Loop
Loop
Loop
For college students, by college students.
For college students, by college students.
My Role
My Role
Visual Designer/Research
Visual Designer/Research
Our Team
Our Team
Austin de Nijs
Sara Maxwell
Lenora Fernandes
Mrinalini Vodela
Austin de Nijs
Sara Maxwell
Lenora Fernandes
Mrinalini Vodela
Duration
Duration
10 Weeks
10 Weeks
Skills
Skills
UX/UI Design
Wireframing
User Research & Testing
Branding
Information Architecture
UX/UI Design
Wireframing
User Research & Testing
Branding
Information Architecture
Context
Context
For our 310 Class, Information Architecture, we were tasked with thinking of a moonshot idea to solve using design. For us, we thought of the difficulties that college students have meeting people to collaborate with on projects. As well as the problems that come with finding resources to grow soft skills, and improve time management.
For our 310 Class, Information Architecture, we were tasked with thinking of a moonshot idea to solve using design. For us, we thought of the difficulties that college students have meeting people to collaborate with on projects. As well as the problems that come with finding resources to grow soft skills, and improve time management.
Our Challenge
Our Challenge
Thousands of college students struggle with these things each and every day, but many don't have the resources to relieve these struggles. Meeting new people, learning new skills, and managing time while being a full-time students can be difficult. But it was now our goal to figure out how to lessen that burden on students across the United States.
Thousands of college students struggle with these things each and every day, but many don't have the resources to relieve these struggles. Meeting new people, learning new skills, and managing time while being a full-time students can be difficult. But it was now our goal to figure out how to lessen that burden on students across the United States.
Our Solution
Our Solution
Profile
Profile
Add collaborators to your Loop through their business cards, show off your work, and pin important skills you'd like to show off.
Add collaborators to your Loop through their business cards, show off your work, and pin important skills you'd like to show off.
Network
Network
Expand your Loop by adding others, and join others projects as collaborators to gain valuable experience.
Expand your Loop by adding others, and join others projects as collaborators to gain valuable experience.
Learn
Learn
Take quizzes, watch short videos, and review flashcards to help improve your soft skills.
Take quizzes, watch short videos, and review flashcards to help improve your soft skills.
Planner
Planner
Manage your personal and school related to-do lists, keep track of projects status, updates, and workflow, and monitor your productivity stats.
Manage your personal and school related to-do lists, keep track of projects status, updates, and workflow, and monitor your productivity stats.
The Problem
A Three Pronged Issue
Being college students ourselves, we were able to come to a consensus upon three key issues that many college students face. Many students around the country struggle with time management, improving key soft skills, as well as finding others to collaborate with on projects and assignments.
Being college students ourselves, we were able to come to a consensus upon three key issues that many college students face. Many students around the country struggle with time management, improving key soft skills, as well as finding others to collaborate with on projects and assignments.
Our Goals
Our Goals
Our main goals going into this project were to confirm our assumptions that these are problems students face, understand these problems and others on a deeper level, learn about what college students do to combat these issues, and delve into any apps or technology that students find helpful to tackle any problems or roadblocks they may face during their time as students.
Our main goals going into this project were to confirm our assumptions that these are problems students face, understand these problems and others on a deeper level, learn about what college students do to combat these issues, and delve into any apps or technology that students find helpful to tackle any problems or roadblocks they may face during their time as students.
My Role
My Role
As the lead visual designer and secondary research lead, I helped curate our primary and secondary research along with user testing and notetaking. After our research had concluded I created initial wireframes, helped guide the team towards a final UI style, and helped manage or create final visuals related to the project.
As the lead visual designer and secondary research lead, I helped curate our primary and secondary research along with user testing and notetaking. After our research had concluded I created initial wireframes, helped guide the team towards a final UI style, and helped manage or create final visuals related to the project.
Research
Methods & Insights
Research Methods
Research Methods
Our team got together and laid out a framework for our research, leaving three key methods for us to use to gather our insights from.
A critical part of us being successful was us getting on the ground, and interacting with college students right here in Savannah.
Our team got together and laid out a framework for our research, leaving three key methods for us to use to gather our insights from.
A critical part of us being successful was us getting on the ground, and interacting with college students right here in Savannah.
Key Insight #1
Key Insight #1
Many more college students are increasingly having trouble with time management.
Many more college students are increasingly having trouble with time management.
Over 50% of survey respondents said that they had issues with time management relating to college work, personal needs, and social needs.
Over 50% of survey respondents said that they had issues with time management relating to college work, personal needs, and social needs.
"I feel that work at SCAD really takes up a lot of my time, and I can't really find the time to schedule my projects." - Interviewee
"I feel that work at SCAD really takes up a lot of my time, and I can't really find the time to schedule my projects." - Interviewee
Over 50%
Over 50%
Over 50%
Over 85%
Over 85%
Over 85%
Key Insight #2
Key Insight #2
Students don't know where to turn to help grow their soft skills.
Over 85% of survey respondents felt that they had trouble communicating, presenting, and overall bettering their personal soft skills.
Over 85% of survey respondents felt that they had trouble communicating, presenting, and overall bettering their personal soft skills.
"Presenting and growing as a professional is confusing for me." - Interviewee
"Presenting and growing as a professional is confusing for me." - Interviewee
Key Insight #3
Key Insight #3
Students find themselves needing more ways to find others to collaborate with.
Over 90% of interviewees felt a need to find others to collaborate with regarding their university work.
Over 90% of interviewees felt a need to find others to collaborate with regarding their university work.
"I feel there's a lack of platforms for students to meet others that want to work on something together." - Interviewee
"I feel there's a lack of platforms for students to meet others that want to work on something together." - Interviewee
Over 90%
Over 90%
Over 90%
Research to Design
Research to Design
With our research we better understood what students are struggling with, and how to help solve their issues. So, we went to the drawing board and began to ideate features and build the structure of our product.
With our research we better understood what students are struggling with, and how to help solve their issues. So, we went to the drawing board and began to ideate features and build the structure of our product.
Ideation
Deliberation & Discussion
Features and Ideas
Features and Ideas
Our team came together after our research, and theory crafted possible features that would be solutions to what students are facing.
Our team came together after our research, and theory crafted possible features that would be solutions to what students are facing.
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
Following our meeting, we began to outline the beginnings of our app. Now that we had the features, we could craft the information architecture of the product.
Following our meeting, we began to outline the beginnings of our app. Now that we had the features, we could craft the information architecture of the product.
Design
Layouts & UI
Sketching our Layout
Sketching our Layout
We started off with planning our initial layout on paper, sketching our primary screens and possible interactions.
We started off with planning our initial layout on paper, sketching our primary screens and possible interactions.
Intital Mid-Fi Layouts
Intital Mid-Fi Layouts
After sketching out our intial ideas, we gathered aspects from each sketch we liked and designed our first initial mid-fi layouts for user testing.
After sketching out our intial ideas, we gathered aspects from each sketch we liked and designed our first initial mid-fi layouts for user testing.
Testing
Design & Test & Design Again
User Testing
User Testing
With our mid-fi screens made, we began to conduct user testing. We conducted our test over the course of three days, testing ten people overall. Over the course of the testing we made multiple key changes to our product, which are shown below.
With our mid-fi screens made, we began to conduct user testing. We conducted our test over the course of three days, testing ten people overall. Over the course of the testing we made multiple key changes to our product, which are shown below.
Final Design
Loop, an App for College Students.
Reflections
My First UX Project
Don't rush the design process.
In the beginning of the project we jumped the gun on our idea and ideation without doing proper research. This made us have to circle back, rethink our original idea, and conduct more proper research.
Research is king, use it wisely to guide your design decisions.
Research is one of the most important things to dedicate time and effort to while working on a product. Research helps dictate your solutions, features, and overall user-experience of your product. Good research and implementation can turn good products into great ones.
Understanding the heart of
UX Design.
Understanding the heart of UX Design.
With this being my first proper UX project, I learned a lot throughout the project from my team and from other teams in the class. From research methods, IA workshops, user flows, UI design, user testing, and much more. I learned a lot, and through this rigorous experience grew as a designer and a person.
Organization and teamwork are key.
Having a proper team structure and organization is key for any team's success. With this being our first collective 10-week project we fell into the easy mistake of disregarding roles and timelines.
Austin de Nijs
Austin de Nijs
Product Designer
Product Designer