Improving student user experience through UX design principles
View Figma Prototype →Our mission was to redesign the UCCS Program Finder to improve students' user experience. The goal was to improve the site using UX Design concepts such as navigation, color, structure, and information architecture. Additionally, we followed UCCS design standards to assist the site's structure while adding our own expertise to display creativity in user experience.
Before tackling the page's redesign, we met with a client to discuss issues and improvements needed for the page. The following were the main takeaways from our discussion:
Page needs less clutter
Page needs to be more dynamic
Page needs to be "jazzed up"
With these points, our team decided to create 3 main user tasks:
Original Interface
We chose to base our persona on a primary audience: incoming students. With that in mind, we created our persona Mia Thompson who is a 19 year old transfer student.
Mia Thompson is an aspiring explorer trying to navigate the challenge of a major life transition. Some of her key qualities are she is from outside the state, looks forward to exploring new opportunities but nervous about the adjustments that come with it, has a strong academic foundation, and relies on digital tools to stay connected.
Mia Thompson - Primary User Persona
The purpose of these sketches is to get a feel of how we wanted to organize our improved program finder tool.
Homepage Layout v1
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Filter System Design
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Quiz Feature Layout
Ultimately, we wanted to create a more intuitive, functional, and user-friendly experience.
In the Lo-Fi Prototype, we implemented the following for each task:
Homepage
Filter
Let's Get Started!
Take this quick 5-minute quiz to discover a program that fits your goals!
Other features included moving the feedback link to the bottom of the page since it has a low usage rate and making the page have a friendlier feel. Through peer and class feedback, some improvements we had to include in our prototype included:
UCCS Academic Program Finder - Final Design
Chat with Admissions Feature
The students should be able to filter programs with ease, see programs they are looking for, and visually be able to navigate features on page and follow all visual queues.
Our program finder quiz involves an interactive and engaging multiple-choice quiz and a results page inspired by personality tests, including subjects in academic interests, personality traits, top course matches, and top department matches.
Additionally, we used UCCS pictures and colors throughout to catch the spirit of the campus. Adjustments in contrast, structure, and navigation were also included to ensure students are excited to join the UCCS family.
Quiz Landing Page
Subject Selection
Your Personality Traits
Overall, our redesign of the UCCS Program Finder Tool was built for clarity, accessibility, and modernity. Additionally, it's fun, functional, and personalized features meet both user and client needs!
Enhanced filtering system for easier program discovery
Integrated chat and personality quiz for personalized experience
Updated visual identity aligned with UCCS branding