PeerHive

Inspiration

We noticed that students often struggle to find help—whether it’s learning a new skill, understanding coursework, or getting quick guidance. Despite being surrounded by talented peers, there’s no simple way to connect with them. PeerHive was inspired by the idea of creating a buzzing, supportive network where students can swap skills, get peer mentorship, and discuss topics in an open forum.

What it does

PeerHive is a peer-to-peer learning platform that allows students to: Swap skills with others on campus Request or offer mentorship without needing a skill in return

How we built it

Defined the core problem through interviews and observation. Created user personas and mapped journeys to understand needs. Designed wireframes and built a high-fidelity prototype in Figma. Structured features around two pillars: Skill Swap and Peer Mentorship. Focused on clean UI, intuitive navigation, and a trusted campus-only experience.

Challenges we ran into

Balancing multiple features without overwhelming the user. Designing a fair and simple matching system for skill/mentor requests. Ensuring the platform felt safe, welcoming, and student-driven. Staying within time constraints while still delivering a polished prototype.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Designing a platform that directly addresses real student needs Creating a polished, cohesive prototype under tight time constraints Building an experience that feels intuitive, friendly, and community-first

What we learned

How to identify real student pain points through user research. The importance of designing with empathy and simplicity. How community-driven platforms can make learning more accessible. How to structure clear user flows for skill swapping, mentorship, and discussion spaces.

What's next for PeerHive

Implementing real-time chat and scheduling tools Implementing features that were not able to be done due to time constraint Introducing topic-specific channels and study groups Partnering with campus clubs and services to expand mentorship options Building a live MVP for actual student testing