ClassFindr
Overview
Client: ClassFindr
Task: Product design of a platform for students to find classes to take at other universities
Time constraint: 3 weeks
Role: Project Manager, UX Designer
Tools: Figma, Lucidchart, UserBit
Methods: User Interviews, Wireframing, Usability Testing, Rapid Prototyping
Background
Disrupting higher education
ClassFindr is an EdTech startup wanting students to design their own pathways to graduation. The average cost of a 4-year college degree in 2019 was approximately $40,0000. Now with a majority of universities turning to online learning in the middle of COVID-19, this is the perfect time for students to take control and find alternative ways to finish their degrees. The client wanted an MVP of a mobile app that allowed students to map out their course schedules and look up and sign up for classes at different universities.
Research
Cumbersome processes
Looking at the Landscape
We began by looking at the entire higher education landscape to identify challenges students and schools face and to uncover potential opportunities where ClassFindr could step in.
User Interviews
My team and I conducted 11 interviews with current students, recent graduates, parents of college students, and an academic advisor. Some of the questions we asked were:
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What has the process of fulfilling graduation requirements been like?
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What has been helpful?
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What have been some pain points?
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What do you wish you had known before?
We found that many potential users struggle with planning to complete graduation requirements due to confusion, life circumstances, and limited options. The need to receive credits from another institution usually was the result of:
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Transferring schools
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Dropping classes
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Needing to save money
Users complained that the credit transfer process was cumbersome because it required using paper forms that required multiple signatures.
Meet Jamie
Through qualitative and secondary research, we created personas for a student and an advisor to identify pain points users may face. This helped to shape one of the most important questions:
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How might we design an easy-to-use education platform for students with little time and lots of responsibilities?
Student Persona
Design
Roadmap to success?
Let's Get Started
My team and I started sketching ideas for the app. One team member focused on the onboarding, another on students' personal college "roadmap" to graduation, and I took on the search feature. We then created a rapid prototype where users could search for classes at any school and add them to their roadmap. Users could refine search results based on class days, times, locations, etc.
First iteration
Searching for Validation
Six users performed informal testing and afterward, we asked:
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What do you notice?
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How might you use this?
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How might this be improved?
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What are your overall impressions?
We found that users liked the concept, but did not want to download an app to their phones for something they would rarely use. Users also did not want to manually enter their classes and stated their universities already have a feature to track their coursework.
Let's Try That Again
The test results were surprising. I realized our first iteration wasn't meeting users' needs, and a mobile platform was not going to be the right business decision for ClassFindr. Why build something users are not going to download? So, we pivoted to a web platform and removed the "roadmap" feature that users were already using at their universities. Instead, we focused on the class search and adding a feature to submit the class request directly to the user's academic advisor for approval, instead of getting a signature on a paper form.
Web Wireflow
Searching for Validation Part 2
Once we finalized the flow of the web design, we built a higher fidelity version. I came up with the color palette for the site and helped design the layout, then one of my teammates took the visual design lead. We spent a full day conducting two rounds of testing on the web prototype with four users for each round. I designed two use cases for students and school administrators.
​Student use cases:
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How would you sign in?
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How would you search for a class?
Administrator use cases:
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How would you navigate on the site?
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If you were interested in learning more, where would you go, or what would you do?
Between each round of testing, we iterated the design to improve navigational problems and update some of the copy for clarity. One of the biggest things learned during testing was, users wanted more information about ClassFindr upfront and how it could benefit them. We revamped the homepage to include a description of the product and clearly outline the benefits for students and schools. The tagline was also updated in the final iteration to explain what ClassFindr does specifically.
Updated tagline for
more clarity
The Evolution of the Homepage
Added content about what ClassFindr is and how it works
Rearranged content and outlined the benefits for students and for schools.
Allows students to search classes before creating an account
The original copy on the class search and class request pages did not give students confidence when submitting a request. It was unclear if the class credits would transfer and where the request was being sent. One user said she was afraid the request would "be sent to a black hole." I updated the language, so it was clear the credits were transferable and that the request was going directly to the student's advisor. We also prepopulated the message for the request and allowed users to make edits before submitting them.
Added container around the search feature for design consistency
Clarified copy so students know classes are transferable and that their requests are being sent to their advisor
Class Search Before and After
Removed prerequisites
Updated copy to state who requests was being sent to
Class Request Before and After
Final Prototype
But will the client be happy?
I was nervous about presenting our final prototype to the client. They specifically requested a mobile prototype, but our research told us to pivot to web. When we began to present, I saw the look to disappointment on their faces when we discussed the pivot, but once we laid out the facts for why we made the changes, they were delighted. The founder was relieved we saved him time and money by not going down the wrong path.
Final Prototype. Click to interact.
Next Steps
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Ensure the platform is responsive across all devices.
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Integrate partner school databases with the product. This was considered a basic expectation during user testing.
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Create a direct registration feature for partner schools. This is a potential source of monetization as ClassFindr could charge a fee for this convenience.
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Build out a separate app once the core platform is established. The app should allow for direct communication with advisors and the registrar's office, as well as provide a continuously updated roadmap to graduation.