Blueprint 2022 is a workshop designed for students who are interested in user experience design. During the workshop, students have the option to participate in a challenge. This year's challenge is focused on the return to normal life as students go back to their colleges. Some students are finding it difficult to make meaningful connections. To tackle this problem, I created an app called Circle, designed specifically for college students. Circle's goal is to make it easy and fun for students to find clubs and events on campus.
To gain a deeper understanding of the needs and pain points faced by college students, I conducted three remote user interviews. The participants are college students ages 19 - 21 from various campuses. I then synthesized the information gathered from these interviews and created an affinity map. This helped to extract valuable insights into the problem expressed by the interviewees.
Here are some key findings:
I wanted to have a better understanding of the impact the pandemic had on students.
I conducted research on both direct and indirect competitors to gain valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of competing applications that address the same issue.
20 yrs old | New York, NY | Junior Standing
After figuring out the features of the app, I created user flows to get an idea of the main tasks that would be taken.
I used the user flow to brainstorm ideas that allow easy-to-look-up clubs, more color visualizations, and fun interaction and sketching some early wireframe ideas.
When it came to designing the app I wanted it to reflect the brand adjectives.
I distributed surveys to users and conducted remote moderated user testing with three participants, I carefully observed their interactions with the prototype and made note of their comments and feedback. Through this process, several common issues were identified among the users.
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I was unsure what to expect when initially embarking on this challenge. However, I learned a lot throughout the research and discovery process as I started brainstorming ideas for the application and what I believed was the solution to the problem. However, the users are the key to building the applications as their feedback and preferences would shape the development of the app. I, also, learned there is no such thing as perfection and it's crucial to maintain flexibility and openness to adapt my ideas along the way.
Future Iteration:
If I had more time, I would test Circle the second time to gather more feedback and make further improvements. I like to test the app with a different variety of users to gain insight into accessibility use.
