NET Y U
A networking tool designed to help graduate students at NYU advance their professional and academic goals across disciplines.
This was initially a group project that developed into research and mid fidelity prototypes. I continued working on it individually and redesigned the product into its final protoype form.
Role
Lead UI/UX Designer, UX Researcher
Group Members:
Srishty Bhavsar, Lourdes Keochgerien, George Wang, Kathy Laguerre
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Google Form
Duration
Group: 12 weeks
Individual: 8 weeks
Class
User Experience Design - New York University
Introduction
Problem
NYU graduate students with full-time jobs feel isolated due to insufficient time for their studies and career exploration.
How Might We Statement?
How might we help NYU Graduate students build cross-departmental relationships with students and faculty in other disciplines to broaden their academic and professional perspectives?
Research
Interviews
We first conducted 5 user initial user interviews amongst NYU graduate students about their experiences balancing their job and school. This involved designing an interview brief with questions about their background, community experience, challenges, and values at NYU. All responses from the user interviews were clustered into an affinity diagram to observe the main themes of the issues presented. We learned that most NYU students interact with students within their classes however feel isolated from the rest of the NYU campus. In addition, some students expressed its difficult to balance their work life, personal life, and school life.
Affinity Diagram of User Interview Responses
User Surveys
To gain more user data amongst a larger audience of working graduate students in the NYU community, we conducted 17 google form surveys. The data from the surveys and the interviews ultimately informed our key findings and insights about NYU working graduate students. Users had various feedback about networking and events.
Qualitative Data Example
Quantitative Data Example
User Personas
The first persona is based on the qualitative data about being a graduate working student that was found from the user interviews and the free response section of the survey. The second persona is primarily based on the qualitative and quantitative data results of the survey.
Qualitative User Persona
Quantitative User Persona
Insights
Working NYU graduate students need to bridge the gap between different programs, and their academic and professional careers because they feel isolated.
Insight 1:
Students want to network outside their program:
Insight 2: Sponsorship Packet
Students feel distant and secluded amongst other programs
Survey Quote
Insight 3: Preconceived Notions
Cross-department interaction is difficult
Interview Quote
Ideation
Currently, NYU has a website called “NYU Engage” which has some existing networking features. Because NYU Engage does not solve our design problem and has its own issues, we decided to use the SCAMPER ideation method to analyze the website, and potentially generate design ideas for our product.
Existing site screenshot: “NYU Engage”
In the sketching and ideation phase of the project, our team wanted to generate as many free flowing design solution ideas as possible. We enjoyed ideas that gave users an aspect of personalization as current networking sites such as "NYU engage" lacked features allowing students to customize their profile. In addition, we enjoyed the idea of event organization through a map or calendar. Finally, we were interested in a design style that resembled a network map.
Sketches of George Wang, Kathy Laguerre and Lourdes Keochgerien
testing
We conducted a heuristic evaluation on three lo-fidelity screens of a home, networking, and events map page and received basic feedback about the interface and functionality.
Lo-Fidelity User Testing Feedback
As a final group collaboration of the product, we ended upon designing two mid-fidelity prototypes that took concern of the user feedback. I would seek further feedback in the re-design stage.
Mid-Fidelity Prototype Changes
RE-Design (Phase 2: Individual work)
I still felt that the product had a lot of potential and room for improvement visually, and that the main functionalities of the prototypes had been simplified to meet deadlines. I felt that I could further develop the screens to truly showcase how the product expands networking opportunities for NYU students outside of their own major.
I decided to design two more screens of the networking page and profile page.
I then consulted feedback from two new users:
1. Lead product designer at a major networking company
2. Another NYU graduate student
Home Page Dashboard
The home page dashboard allows students to access their calendar, event map, network, and profile preferences. Students can also access any notifications on this page.
Interactive Events Map
Events Page
Networking Page
Profile Page
Design System
The feedback made it clear that the redesign of the product would require visual consistency in order to make the interface intuitive to users. As a result, I created a basic design system that allowed me to ensure consistency, modularity, and organization within the final prototype design of my product.
