theSHAFT @ Spectator

Scope

Spectator's theSHAFT is a platform that provides valuable information about university housing like options availability and housing-odd lottery prediction. theSHAFT shows a list and a map of housings that corresponds to individual preferences and helps students estimate/choose their future dorms. In spring semesters, Columbia students receive lottery numbers, which indicate their likelihood of acquiring the housing that they want.

For this proposal, I sought for ways that will enhance Columbia students' experiences using theSHAFT. My twin sister even told me about theSHAFT when I first transferred to Columbia, so I know that theSHAFT holds a special place in Columbia students' hearts. This project encompasses the main points of my proposal to the Head of Product and the Head of Engineering.

Any areas of improvement for theSHAFT?

Stemming from this perspective, my main priorities were:

Short-term Goals

Urgent & feasible changes of the coming semester

1. Refining of Information
Urgent changes primarily mean reflecting the new updates among housing options--some options may no longer be available due to construction or other issues. Every year, the DB of theSHAFT and the Head of Product meet with Columbia Housing to keep data accurate.

2. Map Pointer
Currently, the map contains small dots that display location of corresponding options. But, if a person isn't familiar with the geography, they have to hover over each dot or look up the address separately. Having to tediously check for the precise address is annoying, so I want to fix this. Other geographic platforms/services like Airbnb or Zillow have a simple feature that displays a pointer to the right dot when hovered on the list. This implementation seems fairly feasible, because the dots already exist in the backend system; each dot already represents particular dorms/apartments, so linking the pointer to the right dot will not require a completely new or difficult change in the logic of theSHAFT.

3. Save Button
Like a course registration, we initially consider a wide range of possible homes and narrow down from there. But right now, we can't keep record of the options we like within theSHAFT, so we either keep a list on our notes app or share in the group chat. This is also a factor that does the exact opposite of retaining students, as they must use other apps to do what they want to do. This can be fixed with an addition of a save button. Saving an option for later visit will relieve students by having their own space for recording, and this is a necessary step for one of my long-term goals, housing comparison page. A profile system must be incorporated into theSHAFT for this to be possible, because right now theSHAFT doesn't request for cookies from the user which means no tracking of any information whatsoever. But in order to keep the personal record of favorites and compare options, we need a profile and set of data to identify users.

Long-term Goals

Changes that require longer time frame or are more challenging to deliver

1. User Profile
We need to implement user profile to enable students to save their favorite options and compare those favorites to determine which would be most appropriate for their likings. I set this goal as a long-term goal because I do not know how many engineers would be working for theSHAFT yet. Head of Engineering allocates their members on various projects, and depending on how many theSHAFT receives, the speed of which user profile gets implementing will be estimated. But out of all long-term goals, this step is most crucial to deliver the housing comparison feature.

2. Housing Comparison Page
Briefly talked about in the <save button> section, one of the main actions student take while browsing for housing is weighing different options to see what fits their preference the most. Once in user profile, students will be led to a new page where they could compare 2~3 options and will see different information side by side. Thought this needs a new page, the actual delivery of this goal doesn't seem too complex because each option's information is already established in the database. My team and I will need to further refine to determine which way of representation would most effectively communicate the important information to the user. And since this can only be done after the addition of user profile, I consider this my longer-term milestones for the Spring 25 semester.  

3. Housing 101 Redesign
Housing 101 contains helpful information that guides users and encourages them to maximize their advantage out of theSHAFT. But like a Special Editions project, the original Housing 101 page seemed a little outdated. The numbers, texts, and images are very scattered; though this type of structure could be beneficial in certain occasions, the lack of structure may not be best when communicating vital information like this case. Revamping the page with more clarity and simplicity will provide an easier ground for the visitors to access the information without distractions. Above is the current version and below are two iterations that I proposed.  

Reflection & Takeaways

Exciting opportunity for growth
Thankfully, my application for theSHAFT as a Deputy Board was accepted, and I will be working with the Head of Product to make theSHAFT easier to use for Columbia students. And this is very exciting because theSHAFT is frequently visited in spring semesters as the housing application for the future school year opens up. I am excited to lead a project with a heavy anticipated foot traffic and be responsible for the continued growth of this platform. Also, from leading other designers in my team and working closely with engineers, I look forward to be challenged because that is the best way to learn and grow. As an aspiring PM, I want to make the most out of this opportunity to facilitate product development and look at a project from a more holistic perspective.