buddy was created to centralize event discovery and make community-building more approachable and intuitive.
Students—especially transfers, first-years, and international students—feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure where to start.
College Buddy was created to centralize event discovery and make community-building more approachable and intuitive.
Students—especially transfers, first-years, and international students—feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure where to start.
College Buddy was created to centralize event discovery and make community-building more approachable and intuitive.
Research
Research
Research
Our research combined quick user interviews during the 36-hour sprint with secondary research to understand how students experience connection and campus life.
Our research combined quick user interviews during the 36-hour sprint with secondary research to understand how students experience connection and campus life.
Our research combined quick user interviews during the 36-hour sprint with secondary research to understand how students experience connection and campus life.
50% and more Gen Z college students report feeling lonely
50% and more Gen Z college students report feeling lonely
50% and more Gen Z college students report feeling lonely
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (August 9, 2022) Sodexo
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (August 9, 2022) Sodexo
Among 20,000 Respondents (18 years and older) in the US
Among 20,000 Respondents (18 years and older) in the US
Among 20,000 Respondents (18 years and older) in the US
59% felt their interests and ideas are not shared by those around you
59% felt their interests and ideas are not shared by those around you
59% felt their interests and ideas are not shared by those around you
47% felt left out
47% felt left out
47% felt left out
43% felt isolated from others
43% felt isolated from others
43% felt isolated from others
Statista, Percentage of U.S. adults who said they felt select aspects of loneliness always or sometimes as of 2018
Statista, Percentage of U.S. adults who said they felt select aspects of loneliness always or sometimes as of 2018
Student Interviews: Many students said campus information feels scattered, making it hard to find events they actually care about.
Competitive Review: Existing school platforms were often cluttered, outdated, or lacked personalization.
Key Insight: Students aren’t lacking opportunities — they’re lacking a simple, personalized way to find events and communities where they feel they belong.
Student Interviews: Many students said campus information feels scattered, making it hard to find events they actually care about.
Competitive Review: Existing school platforms were often cluttered, outdated, or lacked personalization.
Key Insight: Students aren’t lacking opportunities — they’re lacking a simple, personalized way to find events and communities where they feel they belong.
Student Interviews: Many students said campus information feels scattered, making it hard to find events they actually care about.
Competitive Review: Existing school platforms were often cluttered, outdated, or lacked personalization.
Key Insight: Students aren’t lacking opportunities — they’re lacking a simple, personalized way to find events and communities where they feel they belong.
“How can we help college students feel more connected, supported, and included on campus?”
“How can we help college students feel more connected, supported, and included on campus?”
“How can we help college students feel more connected, supported, and included on campus?”
Ideation / Lo-Fi Wireframes
Ideation / Lo-Fi Wireframes
Page Details
Page Details
Page Details
Reflection
Reflection
Learned UX fundamentals under extreme time constraints: As my first UX project completed during a 36-hour product hackathon, I learned to think quickly while rapidly developing core Figma skills, including wireframing, user flows, and fast iteration under pressure.
Applied empathy to inclusive design decisions: I designed with student well-being at the center, considering the distinct needs of freshmen, commuter upperclassmen, and international students, which taught me how empathy directly informs effective and responsible UX choices.
Strengthened collaboration in a high-pressure team setting: Working closely with teammates in a fast-paced environment improved my communication, adaptability, and teamwork, and reinforced my interest in building human-centered, community-driven products.
Learned UX fundamentals under extreme time constraints: As my first UX project completed during a 36-hour product hackathon, I learned to think quickly while rapidly developing core Figma skills, including wireframing, user flows, and fast iteration under pressure.
Applied empathy to inclusive design decisions: I designed with student well-being at the center, considering the distinct needs of freshmen, commuter upperclassmen, and international students, which taught me how empathy directly informs effective and responsible UX choices.
Strengthened collaboration in a high-pressure team setting: Working closely with teammates in a fast-paced environment improved my communication, adaptability, and teamwork, and reinforced my interest in building human-centered, community-driven products.