Branding | User Research
In Fall 2023, Texas State University welcomed a record-setting number of freshmen for the third year in a row. In Fall 2022, after setting another enrollment record, TXST was forced to double freshmen up in single student bedrooms and relocate freshmen to local hotels instead of dorms due to inadequate space. The freshmen affected were caught off guard by these decisions, felt isolated from their peers, and faced difficulties in their unexpected living arrangements. TXST lacks the dorm space for the growing number of freshmen, which leads to a community disconnect and puts a strain on housing in San Marcos as a whole.
The Student Housing Advisory Board, or SHAB, is a proposed long-term solution to this problem. SHAB would act as a bridge between TXST students, TXST officials, and San Marcos officials. It would allow students to provide feedback and suggestions for ways to improve their on-campus housing experiences, encourage strong community connections, and work to make San Marcos and great place for everyone to live, regardless of student status.
Meet the Team:
Anna Babin - Branding, Research, Storyboard
Hannah Twining - Organizer, Presentation, Research
Amari Walker - Branding, Research, Touchpoints
BRANDING
What do we value?
SHAB values fostering community engagement and collaboration among TXST students, university officials, and San Marcos officials to empower students, promote equity in housing, and work towards solutions addressing the challenges faced by the growing student population.
Brand Promise
We promise to serve as a dedicated and effective bridge between TXST students, university officials, and San Marcos officials, ensuring student empowerment and finding ways to improve housing and the overall student experience.
Brand Personality
With a fun pattern, versatile typeface, and a color palette that borrows from TXST’s official colors, SHAB is proactive, sportive, and welcoming.
What makes us different?
Our unique focus on addressing housing challenges by bringing students together, collaborating with university and city officials, and finding ways to cater to the needs of the growing student population.
Engagement: Actively involving TXST students, university officials, and San Marcos officials in addressing housing challenges and fostering a sense of community.
Empowerment: Providing students with a platform to voice their concerns, suggest improvements, and actively participate in shaping their housing experiences.
Accountability: Operating with transparency in decision-making processes and accountability in implementing solutions and achieving positive outcomes.
Brand Pillars
RESEARCH
A student organization that connects students with university and city officials to address housing concerns.
Who are we?
What do we do?
Provide a platform for students to band together and voice their concerns.
We’re the only student organization that has direct contact with city officials, getting students in front of people who can make change.
Onlyness statement
Why does it matter?
We address critical housing challenges faced by TXST students and empower them to work towards solutions as a group.
To better understand the student housing experience, we sent out a survey, amassing a total of 52 responses. These were the key takeaways.
How would you describe finding housing in San Marcos?
Only 12% of respondents said that finding housing was easy, indicating that a significant majority of students in San Marcos find looking for housing challenging.
On a scale of 1-5, how connected do you feel to the Bobcat community due to your living situation?
Almost half (42%) of students feel moderately connected to the TXST community due to their living situation. This suggests that while students have some level of connection to the community, there is room for improvement in fostering stronger connections.
Age: 19
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Resident Assistant
Lifestyle: Studious
Matt is a 19 year old sophomore who is studying engineering. He decides to become a Resident Assistant (RA) for the coming school year. His biggest motivation for doing so is because he wants to save money on rent and food. He’s on the quieter side and prefers to have his own space, which is great since RAs get their own room. He cares a lot about his family and wants to have one of his own, so he is taking college seriously, working hard and saving big. His big heart makes him want to do a good job in being there for the freshman on his floor. Unfortunately, the hardest part is dealing with the backlash from the upset freshman who have to double up in single rooms. Matt needs more assistance in supporting the overwhelming amount of freshman on his floor so that he can be a better RA and student.
Meet Matt.
Goals & Motivations
- Save money on rent and food.
- Succeed academically in his engineering studies.
- Develop personally and professionally and strive to do a good job in supporting freshmen on his floor.
Pain Points
- Struggles with balancing his responsibilities as an RA with his academic workload and personal commitments.
- Stress and frustration in his role as an RA.
- Overwhelmed by the demands of supporting a large number of freshmen on his floor
Age: 18
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Full Time Student
Lifestyle: Introverted
Daisy is an 18 year old student from Austin, Texas that is about to start her first semester of college at Texas State University. Daisy wants to get her degree in biology and continue on to medical school to become a psychiatrist. She is the oldest of three and the first of her siblings to go to college. She is very nervous about her first year of college. She wants to graduate with a high GPA, but she also wants to get the full college experience. Daisy is very introverted, which makes making friends harder for her. Daisy has to live on campus during her first year per university requirements. She is nervous about living with a random roommate and wonders how that will affect her first year experience. It doesn’t help that she’s heard that TXST sometimes puts freshmen in hotels. Daisy needs to have access to a large freshmen organization that will help her meet people while ensuring her first year on-campus experience is a good one.
Meet Daisy.
Goals & Motivations
- Graduate with a high GPA and successfully complete her degree in biology.
- Attend medical school to become a psychiatrist.
- Fully immerse herself in the college experience by making friends, participating in extracurricular activities, and exploring all that university life has to offer.
Pain Points
- Nervous about starting her first year of college.
- Unsure about what to expect academically, socially, and emotionally.
- Anxious about living with a random roommate.
Age: 21
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Full Time Student
Lifestyle: Outdoorsy
Evelyn is a 21 year old junior who is studying education at TXST. She desires to be a teacher who goes above and beyond, making her future students feel loved and seen. She is looking to live with friends this coming school year and prefers to live near campus. She will be carpooling with a friend to a school they will be student teaching at soon. She also needs her housing to be affordable since the student teaching is an unpaid position. She enjoys quiet, the outdoors, and being with her friends. Evelyn needs an affordable place to live with her friends near campus so that she can student-teach without having to worry about money or travel.
Meet Evelyn.
Goals & Motivations
- Successfully complete her education degree at TXST.
- Pursue her dream of becoming a teacher who provides exceptional care and support to her students.
- Live with friends near campus for the coming school year.
Pain Points
- Needs to find affordable housing options that accommodate her limited budget while also ensuring proximity to campus.
- Faces difficulties in finding suitable housing options near campus that meet her preferences and requirements.
- Juggles academic success, financial stability, and personal well-being simultaneously.
Empathy Map
Storyboard
