An approach to Uniting University, Students, and Alumni Together
Type of project:
Class project
Role:
UX/UI Designer
Team lead
Team:
2 UI/UX Designer and 2 Product Developer
Date:
Winter 2023 (1/12/2023 – 3/5/2023)
Connect is a software platform that connects alumni and universities, with the goal of bridging the gap between alumni, university and related staff, and students.
This platform aims to better assist universities, students, and alumni in staying close to each other after graduation in an efficient and manageable way.
How Might We Statement
Strengthen Alumni Network Management
“How might we design a system to improve the management of our Alumni network, to help strengthen and support our alumni community?”
User Interview
Getting to know our key stakeholders and users
User Insights
Needs, Goals, and Challenges Shaping Design Directions
The Goal
Bridging the gap between current students and alumni at the University of Washington through connections, community, and continual support uniquely tailored to the UW experience.
User Research
Understanding primary users and stakeholders
Themes
Themes Identified from User Interviews and Research
Current student
I’m looking for ways to connect with other alumni within the same major. I also miss college and would like to attend events and stay informed about them.
University Advisors
I found students usually struggling to establish connections with alumni and need guidance and support on career planning and networking
Alumni
I want to have a stronger connection with fellow students and alumni to create a supportive community. I aim to expand my network, uncover job prospects, and see how my studies translate into real-world careers.
Designing a Stronger Community Experience at the University of Washington Based on User Insights
Shay
Demographics:
Current student at University of Washington
Major: Informatics - Data Science
Age 19-21
Needs:
Network and connect with alumni within the same major to understand their life after graduation.
Learn about their work experiences and professional journeys.
Kelly
Demographics:
Informatics Alumna at University of Washington
Bachelor of Science in Informatics: Data Science
Age 21-23
Needs:
Connect with other alumni.
Participate in school activities.
Connect with students to share work experience.
Timmy
Demographics:
Informatics Advisor
Bachelor of Science in Informatics
Age 30-33
Needs:
Assist students in finding resources about career options.
Guide students in career choices and planning.
Aiding in skill development, experience gain, and professional networking.
connection community
support
Current student
Alumni
University advisor
“I want to have a stronger connectionwith fellow students and alumni to create a supportive community.”
“I’m looking for ways to connect with other alumni within the same major.”
“I found students usually struggling to establish connections with alumni and need guidance and support on career planning and networking”
Brainstorming
Current system
Our system
Current students sending emails to Alumni, waiting for replies and sometimes it might be delivered to spam
A mobile app called Connect where current college students and alumni can connect and chat with each other
How does our app assist Shay (college student) and Kelly (alumni)?
WHAT do Shay and Kelly both want?
WHAT do Shay and Kelly both want?
WHAT do Shay and Kelly both want?
Connect with alumni for career insights
Learn from professional journeys within the same fields
Explore alumni work experiences and career path
Connect and share work experiences with students
Connect with fellow alumni
How does our app assistShay (college student) and Kelly (alumni)?
How does our app assistShay (college student) and Kelly (alumni)?
How does our app assistShay (college student) and Kelly (alumni)?
WHAT Kelly wants?
WHAT Kelly wants?
WHAT Kelly wants?
What we have:
Engage in college events
How our app help Timmy (college advisor)
WHAT Timmy wants?
WHAT Timmy wants?
WHAT Timmy wants?
What we have:
What we have:
Event Management System
Discovering peers and alumni by filtering by name, company, job title, major, location, and graduation year
Support skill development and professional networking
Advise on career choices and planning
Help students finding career resources
Alumni can create their own event to connect with current students
Alumni can attend any public school events and some private events, provided they meet the specific requirements.
Throughout this project, I have put in a lot of effort and gained valuable insights, notably in product management, which are important as I grow as a UX designer
Prioritizing the user: Although designing according to personal preferences might seem simpler, adopting a user-centered design approach enables me to develop solutions that significantly benefit users' lives.
Supporting my design choices: In situations where team members questioned our design decisions, I leveraged insights from user research and fundamental UX principles to validate my choices.
Search and Filter System
Discovering peers and alumni by filtering by name, company, job title, major, location, and graduation year
Students can click here to filter people
Students can click here to show the result after applied the filter
Tagging System
Customizable profile tags for identifying and connect with alumni based on shared interests, skills, and academic backgrounds.
A check mark is used to indicate that a user is already friends with this person
Turn on notification whenever this user has posted something
Students can click here to add or remove customizable profile tags
Communication System
Initiate private chats and connect with alumni for personalized guidance
Form group chat with alumni within the same field of interest
Data dashboard system
Provides data insights (user engagement, popular events, and industry trends) to match students with alumni and career opportunities
This Data Dashboard System is only available for college advisors
College advisors can click here to view the user detail page
College advisors can see the most popular events for students to join
Communication System
1-1 chat for personalized career guidance and networking opportunities with a student
Community discussions and group chats to share resources and career advice to students
College advisors can directly message a specific student by clicking into their profile and then clicking the message button.
The chat will open once the college advisor clicks the message button on the student's profile page.
Type of project:
Class project
Role:
UX/UI Designer
Team lead
Team:
2 UI/UX Designer and 2 Product Developer
Date:
Winter 2023 (1/12/2023 – 3/5/2023)
Connect is a software platform that connects alumni and universities, with the goal of bridging the gap between alumni, university and related staff, and students.
This platform aims to better assist universities, students, and alumni in staying close to each other after graduation in an efficient and manageable way.
Alumni can join an event by clicking on the desired event and able to view the number of registered participants.
Throughout this project, I have put in a lot of effort and gained valuable insights, notably in product management, which are important as I grow as a UX designer
Prioritizing the user: Although designing according to personal preferences might seem simpler, adopting a user-centered design approach enables me to develop solutions that significantly benefit users' lives.
Supporting my design choices: In situations where team members questioned our design decisions, I leveraged insights from user research and fundamental UX principles to validate my choices.
Data dashboard system
Provides data insights (user engagement, popular events, and industry trends) to match students with alumni and career opportunities
This Data Dashboard System is only available for college advisors
College advisors can click here to view the user detail page
College advisors can see the most popular events for students to join
Communication System
1-1 chat for personalized career guidance and networking opportunities with a student
Community discussions and group chats to share resources and career advice to students
College advisors can directly message a specific student by clicking into their profile and then clicking the message button.
The chat will open once the college advisor clicks the message button on the student's profile page.
