─── THE PROBLEM

Although most college students are eager to save money, finding and taking advantage of available discounts can be challenging. As a result, many miss out on valuable opportunities to save and enhance their college experience.

─── THE PLAN

01. RESEARCH

Perq was designed by me and three fellow classmates at the University of Miami, inspired by our shared struggle to manage spending as college students. This common pain point sparked the idea behind Perq. We began by conducting user research to understand the most common frustrations among our peers. We used surveys, interviews, and thorough market research to inform our process.

The Most Common Concerns

• Many students simply don’t know where to look for student discounts, or that such deals even exist.
• Students often don’t have the time or energy to comb through multiple websites, apps, or storefronts for deals.
• Even when students find a deal, they usually face a lengthy and confusing redemption process, unclear eligibility requirements, or an expired offer.

Existing discount apps fail to provide a simple solution to solve these issues. Gathering these common struggles from real students helped us set a clear intention on what Perq would solve.

Market Gap

Most existing discount apps lack a dedicated focus on the college student demographic, offering generic deals that often require unnecessary memberships, don’t verify student status, or overlook proximity entirely. There's a clear gap in the market for a clean, intuitive platform that curates verified, student-exclusive deals, especially ones tied to a user's specific campus or location. What’s missing is a local approach that not only centralizes ongoing student discounts but also allows users to share, rate, and post their own finds in real time.

02. IDEATION

Perq offers a simple and intuitive user flow designed to make finding and using student discounts effortless. New users can quickly verify their student status with ID or email, and create their personalized profile.

Once set up, students can immediately browse current promotions in their area or search for specific deals. Each listing clearly displays key details such as location, business hours, distance, and eligibility requirements, ensuring students have all the information they need at first glance.

After discovering a deal, users can redeem it in person or online, share it with friends, and leave feedback about their experience to guide fellow students.

03. USABILITY TESTING

Our team conducted usability testing with eight students from our university to better understand how intuitive and effective our app design was.
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Each participant was given a set of tasks to complete, such as browsing local deals and attempting to redeem one, while we observed and took detailed notes on their experience.

Our usability testing revealed a few key areas for improvement:

• Several users struggled to locate the "redeem" option on the deal page, indicating it wasn’t prominent enough.
• The initial user flow from the homepage to deal redemption required too many clicks, which disrupted the overall ease of use.
• Some participants also noted that the interface could benefit from more interactive elements, like hover states and subtle animations, to create a more dynamic and engaging experience.

Receiving these insights from outside perspectives was extremely helpful in guiding refinements for our final design.

05. FINAL DESIGN

After implementing the findings from our usability testing, the final design of Perq reflects a balance of simplicity and bold visual identity. Our primary color, a cool blue, was chosen for its vibrant, energetic tone that resonates with student life while also establishing a sense of trust and credibility.