Design participativo: desenvolvimento de um aplicativo de aluguel de imóveis para estudantes universitários

Abstract

The search for housing is one of the first and main difficulties faced by university students who move to another city to pursue higher education. In Quixadá, located in the central hinterland of Ceará, there are approximately six universities, three of which are public and the others private, characterizing the city as a university hub. Despite this context, due to its small size, with around 89 thousand inhabitants, the city still lacks a consolidated housing structure for students. This scenario is marked by a lack of organization and centralization of information, creating barriers for those who depend on this service. Most housing rental processes occur informally, which can result in insecurity, wasted time, and frustration. Although established real estate platforms such as QuintoAndar, Zap Imóveis, and Airbnb offer solutions focused on rental properties in large urban centers, they do not adequately address the student context in smaller cities. This gap highlights the need for the development of more accessible tools aligned with the specific needs of this audience. This study aimed to develop a rental housing application targeted at university students, using participatory design practices with a focus on user experience. The process included the application of online forms, interviews, focus groups, and co-creation workshops, whose discussions and findings directly influenced design decisions. Participatory design proved to be essential not only as a listening tool but also as an active agent in understanding students’ pain points and needs, ensuring that the proposed solutions effectively reflected their real demands.