Help Us Build Livi: A Guide for Our First Testers

Published 2025-10-09 by Faraz Rahimi

Welcome to the team! This post is a guide for alpha testers of the Livi platform. Here, you'll find everything you need to know about Livi's mission to improve student housing in L.A., what features to test, and how to provide your invaluable feedback.

Help Us Build Livi: A Guide for Our First Testers

Tags: Livi, Student Housing, LACCD, Los Angeles, Roommates, Beta Testing, Tech, Nonprofit, Student Life, HACKMESA 2025

Welcome, Livi Pioneers! Let's Reshape Student Housing in L.A.

Hey everyone, and welcome to the Livi Alpha Testers group!

We are genuinely thrilled to have you here. You're not just testing an app; you're embarking on a project that will build a better housing solution for students, *by* students. Your insights will directly shape the future of this platform.

A vibrant, welcoming image of diverse students studying together on a college campus in Los Angeles.

---

The Problem: "The LA Student Shuffle"

If you're a student in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), you know the struggle: the daily juggle of classes, work, and a brutal commute, all while trying to find a safe, affordable place to live. That’s why Livi was born—a nonprofit, student-first platform designed to end the chaos.

---

How This Alpha Program Works

    This isn't just about clicking around. It's a structured program where you'll learn about Livi and provide feedback in phases.
  • Step 1: Complete Your Self-Guided Training
    • This document is your primary training guide! We will also provide a series of short training videos that walk you through the core features of the platform. Please review all materials before you begin.
  • Step 2: Access Your Tester Dashboard
    • Once you've completed the training materials, you will get access to your personal Tester Dashboard. This is where you will track your progress through the different phases of the project.
  • Step 3: Begin the 3 Testing Phases
    • Your testing project is broken down into three distinct phases. You will be guided through each one inside your dashboard. More details on the phases are below.
  • Step 4: Earn Your Certificate
    • As a formal thank you for your crucial contribution, every tester who completes all three phases and provides feedback will receive an official Certificate of Completion, acknowledging you as a founding alpha tester for the Livi platform.

---

Your Project: The 3 Testing Phases

Think of this as your final project. Your goal is to go through each phase of the Livi experience, from creating an account to finding a potential home, and report on your experience.

Phase 1: Foundation & First Impressions

This phase is all about getting started. We want to know how intuitive the initial experience is.
  • Your Job: Test the complete sign-up and onboarding process. Create your user profile, fill out all the fields, and upload a photo.
  • Key Questions: Was it quick and painless? Are the profile questions relevant for finding a roommate? Did you encounter any bugs?
    • A screenshot of the Livi user profile creation page, showing clean and friendly input fields for lifestyle preferences.

    Phase 2: Making Connections

    Now that you have a profile, it’s time to find a roommate. This phase tests our core matching algorithm and communication tools.
  • Your Job: Browse your roommate matches, view their profiles, and test the connection/messaging system.
  • Key Questions: Do the matches feel compatible? Is the interface for connecting with others intuitive? Did the messaging system work as expected?

    • Phase 3: The Housing Hunt & Final Feedback

    In this final phase, you'll team up with a match to test the housing search functionality.
  • Your Job: Use the housing dashboard to search for listings. Play with the filters for budget, proximity to your campus, and other preferences.
  • Key Questions: Did the filters work correctly? Was the listing information clear and useful? How was the overall speed and performance?
    • A screenshot of the Livi housing search interface, showing a map with filtered apartment listings near an LACCD campus.

    ---

    Help Us Bring Livi to Your Campus!

    Our ultimate goal is to launch pilot programs at individual LACCD campuses, making Livi an official resource for students. However, we can't do this without you.

    To be able to perform a pilot run at any campus, we need to have a minimum number of active participants from that specific campus.

    If you believe in this project, please share this opportunity with your friends and classmates. The more testers we have from your school, the sooner we can bring a tailored Livi experience to your community.

    ---

    How to Report Your Findings

    Your feedback is pure gold. Please submit all bug reports and suggestions through the feedback portal in your Tester Dashboard.

    When reporting a bug, please use this simple format:
    > * What I did: "I clicked on a housing listing from the map view."
    > * What I expected: "I expected the listing details to open."
    > * What actually happened: "The page froze and I had to refresh."

    Screenshots are your best friend (and ours)!

    ---

    Thank you again for dedicating your time to this. Let's get to it!

    Best,

    The Livi Team

    Original post: https://farazrahimi.com/posts/help-us-build-livi-a-guide-for-our-first-testers