Role: UX/UI Designer
Team: UX Researcher, Front-End Developer, Five Back-End Developers
Tools & Methods: Adobe XD, Figma, Agile Methodology, User Research, Persona and Scenario, User Testing, Wireframing, Low Fidelity Prototyping, High-fidelity Prototyping
Time Frame: 4 Months
Deliverables: Sprint Reports, Research, Branding, Prototype, and Functional Product
Summary: University capstone project, designed an interface that helps educators mentor students in order for the students to complete a new Virginia law requiring an educational experience before graduation.
Problem
Educators need to efficiently interact with students to help them reach opportunities in their communities to aid in the post-high school transition. Cued-In needs an interface to help educators guide their students towards vocational and educational experiences in their community to fulfill the Virginia Educational Graduation Requirement.
User Interviews
From the educators’ perspective, what are the biggest roadblocks to students getting connected with businesses, non-profits, etc in their community?
How much time do educators have in the day to devote to looking for opportunities for students?
How well do educators know their students? Would they feel comfortable suggesting jobs to their students?
How much influence do educators have on their students?
What hardware are teachers most likely to access this app through?
Value Proposition
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Connect students with local businesses, non-profits, and schools, so they can pursue opportunities after graduating high school that won’t take them out of their communities or push them into debt.
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Empower students to make decisions that are right for them.
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Bring educators into the CUED-IN system, so that they can support their students’ search for experiential learning opportunities.
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Motivate students and educators to invest in the CUED-IN system.
Educator's Role
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Connect students with opportunities for experiential and secondary learning.
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Endorse students abilities and skills
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Bring professionals into the classroom to talk to students about their careers.
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Bring students out into the community to see professionals working in their fields.
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Improve their own skills as an educator so that they can provide their students with the tools they need to live full lives.
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Ensure that students having trouble finding opportunities get the support that they need.
Persona
“I want to help each of my students find the best experiential learning opportunity so they can satisfy Virginia learning requirements with an experience they enjoy.”
Sarah Pierce
Age: 42
Location: Harrisonburg, Virginia
Occupation: History teacher (public school)
Education: Bachelors in History, Masters in Education.
Tech Habits: Sarah is well versed in classroom technology. She has a laptop, a smartphone, and a tablet, and finds using them to be easy and intuitive.
Profile:
Sarah is passionate about history and the lessons that we can learn from it. She loves teaching, but oftentimes her favorite part of her job are the moments that happen with students outside of the traditional classroom setting. Learning about students’ likes and dislikes helps her guide them as they grow into adults and move into the world as high school graduates. Though she appreciates all of her students, there are a few that she considers herself especially close with, who often come to her for guidance. As a full-time public school teacher, Sarah doesn’t have very much free time during the day, and often has to take work home with her. Her time is at a premium.
Needs:
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Sarah wants to ensure that all of her students meet Virginia’s learning requirements by engaging in experiential learning opportunities. She needs a way to filter students by the number of opportunities they’ve already had.
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Sarah doesn’t have much time during the day. She needs an application that will allow her to interact quickly and efficiently, even when she is away from her desk.
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Sarah has a few students who she feels very comfortable with. She needs a way to flag their profiles so that she can be notified when they take action on the application.
Task Analysis
This Application should...
Allow educators to filter based upon opportunity types, clusters (as provided by the Cued-In test), and students’ existing opportunities/experiences because educators need to be able to sort through a lot of information in an agile manner.
Be mobile and intuitive, showing because educators are extremely busy and often on their feet.
Allow educators to send opportunities to students, to encourage the student to try something that they know the student would excel in.
Allow educators to view by class section.
Allow educators to give students ‘badges’, as a way to vouch for that student’s skills when a potential employer is looking at their profile.
Allow educators to ‘flag’ students, because they will have certain students whom they are closer to and will want to track their activity.
Use Case
Wireframing
Dashboard
Student/Opportunities Page
Prototype
Click Me!
A mobile dashboard design.