CommonRoom

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Designers

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a shared digital hub where people can easily discover, join, and build interest-based communities

Key Words

Designers

Lea Sung

SUMMARY

My project began with a question: why do today’s digital platforms feel connected but not communal? Through research in fandom culture, early internet communities, and user interviews, I learned that people crave smaller, identity-safe spaces where they can explore interests and feel belonging. This led me to create CommonRoom, an interactive world that helps users discover and join interest-based clubs. It matters because belonging is a fundamental need the modern internet no longer supports.

challenge

I identified that Gen Z and niche online communities feel disconnected on today’s platforms: they crave belonging, identity-safe spaces, and ways to meet people with specific interests. Research showed gaps in community discovery, overcrowded feeds, and platforms built for performance rather than connection. The opportunity lies in creating small, intentional, visually navigable spaces where users can explore identity, express themselves, and form meaningful micro-communities.

Outcome

This project ultimately landed on an interactive world where users navigate a map, create avatars, and enter interest-based clubs. This format restores the intimacy of early internet spaces by making community discovery visual, playful, and identity-safe. It directly addresses stakeholder needs for belonging, expression, and non-performative connection, while filling a market gap for platforms that prioritize small, meaningful communities over algorithmic content feeds.