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Research Artifact

User Personas — Hostel Management

AS
Student Persona

Aarav Sharma

Persona 01
Age
18–21 years
Role
Incoming First-Year Student
Tech Comfort
High
Device Preference
Mobile First

About

Aarav has recently secured admission to a university and is preparing to relocate from another city. Along with admissions, education loans, travel arrangements, and hostel accommodation, he is managing multiple tasks simultaneously. Hostel allocation is one of the most critical steps in his onboarding journey, as accommodation details are often required for fee planning and loan disbursement.

Goals

  • Secure hostel accommodation as quickly as possible.
  • Understand available hostel and room options.
  • Complete the process without needing support.
  • Track allocation status transparently.
  • Pay hostel fees on time.

Pain Points

  • Uncertainty about allocation status.
  • Lack of visibility into available rooms and hostels.
  • Confusing fee structures.
  • Delayed communication from the institution.
  • Having to repeatedly contact wardens or administrators for updates.

Needs

  • Clear step-by-step guidance.
  • Mobile-friendly experience.
  • Real-time status updates.
  • Transparent fee information.
  • Immediate visibility into allocation outcomes.

Key Behaviors

  • Frequently checks status updates.
  • Uses mobile devices for most interactions.
  • Completes tasks quickly when instructions are clear.
  • Expects digital experiences similar to modern consumer apps.

Success looks like

“I can select my preferences, track my status, receive timely updates, and know exactly what I need to do next without calling the warden.”

Design Implications

  • Mobile-first experience.
  • Clear status indicators.
  • Minimal jargon.
  • Guided workflows.
  • Reduced dependency on support teams.
PN
Warden Persona

Priya Nair

Persona 02
Age
45–55 years
Role
Hostel Warden
Tech Comfort
Moderate
Device Preference
Desktop First

About

Priya is responsible for managing hostel operations for hundreds of students across multiple buildings and room types. During admission season, she handles room allocations, transfers, student queries, occupancy tracking, and coordination with administrative teams. Her work is highly operational and time-sensitive, especially during peak admission periods.

Goals

  • Allocate rooms quickly and accurately.
  • Track occupancy across hostels and buildings.
  • Minimize manual effort and repetitive tasks.
  • Reduce student calls and support requests.
  • Ensure hostel operations run smoothly during admissions.

Pain Points

  • High volume of student calls and follow-ups.
  • Difficulty tracking room availability manually.
  • Complex allocation and fee assignment rules.
  • Limited visibility into occupancy and vacancies.
  • Time spent switching between spreadsheets, emails, and multiple systems.

Needs

  • A single source of truth for hostel operations.
  • Clear visibility into room occupancy and vacancies.
  • Faster allocation workflows.
  • Easy access to student information.
  • Reliable communication and reporting tools.

Key Behaviors

  • Frequently checks occupancy and allocation status.
  • Prioritizes efficiency over advanced features.
  • Relies on reports and operational summaries.
  • Handles multiple requests simultaneously during peak periods.
  • Prefers predictable and structured workflows.

Success looks like

“I can manage allocations, occupancy, transfers, and student requests from one place without relying on spreadsheets or spending my day answering calls.”

Design Implications

  • Dashboard-first experience.
  • Action-oriented reporting.
  • Clear occupancy and vacancy visibility.
  • Bulk operations where possible.
  • Minimal training required.
  • Reduce clicks for frequent tasks.
“I don't need more features. I need to know which rooms are available, which students are pending, and what I need to do next.”
— Priya Nair, Warden Persona