Flat Out Awful

A creative exploration of shared living, everyday frustration, and over-the-top design solutions.

Flat Out Awful is a multidisciplinary design project that examines the often-overlooked realities of student accommodation. Through a combination of humour, critical reflection, and experimental design, the project highlights 54 common issues faced in university housing, from broken appliances to passive-aggressive flatmate dynamics.

At its core is a publication that documents these lived experiences with a distinctly dry, sarcastic tone. In contrast, the project also proposes intentionally impractical solutions. Each concept is brought to life through its own visual identity, including branding, packaging, and spatial or digital applications.

One of the key outcomes is a fictional flat management app designed to make shared living just about bearable. From automated cleaning reminders to exaggerated dispute-resolution features, with all product solutions available to purchase, the app is a satirical take on the hyper-functional interfaces that promise to fix domestic chaos, but rarely do.