UX Designer
Artist
Life After College
Introducing Life After College, a revolutionary mobile app and website designed specifically for new graduates. The transition from college to the professional world can be daunting, which is why this platform connects users with mentors across various fields. Users gain invaluable insights into potential careers while building a network of connections that help lead them to exciting job opportunities.
Project Overview
Project Duration
October 2024
Role
UX Designer
Problem
The leap from college to the workforce can be a daunting challenge, filled with stress and uncertainty. It is difficult to land a job and even harder to know if it is a good fit.
Goal
To mitigate stress that comes with leaving college and provide easy access to insights into potential careers.
IT ALL STARTS WITH AN IDEA...
...THAT LEADS TO DEFINING THE FOCUS...
...TO HELP CREATE A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN...
...TO TEST WITH REAL USERS...
...TO FINALLY LAUNCH THE FINAL PRODUCT.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
Transitioning from college to a full time job is stressful.
Jobs are competitive especially for new graduates with no experience.
Hard to find what job would be the best fit and what you would even enjoy.
Hard to put together a resume and know how to interview.
User Pain Points
USER RESEARCH
Through user interviews and surveys, valuable insights into user pain points and experiences were gained. With this information, user personas and journey maps were created to better understand the needs and goals of the users. A competitive audit was conducted which included Pathrise, Women in Tech and BetterUp to ensure that the designs are aggressive within the market.
Persona: Sarah
Problem Statement: Sarah is a recent college graduate with a degree in business. She has attempted to apply to several jobs with no luck getting an interview. She feels extremely overwhelmed by the job market and not sure where to go from here. She needs a way to gain more information regarding potential job options with her business degree and the steps involved in landing an interview and the job.
Demographics
Age: 22 Education: BA Business Hometown: Boston, MA Family: Single Occupation: Unemployed
User Story
Sarah is a recent college graduate with a degree in business. She worked hard in school and got good grades, graduating summa cum laude. However, upon graduating she has attempted to blindly apply to several jobs but has had no luck getting an interview. She feels extremely overwhelmed by the job market and not sure where to go from here. Sarah doesn't have any family with a business degree so does not who to get advice from. She needs a way to gain more information regarding potential job options with her business degree and the steps involved in landing an interview and the job.
Goals
- Gain more information about potential jobs she qualifies for with her business degree - Gain insight regarding what the job is really like day-to-day - Learn the steps involved in landing her dream job
Frustrations
- Job market is competitive and Sarah has no experience - Hard to determine what these jobs are really like day-to-day - Difficult to get an interview without connections
Design
Wireframes
My design process followed a structured approach, from creating paper and digital wireframes to low-fidelity prototypes prior to the first round of usability studies. I wanted to create a simple and sleek design with the ability to easily search for a mentor by specific job or college degree. I also wanted users to have the ability to easily filter mentors based on reviews, experience, degree, etc to help users find the best mentor for them.
Usability Studies
My research, driven by detailed usability studies, revealed critical insights from participants. Users enjoyed the overall simple design with the ability to easily search and filter mentors. However, most users wanted the ability to save multiple mentors in a 'favorites list' in order to return to these mentors' profiles at a later date or to schedule repeat sessions with them in the future. In response to this feedback, I added favorite buttons to all the mentor profiles.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Transforming the low-fidelity prototype was a key step in the design process. I'm thrilled to unveil my high-fidelity prototype, which has been meticulously crafted after user experience refinements. It encapsulates both aesthetic appeal and functional performance, paving the way for an improved interaction design.
Moving Forward
The journey through this design project has been incredibly rewarding. I found great satisfaction in addressing user challenges and making a positive impact on their everyday lives. As I look to the future, my ambition is to introduce more innovative features for college graduates that are unsure of what job they want. I would like to consider adding resources to help them explore multiple careers as well as connecting these graduates with mentors that would help them find the job they are meant for.
Website Design
Following the completion of the Life After College application I wanted to create a complementary website for users that would prefer to use a desktop over an app. Designed to help new graduates connect with mentors in their chosen fields, this interface enhances user experience and promotes meaningful connections. My goal was again to make the design as seamless as possible so graduates can easily navigate their pathways into the professional world.
