Polaris
CONTEXT: In this case study, we will go through the process of how we created our product for first-generation college students— a web application where they can pair with a mentor who has the capabilities of giving them more clarity and insights on their possible academic paths. This was created for our Design for America project.
POLARIS
POLARIS
POLARIS
the guiding north star
overview
Problem
First-generation college students often lack an experienced and personal support system in college, thus causing them to have disproportionately more barriers when it comes to their academic careers due to their unawareness. This can be having trouble with deciding their major, finding academic opportunities, exploring their interests, or just small but valuable tips. This lack of support and awareness may lead them down a path filled with regret or even discourage them from wanting to further pursue academia.
Solution
Polaris is a website application that addresses community and unawareness by letting students pair up with a mentor who might be more familiar with academia, and can guide them through their academic career through their wisdom and lived experiences. Students can connect with a mentor on a personal and deep level to get the insights and guidance they need to advance to their academic goals. Additionally, students can easily and efficiently browse for academic events that give them the chance to explore or experience a specific industry field.
EMPATHIZE
Market research
We began by identifying similar apps, services, programs, and other products that are within the domain of academic development and support of both first-generation and non-first-generation college students. We did a SWOT analysis to get a sense of the market competition.
University programs like the Education Opportunity Program give minority students access to professional and peer advisors, help with matters like financial aid and housing, and are somewhat more exclusive for minorities. However, there are drawbacks: some students may feel excluded from this program , the program financially relies heavily on the University and any negative implications the university may be involved, and there may be threats of legislative bills against college programs like EOP. For example like how in 2003, California Governor Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating college outreach programs.UW Careers for First-Generation College Students gives students a catalog of resources and tips, is easily accessible when FGCS first enrolls, and is directly tied to the University itself. But again, with being connected to the University comes the negative implications that involve the university.Big Future is a branch of College Board so it has a lot of data from colleges and universities, is from a well-known organization, and has direct links to SATs and college applications. But, it does have an emphasis on colleges based in the United States, hence students going to school abroad may not benefit from this.
User research
We also conducted some user research to get a better understanding of our stakeholders and their personal needs. We surveyed and interviewed various students.
Survey
In a survey, we asked: “How satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with the career guidance you have gotten so far?”
A first-generation college student respondent answered: “It’s never been clear which resources were available to me. I didn’t even know there were career resources until right now. I’ve changed my path multiple times. Now I feel like things are coming together, but I wasted so much time trying to figure it out on my own.”
Interview
Through our semi-structured interviews, we took away three (3) main insights:1. They aren’t aware of the diverse array of career paths coming into college:Their schools, peers, counselors, and other academic resources pre-college weren’t giving them enough insights and exposure to certain academic and career fields like computer science, consulting, etc., leading to a lack of awareness. 2. Students navigated academic exploration alone without any formal help:They significantly relied on personal research to guide their academic decisions (choosing their majors), highlighting the need for self-driven exploration in the absence of formal or comprehensive guidance.3. Want personalized guidance and mentorship:They want to build a one-on-one connection with someone who they can rely on and guide them through their academic journey. Some have already established that guidance from their cultural community and have found it beneficial in their collegiate development.
DEFINE
Problem statement
Using both the market and user research we conducted around the field of first-generation college students and their experiences navigating their academic journey, we came up with the following driving problem statement:
“How might we create a comprehensive resource that acts as a guidance tool for students aspiring to pursue specific career paths, supporting their decisions every step of the way?”
What is Crazy 8? Crazy 8 is an ideation sprint in which we all spend a total of 8 minutes coming up with random ideas. We each have eight squares where we spend one minute sketching, jotting, and spilling our crazy ideas in these squares. By the end of this quick activity, we hope to have 48 new ideas, assuming we have six participants!
?
IDEATE
Crazy 8
With this driving statement and prior research in mind, we did a group activity to generate ideas. This involved the technique, Crazy 8.
Some shared ideas generated:
Professional clubs/RSO
UW programming
Shadowing
Academic events
*
Peer socializing
Discussion forums
Mentorship
*
Alumni connections
Putting everything in consideration, from the user research to the market research to common themes among our designers, we established our solid idea, combining two prevalent concepts, mentorship and academic events:A web application that provides college students with a personalized and matched mentor and a catalog of relevant academic events to explore and experience their interests.
Low-fidelity BUILD
User flow diagram
We started with an information architecture diagram to establish how users would onboard and specifically create a connection with their prospective mentor and how they might navigate the event catalog pages. We use this as blueprint on how to build out the information architecture of the screens and application.
Wireframing
Using our basic user flow chart, we transformed it into more tangible wireframes that showcased our concept in a more substantial format. It is important to use simplicity and minimal styling as this is a crucial phase for constant testing and reiteration. We also conducted user testing to see their thoughts on our concept.
Some of the user testing findings included: not being sure how the availability feature would function, what the “other” option would entail, how much text to write in short responses, and confusion in mentor filtering, specifically what “mentor status” means. Through many iterations and deliberations with the team, our wireframes kept changing and evolving taking in to consideration all the input along the way.
Design system
We created an established design system entailing color palette, fonts, font sizes, and header hierarchy. This is crucial in keeping our styling consistent and clean, eliminating random discrepancies.
Sub Text
15px | Montserrat Medium
Header 1
40px | Open Sans Bold
Header 2
30px | Open Sans Bold
Header 3
22px | Open Sans SemiBold
Text
20px | Montserrat Medium
1B6D9A
227EB2
CCE4ED
F4F8FA
F9F7F1
High-Fidelity Build
Screens and features
After all of the research, ideation, wireframing, and user testing, we developed high-fidelity prototype screens. These screens serve as a polished representation that displays the functionality and interface of our final product.
Homepage after users have matched with a mentor. It has a built-in calendar to remind them of upcoming events. It also has a built-in reminders tab to keep up-to-date with tasks.
Built in messaging, making it easy for mentors and mentees to contact.
Users (mentees) are taking a questionnaire, specifically meant for the mentorship program. They are giving their backstory on why they want a mentor and other preferences.
A continuance of the mentee questionnaire where users can customize their availability to match with their potential mentors. Users are able to select specific times and dates and specify the location.
CONCLUSION
Final thoughts
With this, we have reached the end of the timeline and project. Although I am really proud of this project and the work we have put in, there is always room for improvement and further development.
Learning experience: As a team, we definitely need to have longer and more discussions about the physical state of the product as there were many instances where everyone was on different pages regarding what the product was and what we would cover in this design, due to the manner of only having weekly meetings.
Things we could’ve done differently:
Seek a more diverse group of survey respondents. Our main focus was students at the University of Washington, where our advertisements were primarily focused. This led to user research results revolving only around UW students rather than the general first-generation college student population.
Although we interviewed and performed user testing with an abundance of stakeholders, we chose the convenient route and conducted them with our friends and acquaintances. Having this familiarity may make it easier and more comfortable for both us and the interviewee, however, there may be some subconscious concealment of input or critique. This is where it might be beneficial to integrate strangers or volunteers into our study.
You reached the end!
brighthoang01@gmail.com
Polaris
ROLE:
Product Designer, UX Researcher
TIMELINE:
6 months
TEAM:
Group of 6
TOOLS:
Figma, FigJam, Google Forms
CONTEXT: In this case study, we will go through the process of how we created our product for first-generation college students— a web application where they can pair with a mentor who has the capabilities of giving them more clarity and insights on their possible academic paths. This was created for our Design for America project.
POLARIS
POLARIS
POLARIS
the guiding north star
overview
Problem
First-generation college students often lack an experienced and personal support system in college, thus causing them to have disproportionately more barriers when it comes to their academic careers due to their unawareness. This can be having trouble with deciding their major, finding academic opportunities, exploring their interests, or just small but valuable tips. This lack of support and awareness may lead them down a path filled with regret or even discourage them from wanting to further pursue academia.
Solution
Polaris is a website application that addresses community and unawareness by letting students pair up with a mentor who might be more familiar with academia, and can guide them through their academic career through their wisdom and lived experiences. Students can connect with a mentor on a personal and deep level to get the insights and guidance they need to advance to their academic goals. Additionally, students can easily and efficiently browse for academic events that give them the chance to explore or experience a specific industry field.
EMPATHIZE
Market research
We began by identifying similar apps, services, programs, and other products that are within the domain of academic development and support of both first-generation and non-first-generation college students. We did a SWOT analysis to get a sense of the market competition.
University programs like the Education Opportunity Program give minority students access to professional and peer advisors, help with matters like financial aid and housing, and are somewhat more exclusive for minorities. However, there are drawbacks: some students may feel excluded from this program , the program financially relies heavily on the University and any negative implications the university may be involved, and there may be threats of legislative bills against college programs like EOP. For example like how in 2003, California Governor Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating college outreach programs.UW Careers for First-Generation College Students gives students a catalog of resources and tips, is easily accessible when FGCS first enrolls, and is directly tied to the University itself. But again, with being connected to the University comes the negative implications that involve the university.Big Future is a branch of College Board so it has a lot of data from colleges and universities, is from a well-known organization, and has direct links to SATs and college applications. But, it does have an emphasis on colleges based in the United States, hence students going to school abroad may not benefit from this.
User research
We also conducted some user research to get a better understanding of our stakeholders and their personal needs. We surveyed and interviewed various students.
Survey
In a survey, we asked: “How satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with the career guidance you have gotten so far?”
A first-generation college student respondent answered: “It’s never been clear which resources were available to me. I didn’t even know there were career resources until right now. I’ve changed my path multiple times. Now I feel like things are coming together, but I wasted so much time trying to figure it out on my own.”
Interview
Through our semi-structured interviews, we took away three (3) main insights:1. They aren’t aware of the diverse array of career paths coming into college:Their schools, peers, counselors, and other academic resources pre-college weren’t giving them enough insights and exposure to certain academic and career fields like computer science, consulting, etc., leading to a lack of awareness. 2. Students navigated academic exploration alone without any formal help:They significantly relied on personal research to guide their academic decisions (choosing their majors), highlighting the need for self-driven exploration in the absence of formal or comprehensive guidance.3. Want personalized guidance and mentorship:They want to build a one-on-one connection with someone who they can rely on and guide them through their academic journey. Some have already established that guidance from their cultural community and have found it beneficial in their collegiate development.
DEFINE
Problem statement
Using both the market and user research we conducted around the field of first-generation college students and their experiences navigating their academic journey, we came up with the following driving problem statement:
“How might we create a comprehensive resource that acts as a guidance tool for students aspiring to pursue specific career paths, supporting their decisions every step of the way?”
IDEATE
Crazy 8
With this driving statement and prior research in mind, we did a group activity to generate ideas. This involved the technique, Crazy 8.
What is Crazy 8? Crazy 8 is an ideation sprint in which we all spend a total of 8 minutes coming up with random ideas. We each have eight squares where we spend one minute sketching, jotting, and spilling our crazy ideas in these squares. By the end of this quick activity, we hope to have 48 new ideas, assuming we have six participants!
?
Some shared ideas generated in this session:
Peer socializing
Shadowing
Professional clubs/RSO
Mentorship
Discussion forums
Alumni connections
Academic events
UW programming
Putting everything in consideration, from the user research to the market research to common themes among our designers, we established our solid idea, combining two prevalent concepts, mentorship and academic events:A web application that provides college students with a personalized and matched mentor and a catalog of relevant academic events to explore and experience their interests.
Low-fidelity BUILD
User flow diagram
We started with an information architecture diagram to establish how users would onboard and specifically create a connection with their prospective mentor and how they might navigate the event catalog pages. We use this as blueprint on how to build out the information architecture of the screens and application.
Wireframing
Using our basic user flow chart, we transformed it into more tangible wireframes that showcased our concept in a more substantial format. It is important to use simplicity and minimal styling as this is a crucial phase for constant testing and reiteration. We also conducted user testing to see their thoughts on our concept.
Some of the user testing findings included: not being sure how the availability feature would function, what the “other” option would entail, how much text to write in short responses, and confusion in mentor filtering, specifically what “mentor status” means. Through many iterations and deliberations with the team, our wireframes kept changing and evolving taking in to consideration all the input along the way.
High-Fidelity Build
Design system
We created an established design system entailing color palette, fonts, font sizes, and header hierarchy. This is crucial in keeping our styling consistent and clean, eliminating random discrepancies.
Sub Text
15px | Montserrat Medium
Header 1
40px | Open Sans Bold
Header 2
30px | Open Sans Bold
Header 3
22px | Open Sans SemiBold
Text
20px | Montserrat Medium
1B6D9A
227EB2
CCE4ED
F4F8FA
F9F7F1
Screens and features
After all of the research, ideation, wireframing, and user testing, we developed high-fidelity prototype screens. These screens serve as a polished representation that displays the functionality and interface of our final product.
Homepage after users have matched with a mentor. It has a built-in calendar to remind them of upcoming events. It also has a built-in reminders tab to keep up-to-date with tasks.
Built in messaging, making it easy for mentors and mentees to contact.
Users (mentees) are taking a questionnaire, specifically meant for the mentorship program. They are giving their backstory on why they want a mentor and other preferences.
A continuance of the mentee questionnaire where users can customize their availability to match with their potential mentors. Users are able to select specific times and dates and specify the location.
CONCLUSION
Final thoughts
With this, we have reached the end of the timeline and project. Although I am really proud of this project and the work we have put in, there is always room for improvement and further development.
Learning experience: As a team, we definitely need to have longer and more discussions about the physical state of the product as there were many instances where everyone was on different pages regarding what the product was and what we would cover in this design, due to the manner of only having weekly meetings.
Things we could’ve done differently:
Seek a more diverse group of survey respondents. Our main focus was students at the University of Washington, where our advertisements were primarily focused. This led to user research results revolving only around UW students rather than the general first-generation college student population.
Although we interviewed and performed user testing with an abundance of stakeholders, we chose the convenient route and conducted them with our friends and acquaintances. Having this familiarity may make it easier and more comfortable for both us and the interviewee, however, there may be some subconscious concealment of input or critique. This is where it might be beneficial to integrate strangers or volunteers into our study.
You reached the end!
brighthoang01@gmail.com
Polaris
ROLE:
Product Designer, UX Researcher
TIMELINE:
6 months
TEAM:
Group of 6
TOOLS:
Figma, FigJam, Google Forms
CONTEXT: In this case study, we will go through the process of how we created our product for first-generation college students— a web application where they can pair with a mentor who has the capabilities of giving them more clarity and insights on their possible academic paths. This was created for our Design for America project.
POLARIS
POLARIS
POLARIS
the guiding north star
overview
Problem
First-generation college students often lack an experienced and personal support system in college, thus causing them to have disproportionately more barriers when it comes to their academic careers due to their unawareness. This can be having trouble with deciding their major, finding academic opportunities, exploring their interests, or just small but valuable tips. This lack of support and awareness may lead them down a path filled with regret or even discourage them from wanting to further pursue academia.
Solution
Polaris is a website application that addresses community and unawareness by letting students pair up with a mentor who might be more familiar with academia, and can guide them through their academic career through their wisdom and lived experiences. Students can connect with a mentor on a personal and deep level to get the insights and guidance they need to advance to their academic goals. Additionally, students can easily and efficiently browse for academic events that give them the chance to explore or experience a specific industry field.
EMPATHIZE
Market research
We began by identifying similar apps, services, programs, and other products that are within the domain of academic development and support of both first-generation and non-first-generation college students. We did a SWOT analysis to get a sense of the market competition.
University programs like the Education Opportunity Program give minority students access to professional and peer advisors, help with matters like financial aid and housing, and are somewhat more exclusive for minorities. However, there are drawbacks: some students may feel excluded from this program , the program financially relies heavily on the University and any negative implications the university may be involved, and there may be threats of legislative bills against college programs like EOP. For example like how in 2003, California Governor Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating college outreach programs.UW Careers for First-Generation College Students gives students a catalog of resources and tips, is easily accessible when FGCS first enrolls, and is directly tied to the University itself. But again, with being connected to the University comes the negative implications that involve the university.Big Future is a branch of College Board so it has a lot of data from colleges and universities, is from a well-known organization, and has direct links to SATs and college applications. But, it does have an emphasis on colleges based in the United States, hence students going to school abroad may not benefit from this.
User research
We also conducted some user research to get a better understanding of our stakeholders and their personal needs. We surveyed and interviewed various students.
Survey
In a survey, we asked: “How satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with the career guidance you have gotten so far?”
A first-generation college student respondent answered: “It’s never been clear which resources were available to me. I didn’t even know there were career resources until right now. I’ve changed my path multiple times. Now I feel like things are coming together, but I wasted so much time trying to figure it out on my own.”
Interview
Through our semi-structured interviews, we took away three (3) main insights:1. They aren’t aware of the diverse array of career paths coming into college:Their schools, peers, counselors, and other academic resources pre-college weren’t giving them enough insights and exposure to certain academic and career fields like computer science, consulting, etc., leading to a lack of awareness. 2. Students navigated academic exploration alone without any formal help:They significantly relied on personal research to guide their academic decisions (choosing their majors), highlighting the need for self-driven exploration in the absence of formal or comprehensive guidance.3. Want personalized guidance and mentorship:They want to build a one-on-one connection with someone who they can rely on and guide them through their academic journey. Some have already established that guidance from their cultural community and have found it beneficial in their collegiate development.
DEFINE
Problem statement
Using both the market and user research we conducted around the field of first-generation college students and their experiences navigating their academic journey, we came up with the following driving problem statement:
“How might we create a comprehensive resource that acts as a guidance tool for students aspiring to pursue specific career paths, supporting their decisions every step of the way?”
IDEATE
Crazy 8
With this driving statement and prior research in mind, we did a group activity to generate ideas. This involved the technique, Crazy 8.
What is Crazy 8? Crazy 8 is an ideation sprint in which we all spend a total of 8 minutes coming up with random ideas. We each have eight squares where we spend one minute sketching, jotting, and spilling our crazy ideas in these squares. By the end of this quick activity, we hope to have 48 new ideas, assuming we have six participants!
?
Some shared ideas generated in this session:
Professional clubs/RSO
UW programming
Shadowing
Academic events
*
Peer socializing
Discussion forums
Mentorship
*
Alumni connections
Putting everything in consideration, from the user research to the market research to common themes among our designers, we established our solid idea, combining two prevalent concepts, mentorship and academic events:A web application that provides college students with a personalized and matched mentor and a catalog of relevant academic events to explore and experience their interests.
Low-fidelity BUILD
User flow diagram
We started with an information architecture diagram to establish how users would onboard and specifically create a connection with their prospective mentor and how they might navigate the event catalog pages. We use this as blueprint on how to build out the information architecture of the screens and application.
Wireframing
Using our basic user flow chart, we transformed it into more tangible wireframes that showcased our concept in a more substantial format. It is important to use simplicity and minimal styling as this is a crucial phase for constant testing and reiteration. We also conducted user testing to see their thoughts on our concept.
Some of the user testing findings included: not being sure how the availability feature would function, what the “other” option would entail, how much text to write in short responses, and confusion in mentor filtering, specifically what “mentor status” means. Through many iterations and deliberations with the team, our wireframes kept changing and evolving taking in to consideration all the input along the way.
High-Fidelity Build
Design system
We created an established design system entailing color palette, fonts, font sizes, and header hierarchy. This is crucial in keeping our styling consistent and clean, eliminating random discrepancies.
Sub Text
15px | Montserrat Medium
Header 1
40px | Open Sans Bold
Header 2
30px | Open Sans Bold
Header 3
22px | Open Sans SemiBold
Text
20px | Montserrat Medium
1B6D9A
227EB2
CCE4ED
F4F8FA
F9F7F1
Screens and features
After all of the research, ideation, wireframing, and user testing, we developed high-fidelity prototype screens. These screens serve as a polished representation that displays the functionality and interface of our final product.
Homepage after users have matched with a mentor. It has a built-in calendar to remind them of upcoming events. It also has a built-in reminders tab to keep up-to-date with tasks.
Built in messaging, making it easy for mentors and mentees to contact.
Users (mentees) are taking a questionnaire, specifically meant for the mentorship program. They are giving their backstory on why they want a mentor and other preferences.
A continuance of the mentee questionnaire where users can customize their availability to match with their potential mentors. Users are able to select specific times and dates and specify the location.
CONCLUSION
Final thoughts
With this, we have reached the end of the timeline and project. Although I am really proud of this project and the work we have put in, there is always room for improvement and further development.
Learning experience: As a team, we definitely need to have longer and more discussions about the physical state of the product as there were many instances where everyone was on different pages regarding what the product was and what we would cover in this design, due to the manner of only having weekly meetings.
Things we could’ve done differently:
Seek a more diverse group of survey respondents. Our main focus was students at the University of Washington, where our advertisements were primarily focused. This led to user research results revolving only around UW students rather than the general first-generation college student population.
Although we interviewed and performed user testing with an abundance of stakeholders, we chose the convenient route and conducted them with our friends and acquaintances. Having this familiarity may make it easier and more comfortable for both us and the interviewee, however, there may be some subconscious concealment of input or critique. This is where it might be beneficial to integrate strangers or volunteers into our study.
You reached the end!
brighthoang01@gmail.com
Polaris
ROLE:
Designer, Researcher
TIMELINE:
6 months
TEAM:
Group of 6
TOOLS:
Figma, FigJam, Google Forms
CONTEXT: In this case study, we will go through the process of how we created our product for first-generation college students— a web application where they can pair with a mentor who has the capabilities of giving them more clarity and insights on their possible academic paths. This was created for our Design for America project.
POLARIS
POLARIS
POLARIS
the guiding north star
overview
Problem
First-generation college students often lack an experienced and personal support system in college, thus causing them to have disproportionately more barriers when it comes to their academic careers due to their unawareness. This can be having trouble with deciding their major, finding academic opportunities, exploring their interests, or just small but valuable tips. This lack of support and awareness may lead them down a path filled with regret or even discourage them from wanting to further pursue academia.
Solution
Polaris is a website application that addresses community and unawareness by letting students pair up with a mentor who might be more familiar with academia, and can guide them through their academic career through their wisdom and lived experiences. Students can connect with a mentor on a personal and deep level to get the insights and guidance they need to advance to their academic goals. Additionally, students can easily and efficiently browse for academic events that give them the chance to explore or experience a specific industry field.
EMPATHIZE
Market research
We began by identifying similar apps, services, programs, and other products that are within the domain of academic development and support of both first-generation and non-first-generation college students. We did a SWOT analysis to get a sense of the market competition.
University programs like the Education Opportunity Program give minority students access to professional and peer advisors, help with matters like financial aid and housing, and are somewhat more exclusive for minorities. However, there are drawbacks: some students may feel excluded from this program , the program financially relies heavily on the University and any negative implications the university may be involved, and there may be threats of legislative bills against college programs like EOP. For example like how in 2003, California Governor Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating college outreach programs.UW Careers for First-Generation College Students gives students a catalog of resources and tips, is easily accessible when FGCS first enrolls, and is directly tied to the University itself. But again, with being connected to the University comes the negative implications that involve the university.Big Future is a branch of College Board so it has a lot of data from colleges and universities, is from a well-known organization, and has direct links to SATs and college applications. But, it does have an emphasis on colleges based in the United States, hence students going to school abroad may not benefit from this.
User research
We also conducted some user research to get a better understanding of our stakeholders and their personal needs. We surveyed and interviewed various students.
Survey
In a survey, we asked: “How satisfied or dissatisfied have you been with the career guidance you have gotten so far?”
A first-generation college student respondent answered: “It’s never been clear which resources were available to me. I didn’t even know there were career resources until right now. I’ve changed my path multiple times. Now I feel like things are coming together, but I wasted so much time trying to figure it out on my own.”
Interview
Through our semi-structured interviews, we took away three (3) main insights:1. They aren’t aware of the diverse array of career paths coming into college:Their schools, peers, counselors, and other academic resources pre-college weren’t giving them enough insights and exposure to certain academic and career fields like computer science, consulting, etc., leading to a lack of awareness. 2. Students navigated academic exploration alone without any formal help:They significantly relied on personal research to guide their academic decisions (choosing their majors), highlighting the need for self-driven exploration in the absence of formal or comprehensive guidance.3. Want personalized guidance and mentorship:They want to build a one-on-one connection with someone who they can rely on and guide them through their academic journey. Some have already established that guidance from their cultural community and have found it beneficial in their collegiate development.
DEFINE
Problem statement
Using both the market and user research we conducted around the field of first-generation college students and their experiences navigating their academic journey, we came up with the following driving problem statement:
“How might we create a comprehensive resource that acts as a guidance tool for students aspiring to pursue specific career paths, supporting their decisions every step of the way?”
IDEATE
Crazy 8
With this driving statement and prior research in mind, we did a group activity to generate ideas. This involved the technique, Crazy 8.
What is Crazy 8? Crazy 8 is an ideation sprint in which we all spend a total of 8 minutes coming up with random ideas. We each have eight squares where we spend one minute sketching, jotting, and spilling our crazy ideas in these squares. By the end of this quick activity, we hope to have 48 new ideas, assuming we have six participants!
?
Some shared ideas generated in this session:
Professional clubs/RSO
UW programming
Shadowing
Academic events
*
Peer socializing
Discussion forums
Mentorship
*
Alumni connections
Putting everything in consideration, from the user research to the market research to common themes among our designers, we established our solid idea, combining two prevalent concepts, mentorship and academic events:A web application that provides college students with a personalized and matched mentor and a catalog of relevant academic events to explore and experience their interests.
Low-fidelity BUILD
User flow diagram
We started with an information architecture diagram to establish how users would onboard and specifically create a connection with their prospective mentor and how they might navigate the event catalog pages. We use this as blueprint on how to build out the information architecture of the screens and application.
Wireframing
Using our basic user flow chart, we transformed it into more tangible wireframes that showcased our concept in a more substantial format. It is important to use simplicity and minimal styling as this is a crucial phase for constant testing and reiteration. We also conducted user testing to see their thoughts on our concept.
Some of the user testing findings included: not being sure how the availability feature would function, what the “other” option would entail, how much text to write in short responses, and confusion in mentor filtering, specifically what “mentor status” means. Through many iterations and deliberations with the team, our wireframes kept changing and evolving taking in to consideration all the input along the way.
High-Fidelity Build
Design system
We created an established design system entailing color palette, fonts, font sizes, and header hierarchy. This is crucial in keeping our styling consistent and clean, eliminating random discrepancies.
Sub Text
15px | Montserrat Medium
Header 1
40px | Open Sans Bold
Header 2
30px | Open Sans Bold
Header 3
22px | Open Sans SemiBold
Text
20px | Montserrat Medium
1B6D9A
227EB2
CCE4ED
F4F8FA
F9F7F1
Screens and features
After all of the research, ideation, wireframing, and user testing, we developed high-fidelity prototype screens. These screens serve as a polished representation that displays the functionality and interface of our final product.
Homepage after users have matched with a mentor. It has a built-in calendar to remind them of upcoming events. It also has a built-in reminders tab to keep up-to-date with tasks.
Built in messaging, making it easy for mentors and mentees to contact.
Users (mentees) are taking a questionnaire, specifically meant for the mentorship program. They are giving their backstory on why they want a mentor and other preferences.
A continuance of the mentee questionnaire where users can customize their availability to match with their potential mentors. Users are able to select specific times and dates and specify the location.
CONCLUSION
Final thoughts
With this, we have reached the end of the timeline and project. Although I am really proud of this project and the work we have put in, there is always room for improvement and further development.
Learning experience: As a team, we definitely need to have longer and more discussions about the physical state of the product as there were many instances where everyone was on different pages regarding what the product was and what we would cover in this design, due to the manner of only having weekly meetings.
Things we could’ve done differently:
Seek a more diverse group of survey respondents. Our main focus was students at the University of Washington, where our advertisements were primarily focused. This led to user research results revolving only around UW students rather than the general first-generation college student population.
Although we interviewed and performed user testing with an abundance of stakeholders, we chose the convenient route and conducted them with our friends and acquaintances. Having this familiarity may make it easier and more comfortable for both us and the interviewee, however, there may be some subconscious concealment of input or critique. This is where it might be beneficial to integrate strangers or volunteers into our study.
You reached the end!
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