Case Study
Learn
Helping College Students on Their Journey to Becoming a Teacher
This is an ongoing project and will be periodically revised. Come back soon for more information!
COMPANY
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Undisclosed
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SKILLS
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MVP Design
Design System
Project Scoping/ Mapping
Usability Testing
Wire-framing
Prototyping
ROLE
Lead UX Designer
Design Consultant
DURATION
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Mar 2023 - Present
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OVERVIEW
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This portfolio project focuses on the design of a comprehensive web platform aimed at supporting college students in their journey towards becoming teachers. The platform serves as a one-stop solution, assisting students in finding suitable teacher prep programs, determining the right teacher licensure for their goals, and providing access to available teacher roles.
Objective: The primary objective of this UX design project is to create an intuitive and user-friendly platform that empowers college students aspiring to become teachers. By leveraging the platform, students can navigate the complex landscape of teacher preparation, gain insights into various programs, make informed decisions about licensure requirements, and explore relevant job opportunities.
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Style
Embarking on the path to becoming a teacher is a transformative journey. To guide college students effectively, I curated a design with guidance from my team that fosters engagement and accessibility through fonts, colors, and themes.
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Fonts: Our selected typeface balances professionalism with approachability, making educational content both clear and engaging. This choice aligns students with their aspiration to become educators.
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Colors: Our palette evokes academic passion, infusing positivity into the interface. Contrasting shades emphasize critical elements, enhancing usability and motivation.
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Light Theme: An open and vibrant theme ensures readability, offering a bright outlook for the journey ahead.
Dark Theme: While this is for future use, for immersive experiences, our dark theme reduces strain while highlighting key content.
In integrating fonts, colors, and themes, we amplify students' aspirations and empower them on their path to teaching. Our design aligns function with emotion, equipping users with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Home Page
Throughout the process of developing our product, significant effort was dedicated to refining our homepage to effectively communicate our product offerings. Our goal was to create an informative and visually appealing entry point for users, highlighting the value of our product and showcasing new features. The homepage underwent several iterations to achieve these objectives.
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To ensure its effectiveness, we conducted interviews with stakeholders and three college students, evaluating their experience with the homepage and assessing if it aligned with our predefined success criteria. Their feedback provided valuable insights and helped us fine-tune the homepage to better meet user expectations.
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Home Page Animation
The iterative design process, combined with user interviews, enabled us to create a homepage that effectively conveys our product's unique value proposition and engages our target audience.
Teacher Prep Programs
The Teacher Prep Program page of our platform aimed at helping college students become teachers. This page serves as a vital component of the platform, guiding students in their search for the ideal program based on specific filters such as location, cost, duration, program type, and available financial aid.
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Teacher Prep Animation
My design approach prioritized clarity, ease of use, and providing valuable information to empower students in their decision-making process. By carefully considering user needs and feedback, I created an intuitive interface that simplifies the complex task of selecting a teacher prep program.
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The program listing section presents each program with essential details such as program name, location, duration, program type, and cost. Students can quickly evaluate and compare various options based on their specific criteria.
Intuitive filtering options allow students to refine their search by applying filters such as location preference, desired program duration, specific program types (e.g., traditional, alternative, online), and financial aid availability. These filters help students narrow down their options and find programs that align with their individual preferences.
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To assist students further, I implemented a feature that highlights the best programs based on different categories. This includes the overall best program, the best program for specific locations, and the best program for cost-effectiveness. These recommendations provide valuable guidance and assist students in making informed decisions.
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Each program is accompanied by a dedicated program page that provides comprehensive information. This includes detailed program descriptions, curriculum highlights, faculty profiles, accreditation details, and available financial aid options. The aim is to provide students with a holistic view of each program, enabling them to evaluate the program's suitability based on their goals and requirements.
Teacher Licensing
The Teacher Licensure page plays a crucial role in guiding students through the process of understanding and obtaining the necessary licensure required for their desired teaching career. The licensure listing section presents a comprehensive overview of different licensure options based on the selected filters. Students can explore each licensure, which includes essential details such as the type of licensure, applicable grade levels, and the type of school (e.g., public, private). This allows students to evaluate the licensure requirements and determine which ones align with their teaching goals.
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Teacher Licensing Animation
The design and flow of the Teacher Licensure page closely mirror that of the Teacher Prep Program page. The goal is to maintain consistency across the platform, ensuring a familiar and seamless user experience. Clear navigation, intuitive interactions, and a cohesive visual design were incorporated to create a cohesive and engaging experience for users.
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Just like the Teacher Prep Program page, my design approach for the Teacher Licensure page prioritized clarity, ease of use, and providing valuable information to empower students in their journey to become teachers. Upon clicking on a specific licensure, students are directed to a dedicated licensure details page. This page provides in-depth information about the licensure itself, including its purpose, eligibility criteria, required examinations, application process, and any additional information needed.
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Which Teaching is Right for Me Quiz
After receiving feedback from both stakeholders and engaging with five college students, we decided to refine the product's scope. This led us to pivot towards a more inclusive approach, now targeting individuals who are actively contemplating a career in teaching. Following two rounds of usability testing, we evolved from a simple quiz aimed at determining one's suitability for teaching to a comprehensive tool. This tool helps users identify their strengths and aptitudes within the realm of teaching and, more importantly, reveals the specific areas within teaching where these strengths can be optimally applied.
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Quiz Animation
One of the key points of feedback we received emphasized the significance of gaining insights into the thoughts and sentiments of present-day teachers regarding these questions. Consequently, each question underwent a meticulous review process, resulting in the incorporation of either a video or audio clip featuring a teacher's perspective on the specific question or an anecdote closely related to it.
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After completing the quiz, users are presented with a breakdown of their strengths and insights into how these strengths can be effectively applied within the field of education.
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Grants & Scholarships
Following our recent review with our stakeholders, we made the decision to incorporate an additional feature that enables users to search for potential grants and scholarships. Given that financial aid and funding were consistently ranked as the most crucial factors influencing one's decision to pursue a particular program, degree, licensure, etc., it became imperative to provide a platform where users can explore potential funding opportunities.
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Grants & Scholarships Animation
Grants and funding opportunities can be filtered by location, funding type, ethnicity, subject, specialty, grade level of teaching, as well as their due date and funding amount.
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