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Building a Safer Marketplace for College Students

We designed and developed an iOS-first campus marketplace platform that helps students buy, sell, rent, and connect within verified university communities.

Product is Live rumieapp.com App Store
Rumie campus marketplace iOS app screenshot showing home screen and product listings
Project Snapshot

At a Glance

A full-stack campus marketplace ecosystem designed for the modern student — mobile-first, verified, and community-driven.

Industry Marketplace / Student Community
Platforms iOS App, Web Platform, Admin Dashboard
Services UI/UX Design, Mobile Development, Backend Development
Technology Swift, Laravel, WordPress
Project Type Campus Marketplace Platform
Target Users College Students
The Challenge

Students Needed a Safer Way to Connect and Trade

Most students relied on public marketplaces, random social media groups, or university message boards. The experience was fragmented and often unreliable.

Lack of Trust Between Users

Students had no reliable way to verify whether buyers and sellers were actually part of their campus community.

Unsafe Public Marketplaces

Traditional marketplaces exposed students to strangers completely outside university environments.

Fragmented Communication

Students switched between multiple platforms to browse listings, message users, and coordinate exchanges.

Poor Mobile Experience

Existing platforms were not designed around student behavior or campus-specific interactions.

No Community-Focused Ecosystem

There was no product designed specifically around university culture and student needs.

Scattered Experiences

Buying, selling, messaging, and events all happened in separate tools, creating a disjointed student experience.

Rumie campus marketplace app screen showing product feed with handbag listings and purple UI
Our Solution

A Campus Marketplace Built Around Trust & Simplicity

We designed and developed a mobile-first marketplace ecosystem focused entirely on verified student communities. Instead of a traditional open marketplace, the platform created smaller trusted digital communities.

  • Buy and sell within a verified campus network
  • Connect directly through real-time in-app messaging
  • Discover products nearby within your university
  • Manage listings easily from a mobile-first dashboard
  • Build trusted buyer and seller profiles
  • Interact within safer, university-focused environments
Core Features

Features That Power the Platform

Real-time Messaging

Buyers and sellers communicate directly within the platform, no external apps needed.

Search & Filters

Advanced search improves product discovery and browsing experience within campus.

Push Notifications

Real-time updates for messages, listings, and campus activity keep users engaged.

Admin Management

Centralized admin panel for moderation, user management, and marketplace oversight.

Campus Marketplace Feed

Users browse listings relevant to their own university communities.

Listing Management

Students can create, edit, manage, and remove listings easily from mobile.

User Profiles

Transparent profiles build confidence, accountability, and trust between students.

Verified University Access

Students join through university credentials, creating a more trusted marketplace environment.

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Marketplace Journey

From Discovery to Transaction

The platform simplified the marketplace journey while improving safety and confidence for users at every step.

1

University Verification

Students verify through their university network to gain access to the trusted marketplace.

2

Browse Campus Listings

Users browse listings within their campus marketplace — tailored to their university.

3

Connect with Sellers

Buyers connect directly with verified sellers within their campus network.

4

Secure In-App Messaging

Students discuss products securely through in-app messaging — no external platforms needed.

5

Trusted Transactions

Transactions happen within trusted campus communities with full confidence.

Trust & Safety

Built Around Verified Communities

Trust was one of the most important pillars of the platform. Instead of functioning as a completely open public marketplace, the product focused on controlled university communities — creating a safer and more comfortable environment for students.

University Verification Campus-specific Access Verified Onboarding Secure Messaging Transparent Profiles Community Focus
Safe Environment
Campus-controlled access
Verified Users
University credentials
Private Messaging
In-app secure chat
Community Trust
Student-focused design
Platform Showcase

A Modern Marketplace Experience Designed for Students

The platform combined clean visual design with marketplace functionality tailored for younger audiences — focusing on usability, clarity, and engagement.

Rumie campus marketplace full app screens showing splash screen, home feed, product details, sell screen and user profile

Key Screens Delivered

Marketplace Feed Product Listings Product Detail User Profiles Messaging Notifications Search Listing Management Campus Discovery
Product is Live

Experience the Platform

The product is actively available for real-world users and continues to support student communities through a streamlined digital marketplace experience.

Visit Live Platform View on App Store
Technical Architecture

Built for Scalability & Real-Time Engagement

The platform architecture was designed to support scalability, maintainability, and future product expansion.

Mobile App

Swift iOS Native UIKit

Backend & API

Laravel REST API PHP

Website & CMS

WordPress Custom Theme

Infrastructure

Real-time Messaging Push Notifications Admin Dashboard
Challenges & Solutions

Turning Complexity Into a Seamless Experience

Every challenge we encountered became an opportunity to engineer a smarter, more student-friendly solution.

01
Creating Trust Between Students

We implemented university-based verification and transparent profiles to improve confidence between users.

02
Simplifying Marketplace Interactions

We reduced friction across onboarding, listing creation, messaging, and discovery to enable seamless use.

03
Supporting Growing Communities

The platform architecture was designed to scale with expanding campus networks and user growth.

04
Maintaining Engagement

Push notifications and real-time communication helped increase activity and user responsiveness.

The Impact

Creating a More Connected Campus Marketplace Experience

The platform transformed how students interacted within their university communities — making buying, selling, and communication more accessible and trustworthy.

Improved Campus Trust

Verified university access built confidence between buyers and sellers within the community.

Faster Communication

Real-time messaging enabled instant student-to-student conversations within the platform.

Better Accessibility

Mobile-first design made marketplace interactions accessible to all students, anywhere on campus.

Simplified Listings

Students could create and manage product listings in minutes with an intuitive interface.

Stronger Engagement

Community-focused features drove active participation and repeat interactions on the platform.

Structured Transactions

More organized buying and selling experiences reduced friction and improved completion rates.

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