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MY ROLE:  secondary research, create and distribute surveys, interview users, create sketches, iterate on designs

GOAL:  create a comprehensive system that is responsive across multiple formats that increases the enjoyment and confidence of first year students at Purdue University

Purdue Everywhere

Purdue University

Brief

The freshman year experience is difficult to navigate, especially when there are resources spread across different platforms. Design a multi-platform, multi-channel experience catered towards freshman students, but also extends to more experienced students. As you iterate, reflect upon the various touchpoints students will experience across campus as they use your design. 

Process

SECONDARY + PRIMARY 
RESEARCH

AFFINITY

DIAGRAMMING

PERSONA

CREATION

EXPERIENCE

PROTOTYPING

INITIAL

SKETCHES

USER TESTING

FEEDBACK

PROPOSED

SOLUTION

SECONDARY + PRIMARY RESEARCH

Our secondary research covered a broad spectrum of current systems. We explored Purdue-specific technologies and resources, as well as software used at other universities. We also took some inspiration from the My Disney Experience Application, as an example of a widespread technological system.

Our goal was to understand multi-media and multi-channel platforms that work well, and platforms that have problem areas. This research served as the foundation for our focus and scope of this project. We became aware of Purdue resources, such as official university websites, apps, buildings, and information boards across campus. This foundational information informed our primary research moving forward in the project. 

Primary research involved surveys to incoming Freshmen and to upperclassmen, as well as interviews with current Purdue Freshmen students. 

“I feel like Purdue enables those opportunities for me to find interesting events, but they don’t really help me find them. I seek out the things I want, often by talking to authorities around me, like my RA and professors, to find what I want.”

"I’ve been lucky that the people I live with in my dorm are all pretty cool, and some of them are in a lot of my classes. Other than that though I haven’t really met too many people with similar interest.”

“There are so many events on campus that it’s kind of difficult to keep up with the ones that interest me.”

AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING

After gaining insights from primary and secondary research, we arranged our findings into common themes.

We included results from our surveys, interviews, and secondary research, and organized them into recurring themes. This included secondary research on more abstract apps like the My Disney App, and also more education-specific programs like resource management strategies. Our process started with many smaller categories, but we combined groups to make larger overarching categories. Results included themes such as event issues, social concerns and making friendstime management, and Purdue resources.

PERSONA CREATION

Our personas were developed based on our research, and especially through our survey and interview responses. 

“I'm nervous and excited, but some of my older friends still feel like they haven't made good friends.”

NEEDS

SCENARIO

- find clubs and events of interest

- build a positive social circle

- familiarize himself with important

  buildings and places

FRUSTRATIONS

- worried about not meeting any new,

   likeminded friends

- concerned about not settling into his new

   environment

After the initial euphoria of being accepted to Purdue, he has since been bombarded with emails directing him towards a wide variety of resources and information. Although some are useful, Troy only wants to see the ones that he is certain will help him settle in to his new school, both socially and academically. 

Anxious incoming Freshman

Troy, 18-year-old student

“I like being involved at Purdue, and am looking for new activities to join for my last two years.”

Gabriella, 20-year-old student

NEEDS

- wants to be aware of the events and

  clubs that cater to her interests

- know the resources available that will 

   help her in her professional pursuits

SCENARIO

FRUSTRATIONS

- having to search through enormous

   quantities of clubs and events

- finding out about an interesting event on 

   campus after it takes place

Gabriella continually uses Boiler Link to find new events or clubs to join based on her interests, but the search always takes so long and is often unsuccessful. Additionally, she has often missed out on events or resources, because she had no idea that they were available or taking place until they were over. 

Horizen-expanding Junior

INITIAL SKETCHES

We created sketches informed by our primary and secondary research, focusing on multiple technological touchpoints. 

In our initial ideation session, each team member sketched initial design concepts, as well as journey maps depicting potential touchpoints and interactions. In a group critique, issues were raised with defining the design scope in relation to our problem statement.

EXPERIENCE PROTOTYPING

We tested our screen designs through the participation of potential users. 

USER TESTING + FEEDBACK

We tested one mid-fidelity wireframe prototype with two participants. We moderated as they used the app feature in relationship to the corresponding large screen features. They completed core tasks using a think-aloud protocol and interacted with the screen using our InVision prototype. This gave us insight on some usability issues, as well as confusion regarding the interaction between two touchpoints. User feedback gave us many revision points, and we continued to iterate before deciding on our proposed solution. 

Four students were recruited to participate in an exploratory test of the app exclusively. They were all given the same task to create a profile with interests, find an event within a list of recommended events, and add it to their calendar. 

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Our solution on MPS and signage re-design will create an embodied shopping experience for grab-n-go buyers to quickly locate items that they usually don’t shop from a particular market. They can easily grab the map on their phone with a simple tap on the go when they enter the market and either quickly search the item they need or tap the already listed items. Having all “one-tap” interactions, the buyer can easily locate the item on the map and navigate to the particular aisle following the color-n-shape coded markers.

Once navigated, the shopper can easily connect with the signage presenting in the physical space using the same marker and locate the unfamiliar item to shop. The one liner hints of navigation would help them locate the aisle according to their familiarity of the physical space (adding more reference points). Adding to the feature of locating the item required, sales in the store and main physical spaces (like cash counter, restrooms, cart area, etc.) can easily be located without searching.

Onboarding & Interests Selection

  • The student creates their account with their assigned Purdue ID

  • The student builds a profile based around their studies, social, academic and professional interests

  • Allowing access to this prior to attending Purdue allows for a greater preparation for school

  • A student's interests create influences on the content displayed to them by the application

Academic & Career Resources

  • Students rated academics as their highest priority when surveyed

  • Users are shown a map with a filtering system to see where on campus they can receive help

  • The student builds a profile based around their studies, social, academic and professional interests

  • Map view enables the user to spatially see their options across campus

  • Users can filter the options for relevance

Events

  • A tailored experience for students to add events to their calendars

  • Students will see events that match their interests, but also have the option to look at all events on campus

  • If the student selects to see more information, they will be shown the time, date, and location of the event, as well as any comments made by other students

  • The student can save an event they are interested in without adding it to their calendar

Events

  • This interface would be shown on a large screen, and would prompt students to walk by and answer questions on their phones

  • The phone screen flow to answer a question is detailed below

TV Touchpoint - Q&A

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