Co-founder
Lead ux-ui designer
Intra is a mobile app designed to help college students connect, collaborate, and support each other during remote learning. Initially developed as a student-driven initiative at Carnegie Mellon University, it later evolved into a potential onboarding tool for companies to foster community engagement and increase employee retention.
UX/UI Design
Mobile App
Mar 2020 - Sep 2021
The sudden shift to online education left students feeling isolated, unsupported, and disengaged. Universities lacked an effective way to recreate the sense of community that physical campuses provided.
Goals:
✅ Foster social connections among students
✅ Simplify collaboration for online learning
✅ Improve access to university resources
We conducted surveys, user interviews, and analyzed nationwide studies to identify key challenges students faced.
● 60% of college students experienced overwhelming anxiety due to isolation.
● 1 in 3 Americans reported symptoms of depression or anxiety during the pandemic.
● Lack of community was the leading factor in student disengagement
After defining the core problems, we mapped out user journeys and sketched potential solutions. The app needed to encourage engagement while reducing friction in social interactions.
● Wireframing & User Flows – Created low-fidelity wireframes to define the user journey
● Usability Testing – Iterated on designs based on user feedback
● Accessibility Focus – Ensured inclusivity in UI/UX decisions
The final design featured four core functions to directly address user pain points:
● Buddies – AI-powered matchmaking to connect students with similar interests
● Events – A centralized hub for campus organizations and events
● Collaboration – Instant study groups based on shared courses
● Resources – A streamlined database of mental health and academic support
To expand our reach, we participated in multiple startup competitions across the U.S., winning three major awards.
2nd Place
Issued by Seattle Pacific University
April 2021
2nd Place
Issued by Carnegie Mellon University
March 2021
Winners
Issued by Lookup.Live
December 2020
Following media coverage of our project, a Pittsburgh-based bank reached out, interested in adapting Intra for remote employee onboarding.
● Mentorship Feature – New hires could connect with senior employees
● Messaging System – Fostered communication among remote workers
● Resource Hub – Provided company policies and wellness resources
Despite promising initial developments, we faced scalability challenges and eventually paused the project after the prototyping phase.
While Intra ultimately sunsetted, the project was an invaluable learning experience.
✅ Led a UX/UI team and collaborated cross-functionally
✅ Gained hands-on experience in startup pitching & funding
✅ Learned the importance of scalability & resource allocation
