1Mentor
1Mentor
SaaS product equipping students with real time data and insights to adapt to the demands of the modern workforce.
1Mentor
SaaS product quipping students with real time data and insights to adapt to the demands of the modern workforce.
Duration
Duration
4 weeks
4 weeks
Platform
Platform
Web
Web
Tools
Tools
Figma, Slack
Figma, Slack
Team
Team
3 UI/UX Designers
1 Developer
3 UI/UX Designers, 1 Developer
My Role
My Role
UI/UX Designer
Design Consultant
UI/UX Designer, Design Consultant
Overview
Overview
1Mentor is an early stage start-up who reached out for help through Springboard's Industry Design Project to improve the navigation and interface design for their forthcoming platform launch.
1Mentor is an early stage start-up who reached out for help through Springboard's Industry Design Project to improve the navigation and interface design for their forthcoming platform launch.
They are currently developing and designing a student platform that can help students and educational institutions to match skills learnt in university to suitable careers.
They are currently developing and designing a student platform that can help students and educational institutions to match skills learnt in university to suitable careers.
My Role
My Role
Facilitate and host user testing workshops
Facilitate and host user testing workshops
I was responsible for preparing and conducting testing sessions, creating testing rundown, list of test scenarios, and questions to ask users. During the testing session, I guided users through a series of tasks designed to test a series of modifications our team made to our platform prototype.
I was responsible for preparing and conducting testing sessions, creating testing rundown, list of test scenarios, and questions to ask users. During the testing session, I guided users through a series of tasks designed to test a series of modifications our team made to our platform prototype.
UX Design consulting
UX Design consulting
As a UX design consultant, I have provided recommendations and proposals to the 1Mentor team on how to improve the existing platform and prototype, as well as to meets user's and 1Mentor's business needs and expectations.
As a UX design consultant, I have provided recommendations and proposals to the 1Mentor team on how to improve the existing platform and prototype, as well as to meets user's and 1Mentor's business needs and expectations.
Problem
Problem
How might we improve the student platform's user satisfaction and task completion to simplify user flow?
How might we improve the student platform's user satisfaction and task completion to simplify user flow?
During our kick-off meeting with the 1Mentor team, they have expressed that the student platform was confusing and difficult to navigate through.
During our kick-off meeting with the 1Mentor team, they have expressed that the student platform was confusing and difficult to navigate through.
Goal
Goal
Simplify user tasks and user navigation
Simplify user tasks and user navigation
Users are more likely to successfully complete user tasks and easily accomplish what they want and need using 1Mentor's student platform. With this goal in mind, our team strived towards ensuring that tasks are not overly complex or difficult, and to prevent users from feeling frustrated.
Users are more likely to successfully complete user tasks and easily accomplish what they want and need using 1Mentor's student platform. With this goal in mind, our team strived towards ensuring that tasks are not overly complex or difficult, and to prevent users from feeling frustrated.
Impact
Impact
55.6% increased task ease
55.6% increased task ease
The student platform improved from moderately difficult to generally easy to use.
The student platform improved from moderately difficult to generally easy to use.
"The platform was smooth and easy to navigate through!"
"The platform was smooth and easy to navigate through!"
Students were excited for 1Mentor's full scale launch as they liked how easy it was to navigate through the platform.
Students were excited for 1Mentor's full scale launch as they liked how easy it was to navigate through the platform.
Challenges
Challenges
Product challenges
Product challenges
Committed to simplifying real problems and user flows and create user-centric solutions without being biased
Committed to simplifying real problems and user flows and create user-centric solutions without being biased
Constantly validate our design decisions to ensure our team's design decisions are going towards the correct direction.
Constantly validate our design decisions to ensure our team's design decisions are going towards the correct direction.
Team challenges
Team challenges
Work quickly and effectively under a short and restricted time limit of one month.
Work quickly and effectively under a short and restricted time limit of one month.
Ensure our team keeps up with a consistent and co-ordinated remote working model despite being in different time zones for our collaboration meetings, check-ins and usability testing interviews.
Ensure our team keeps up with a consistent and co-ordinated remote working model despite being in different time zones for our collaboration meetings, check-ins and usability testing interviews.
Kick off
Kick off
The team at 1Mentor have just completed a round of usability testing interviews with students, we now have to review the user testing feedback to understand the current situation of the platform.
The team at 1Mentor have just completed a round of usability testing interviews with students, we now have to review the user testing feedback to understand the current situation of the platform.
What do students think about the current prototype? Our team discovered that the feedback received were mainly negative.
What do students think about the current prototype? Our team discovered that the feedback received were mainly negative.
Students expressed that the student platform was confusing and difficult to navigate through.
Students expressed that the student platform was confusing and difficult to navigate through.
"The skill matching process was difficult to understand."
"The skill matching process was difficult to understand."
"It was hard to understand the data and information displayed in the platform."
"It was hard to understand the data and information displayed in the platform."
Students were asked to rank the difficulty of user tasks on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being very easy, and 5 being very hard.
Students were asked to rank the difficulty of user tasks on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being very easy, and 5 being very hard.
Current score:
Current score:
3.375 / 5
3.375 / 5
meaning that the user tasks were moderately difficult to complete.
meaning that the user tasks were moderately difficult to complete.
Evaluate
Evaluate
Our team has gathered together in the same week to begin our design exploration.
Our team has gathered together in the same week to begin our design exploration.
After conducting heuristic analysis on the current prototype, we categorised our findings into three main groups.
After conducting heuristic analysis on the current prototype, we categorised our findings into three main groups.
Lack of contextual information in graphical data did not help users to understand the data content presented
Lack of contextual information in graphical data did not help users to understand the data content presented
Users did not utilise the skill chips as they did not understand their intentions
Users did not utilise the skill chips as they did not understand their intentions
Unclear UX writing, data presentation and information architecture were not helpful for users to navigate through the platform
Unclear UX writing, data presentation and information architecture were not helpful for users to navigate through the platform
Iterate
Iterate
During several meetings with our team spanning over a week, we have discussed about potential solutions we can use to simplify the user experience.
Here are our design modifications:
During several meetings with our team spanning over a week, we have discussed about potential solutions we can use to simplify the user experience.
Here are our design modifications:
'Home'
'Home'
'Skills'
'Skills'
Renamed from 'Skill by Job'
Renamed from 'Skill by Job'
'Occupations'
'Occupations'
Renamed from 'Jobs'
Renamed from 'Jobs'
Testing
Testing
Again, students were asked to rank the difficulty of user tasks on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being very easy, and 5 being very hard.
Again, students were asked to rank the difficulty of user tasks on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being very easy, and 5 being very hard.
Previous score:
Previous score:
3.375 / 5
3.375 / 5
3.375 / 5
meaning that the user tasks were moderately difficult to complete.
meaning that the user tasks were moderately difficult to complete.
Current score:
Current score:
1.50 / 5
1.50 / 5
1.50 / 5
meaning that the platform is generally easy to use.
meaning that the platform is generally easy to use.
The task ease has significantly improved by 55.6% as compared to the previous score of 3.375, indicating a notable decrease in the difficulty of user tasks.
The task ease has significantly improved by 55.6% as compared to the previous score of 3.375, indicating a notable decrease in the difficulty of user tasks.
Here are the highlights of some feedback we received from students:
Here are the highlights of some feedback we received from students:
“The visual design was clear and aesthetically pleasing.”
“The visual design was clear and aesthetically pleasing.”
“Information and the data on the platform were easy to understand, and conveyed nicely."
“Information and the data on the platform were easy to understand, and conveyed nicely."
On the other hand, students have found this section under 'Occupations' to be confusing.
On the other hand, students have found this section under 'Occupations' to be confusing.
“I don't understand the need for the blank slots under 'Occupation Objectives'."
“I don't understand the need for the blank slots under 'Occupation Objectives'."
“I don't understand the need for the blank slots under 'Occupation Objectives'."
Students have expressed that the blank slots were not necessary at all as only maximum five preferred occupations can be selected. The blank slots have caused some confusion to the users' next move.
Students have expressed that the blank slots were not necessary at all as only maximum five preferred occupations can be selected. The blank slots have caused some confusion to the users' next move.
Modify and Hand-off
Modify and Hand-off
As a team, we strongly believe that 1Mentor's student platform is ready for full-scale development.
As a team, we strongly believe that 1Mentor's student platform is ready for full-scale development.
Before we hand off this re-designed prototype over back to the 1Mentor team for further development, our team came up with some small iterations for the student platform.
Before we hand off this re-designed prototype over back to the 1Mentor team for further development, our team came up with some small iterations for the student platform.
Occupations tab will only show up to 3 'added occupations' in the top bar
Occupations tab will only show up to 3 'added occupations' in the top bar
Re-institute three dots for the 'skill chips'
Re-institute three dots for the 'skill chips'
Move 'Help' from the sidebar to the profile dropdown
Move 'Help' from the sidebar to the profile dropdown
My Learnings
My Learnings
Working together efficiently to maximise synergy and potential.
Working together efficiently to maximise synergy and potential.
We have realised that balancing the strengths and weaknesses of our members to build team synergy was extremely beneficial when creating more efficient and effective results.
We have realised that balancing the strengths and weaknesses of our members to build team synergy was extremely beneficial when creating more efficient and effective results.
Being consistent and transparent with your team, and yourself.
Being consistent and transparent with your team, and yourself.
Through this opportunity, I have learnt to be a good listener, and to perform as a cohesive unit to produce consistent designs for the student platform.
Through this opportunity, I have learnt to be a good listener, and to perform as a cohesive unit to produce consistent designs for the student platform.
Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement
Thank you to my team members Charlie Beck and Haley Smith, and also Esteban Veintimilla and Paul Balcazar from 1Mentor for such a valuable experience.
Thank you to my team members Charlie Beck and Haley Smith, and also Esteban Veintimilla and Paul Balcazar from 1Mentor for such a valuable experience.
Want to see more? Here you go.
Want to see more? Here you go.
Wellness, UI/UX Design, UX Research
Easel Mobile App
Personalising access to well-being care
Personalising access to well-being care
Visual Design, Animation, Illustration
Playground Zone
Experimenting with tactile design methodologies
Experimenting with tactile design methodologies