Coursemate
Study together, study stronger
UI/UX Case Study
Designed by BSerkhan Design
Overview
The project given by my company was to develop a student centered app that would aid students in studying as it can be difficult to get the support, help and encouragement they need, especially when working online.
There has been an increase in students pursuing studies online due to cost effectiveness and flexibility. Another reason was due to COVID when it was near impossible for students to meet in-person.
To fulfill the requirements of the app, I was provided a project brief which included some details about my user persona, context and required features.
Project Aims
The Coursemate app aims to connect students online to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, support, feedback, and motivation.
My Role
Design Strategy
Problem Solution
Information Architecture
Prototyping
Visual Design
Wireframes
User Flow
User Persona
Design Thinking Process
I attempted to solve the problem by going through the stages of the design thinking process which would help me to:
Have a better understanding of the problem and come up with possible solutions
Understand our users and their needs
Come up with initial foundational designs which would turn into more complex interactive designs
Understand
Problem Statement
Possible Solution
Target Audience
Understand
Problem Statement
Possible Solution
Target Audience
POV
User Persona
Ideate
User Flow
Design
Wireframes
Visual Design
Prototype
Understand
Problem Statement
Students at university and college level 18 years and older struggle to stayed motivated and engaged with their school subjects and get the help they need, especially when juggling their studies with other life matters such as a job, family illness, etc.
Possible Solution
Coursemate, a web responsive app will allow students to:
get inspired
engage with a like-minded student community
when and where they want on any device
connect with other students in their field to:
discuss topics
share insights and support
receive peer feedback on assignments
find others willing to collaborate on projects
study in a fun, interactive way
Target Audience
college and university students 18 years and older working on a degree or diploma
Key Insight Derived
Understanding the problem is a good springboard to think of possible solutions which will lead to the foundational design of pivotal functions for your app
Understanding my target audience will give me information on how, when and where my users will interact with my app and therefore, will inform my design
To better understand my user, I created a proto-persona using information from the received project brief.
User Persona
POV
Owen Cornélio
Occupation
Location
Status
Education
Age
28
Online Economics
student /part-time
Common-Law
Part-time retail store manager
New York
Personality
“I think teamwork will be key to my professional development, so I’d like to find like-minded students to collaborate on projects.”
Brief Story
Owen lives in a small house with his partner Alexis. Owen currently works part-time as a part-time retail store manager to help pay bills and is planning on getting a B.A in economics as he wants to work in the finance field.
Needs and Goals
To complete his course as quickly as possible and gain marketable skills
To find relevant supporting materials and advice from other students and feedback
To find like-minded students to collaborate with
Motivations
To find supporting materials to help him master more complex subjects in his course
To connect with like-minded students to share his work and collaborate
Wants a tool to keep him motivated and support his development as a student and beyond
Frustrations
Not able to discuss course material in-person
Feeling isolated working on course online
Delay in getting feedback back
Not able to find help, support or answers easily
Not feeling motivated
Not feeling engaged with course material
Everyday Activites
go to work 12-5 Monday-Friday
study at desk in office 8-11 am Monday-Friday
exercise 1 hr 3-4 days a week generally in the evening
hang out with friends and partner on the weekend
Key Insight Derived
Having a user persona in mind while designing will keep your designs user-centered → user-centered designs increase customer satisfaction, reduce cost and risk and increase productivity of the design team
A user persona is a great summary of your key target audience’s needs and goals and what they would want in an app
a user persona will direct the design elements you create as well as the features you choose to implement