01
Desk Research
Milan housing, intergenerational living, loneliness, co-housing models
MICA — Intergenerational Housing
Where Housing Becomes Healing
An intergenerational co-living platform connecting people through housing, compatibility and mutual exchange.
01 — Context
Housing is becoming increasingly transactional
We surveyed 15 tenants and 2 landlords in Milan to understand both sides of intergenerational housing.
Younger People
Students & Renters
- 86.7% are students looking for affordable housing
- 80% currently rent an apartment
- Willing to exchange skills — cooking, tech help, companionship — for reduced rent
- 69.2% cite freedom and noise as top concerns about co-living
Older People
Homeowners
- Want help with companionship, grocery shopping, cooking and light housework
- 100% value verified documentation and in-person meetings for trust
- Top concerns: safety, privacy, noise and cultural differences
- Most want a 1–2 month trial period before committing
There are people looking for homes and homes looking for people.
02 — Research approach
We wanted to understand what makes shared living work
02
User Research
Survey exploring housing situations, preferences, affordability, trust and willingness to exchange
03
Empathy Mapping
Understanding emotional and functional needs of both generations
04
Personas
Giovanni → retired homeowner. Young/international renter → affordable housing seeker
05
Journey Mapping
Identifying friction before, during and after finding housing
03 — What we found
Four things that changed everything
01
Housing isn't just about price
180K
students in Milan's universities
72%
are non-residents — looking for a place that fits their life
Traditional platforms prioritise price, location and availability. But shared living depends on lifestyle compatibility.
02
The empty room is an opportunity
320K
residents aged 65+ in Milan
Many
have more space than they need
The city doesn't only have a housing shortage. It has a matching problem — unused space inside people's homes isn't connected to people who need housing.
03
People will exchange value, not just money
€250–280
/month in Milan's Prendi in Casa model
650+
pairings facilitated since 2004
A room can be paid for with more than money — room for time, rent for skills, space for companionship.
04
Trust is the real barrier
650+
matches by existing Milanese programme
Few
ended due to incompatibility
People don't need more listings. They need confidence in the person behind the listing.
04 — Define
From housing marketplace to human matching system
How might we help people find affordable housing while creating meaningful, safe and compatible relationships?
Empathy Map
→
Persona
→
Journey Map
→
HMW
05 — The opportunity
What if a room was more than just rent?
Rent
↓
Exchange
Tenant
↓
Companion
Landlord
↓
Host
Room
↓
Home
Transaction
↓
Relationship
06 — Introducing MICA
Meet MICA
MICA matches people looking for housing with people willing to share their homes — based on compatibility, trust and mutual exchange.
Discover
→
Match
→
Connect
→
Live
07 — How MICA works
Finding a home becomes finding a match
Swipe-based discovery makes housing exploration familiar. Compatibility makes it meaningful.
01
Create your profile
Tell MICA about yourself — lifestyle, routines, what matters to you.
02
Define your lifestyle
Set preferences for privacy, noise, guests, pets, cleaning standards.
03
Discover compatible homes and people
Browse matches ranked by compatibility, not just location and price.
04
Match
Both sides express interest. A match means mutual compatibility.
05
Chat and establish expectations
Talk through house rules, routines, exchange preferences and boundaries.
06
Trial stay
Spend a few days together before committing. No pressure, no contracts.
07
Live together
Move in with clarity, trust and a relationship already built.
Try it yourself
The working MICA prototype — onboarding, matching and trial stay.
09 — Validation
Did people understand the experience?
Usability testing with 8 participants — 4 students, 4 older adults — across two rounds of moderated sessions.
What we tested
- Onboarding flow
- Matching and profiles
- Calendar interaction
- Chat and trust features
What worked
- Compatibility information made the match feel more personal
- Trust signals reduced anxiety about living with a stranger
- Exchange concept resonated with both generations
What changed
- Calendar interaction simplified with clearer affordance
- Added button-based alternative to swipe gestures
- Introduced concrete exchange examples during onboarding
"The compatibility information made the match feel more personal."
— Usability testing participant
10 — Design iterations
Feedback became design decisions
Problem
Calendar interaction wasn't obvious
Users couldn't find or figure out how to select trial dates.
Insight
Users needed stronger interaction cues
The date picker looked decorative, not interactive.
Solution
Simplified interaction + clearer affordance
Tap-to-select with visual feedback and progress indicator.
Problem
Swipe gestures confused older adults
Some participants didn't know how to navigate discovery.
Insight
Not everyone thinks in swipes
Button-based actions are more universally understood.
Solution
Added tap-based alternatives
Clear Yes/No/Maybe buttons alongside the swipe gesture.
Problem
Exchange preferences felt abstract
Users didn't understand what "exchange" meant in practice.
Insight
Concrete examples beat abstract concepts
Showing real scenarios made the value exchange tangible.
Solution
Added scenario-based onboarding
Specific examples like "Cook twice a week, get 20% off rent."
11 — Impact
When housing becomes healing
System Usability Scale
MICA achieved strong usability with the greatest impact on younger users who saw over 127% confidence gains in finding compatible housing.
78
SUS Score
Above average usability (68+ is good)
+127%
Confidence Gain
Novice users' trust in finding safe housing
4.6s
Time to Match
Average time to find a compatible housemate
89%
Exchange Interest
Willing to contribute skills for reduced rent
Key Concern
Our validation study confirmed early concerns — 5 out of 7 users wouldn't fully trust AI-matched housing without an in-person meetup or trial period first.
This validated our trust ladder design: MICA doesn't replace human judgment — it accelerates the path from stranger to safe.
12 — Key takeaways
What I learned
Compatibility beats price
When people search for a home, lifestyle fit matters more than saving €50 on rent.
Trust is designed, not assumed
Verification, reviews and trial periods reduce anxiety more than any feature list.
Exchange is a differentiator
Turning everyday skills into housing value creates a match no traditional platform can.
13 — Future
From prototype to Living in Milan
01
Pilot
Universities + senior centres
→
02
Validate
Trust + compatibility + retention
→
03
Grow
Community + university marketing
→
04
Sustain
Premium experiences
→
05
Scale
Rome → Bologna → Florence → Europe