Abstract

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there are more than 18.2 million college students in the United States, including both out- of-state students and international students (Drew, 2013). While trying to find a space to live is a difficult process for anyone, it is especially painful for international students. Housing agencies are also tasked with providing accurate information to potential tenants coming from different cultural backgrounds, which can be challenging on their part. This project sought to not only solve this problem, but also enhance the experience of house- hunting for international students.

The overall purpose of this project was to solve this problem by exploring different ways to enhance the house hunting experience so target audiences can easily find a rental space and have a better understanding of the scope of the space. Aside from this, this project also explored how design and technology can solve the painful problems users face in their real lives.

This thesis project covered various aspects of the design process from research and analysis to user surveys. This thesis also covered various forms of design ideation, such as wire-framing and storyboarding. This project aimed to integrate user experience (UX) methods, user interfaces (UI), and virtual reality technology to create an interactive and immersive experience.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Rental housing--Interactive multimedia--Design; User interfaces (Computer systems)--Design; Students, Foreign--Housing--Interactive multimedia--Design

Publication Date

2-23-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Visual Communication Design (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

School of Design (CIAS)

Advisor

Daniel DeLuna

Advisor/Committee Member

Chris Jackson

Advisor/Committee Member

Shaun Foster

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

VISCOM-MFA

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