Making ‘family guide for student success’ more successful
Making ‘family guide for student success’ more successful
Making ‘family guide for student success’ more successful
Note: I worked as a UX Designer with IU’s UITS department (Experience Design and Development Team) as a part-time employee during my M.S. in HCI at IUB.
Note: I worked as a UX Designer with IU’s UITS department (Experience Design and Development Team) as a part-time employee during my M.S. in HCI at IUB.
Note: I worked as a UX Designer with IU’s UITS department (Experience Design and Development Team) as a part-time employee during my M.S. in HCI at IUB.
what is family guide?
what is family guide?
what is family guide?
Family guide for student success is exactly what it sounds, this page is a one stop all resource for families to know what all different resources.
Family guide for student success is exactly what it sounds, this page is a one stop all resource for families to know what all different resources.
Family guide for student success is exactly what it sounds, this page is a one stop all resource for families to know what all different resources.
my role
my role
my role
Interview, analyze and redesign
Interview, analyze and redesign
Interview, analyze and redesign
I was responsible for redesigning webpages: Adult Students, International Students, Visiting Students, Veterans and Family Guide for Student Success.
But for this case study, I will stick to just Family guide for student success. The reason I chose to take responsibility of this webpage was that I myself was a student and could put myself in the shoes of the users and their family. I took feedback from lead designers Sohile Ali and Marcos Meng, who were responsible for the redesign of other pages.
I was responsible for redesigning webpages: Adult Students, International Students, Visiting Students, Veterans and Family Guide for Student Success.
But for this case study, I will stick to just Family guide for student success. The reason I chose to take responsibility of this webpage was that I myself was a student and could put myself in the shoes of the users and their family. I took feedback from lead designers Sohile Ali and Marcos Meng, who were responsible for the redesign of other pages.
I was responsible for redesigning webpages: Adult Students, International Students, Visiting Students, Veterans and Family Guide for Student Success.
But for this case study, I will stick to just Family guide for student success. The reason I chose to take responsibility of this webpage was that I myself was a student and could put myself in the shoes of the users and their family. I took feedback from lead designers Sohile Ali and Marcos Meng, who were responsible for the redesign of other pages.
interviews
interviews
interviews
Students, families & their challenges with the webpage
Students, families & their challenges with the webpage
Students, families & their challenges with the webpage
For this project, I just had access to IU students to conduct user interviews and not their parents (or family) even though this page was family guide. This did not stop me and I took it as a challenge and framed the question which puts students in kind of a family perspective. How? By tweaking interview question as,
For this project, I just had access to IU students to conduct user interviews and not their parents (or family) even though this page was family guide. This did not stop me and I took it as a challenge and framed the question which puts students in kind of a family perspective. How? By tweaking interview question as,
For this project, I just had access to IU students to conduct user interviews and not their parents (or family) even though this page was family guide. This did not stop me and I took it as a challenge and framed the question which puts students in kind of a family perspective. How? By tweaking interview question as,
“Imagine you have a younger sibling who is about to apply to IU Southeast, and being the responsible sibling, you take a look at the family guide.
Now if we were to give you a magic wand to add any information that would be helpful to you for your sibling, what would you add?”
“Imagine you have a younger sibling who is about to apply to IU Southeast, and being the responsible sibling, you take a look at the family guide.
Now if we were to give you a magic wand to add any information that would be helpful to you for your sibling, what would you add?”
“Imagine you have a younger sibling who is about to apply to IU Southeast, and being the responsible sibling, you take a look at the family guide.
Now if we were to give you a magic wand to add any information that would be helpful to you for your sibling, what would you add?”
Image from a user interview
Image from a user interview
This simple tweaking of question helped us get better answers in terms of what was felt missing from the page. These were the insights after 8 interviews.
This simple tweaking of question helped us get better answers in terms of what was felt missing from the page. These were the insights after 8 interviews.
TO ADD
TO ADD
Campus life
Campus life
5/8 students preferred to see the campus life when given a magic wand to add info.
5/8 students preferred to see the campus life when given a magic wand to add info.
TO ADD
TO ADD
Career services
Career services
6/8 students wanted to learn more about resources related to career and internships.
6/8 students wanted to learn more about resources related to career and internships.
TO ADD
TO ADD
Housing, dining & safety
Housing, dining & safety
6/8 students would look for housing and dining as it would be crucial for them to know about safety of the place they would live in and type of dining options available.
6/8 students would look for housing and dining as it would be crucial for them to know about safety of the place they would live in and type of dining options available.
the good, the bad, the lovely
the good, the bad, the lovely
the good, the bad, the lovely
Evaluation of the webpage
Evaluation of the webpage
Evaluation of the webpage
Note: Image may take some time to load
Note: Image may take some time to load
Note: Image may take some time to load
SECTIONS LOVED
What to talk about to students
5/8 students preferred to see the campus life when given a magic wand to add info.
SECTIONS TO IMPROVE
Visit campus CTA
Missing resources
There is a section for parents to visit campus but there is no CTA which can actually take them to that webpage or some scheduling link for parents to take action.
There were few resources like housing, dining and safety which were crucial for family and students which were completely missing.
desk research
desk research
desk research
How are other colleges doing it?
How are other colleges doing it?
How are other colleges doing it?
Apart from interviewing students, I took a look at how other colleges like Ohio state college, Pratt Institute, GeorgiaTech, UC Berkley, etc are doing it and one thing in UC Berkley stood out was “Pay your student’s bill” which is quite a helpful resource and CTA for parents.
Apart from interviewing students, I took a look at how other colleges like Ohio state college, Pratt Institute, GeorgiaTech, UC Berkley, etc are doing it and one thing in UC Berkley stood out was “Pay your student’s bill” which is quite a helpful resource and CTA for parents.
Apart from interviewing students, I took a look at how other colleges like Ohio state college, Pratt Institute, GeorgiaTech, UC Berkley, etc are doing it and one thing in UC Berkley stood out was “Pay your student’s bill” which is quite a helpful resource and CTA for parents.
Image from UC Berkeley website
Image from UC Berkeley website
interviews + desk research + instincts
interviews + desk research + instincts
interviews + desk research + instincts
Integrating all the insights into design
Integrating all the insights into design
Integrating all the insights into design
Note: Image may take some time to load
Note: Image may take some time to load
Note: Image may take some time to load
WHAT CHANGED?
On this page
Student success
Added cards with images for this section as it invites families to view more about it plus cards arrangement looks more clean and gives better information hierarchy.
Student wellness
Added “on this page” on all the pages which helps students to get a gist of what’s on it before scrolling all the way down.
Linkhub
Added housing, dining and IU safety resource links.
Updated design system
Used the updated Rivet design system and updated some of the older framework to the newer one.
Linkhub is a better choice in organizing multiple links (with descriptions) in a clear and concise way than cards, hence I used them at multiple places in the page
stakeholder feedback
stakeholder feedback
stakeholder feedback
A “what just happened!!” moment
A “what just happened!!” moment
A “what just happened!!” moment
Never in my life have I gotten a design approved in first iteration itself, not the first iteration technically as there were a couple of teeny-weeny design changes I had made before sharing with stakeholders. However, this was unexpected and I don’t know why but I expected some change (maybe I am hardwired to expect critiques).
Never in my life have I gotten a design approved in first iteration itself, not the first iteration technically as there were a couple of teeny-weeny design changes I had made before sharing with stakeholders. However, this was unexpected and I don’t know why but I expected some change (maybe I am hardwired to expect critiques).
Never in my life have I gotten a design approved in first iteration itself, not the first iteration technically as there were a couple of teeny-weeny design changes I had made before sharing with stakeholders. However, this was unexpected and I don’t know why but I expected some change (maybe I am hardwired to expect critiques).
learnings
learnings
learnings
Presented my designs to stakeholders higher up in the org
Presented my designs to stakeholders higher up in the org
Presented my designs to stakeholders higher up in the org
This was new to me because even though I have presented in front of larger audiences and other higher level people in my previous job, this felt different. Maybe because I’ve always presented in front of people I know.
As I did not know the stakeholders much, there was a nervousness while explaining the design and design decisions. I even messed up once or twice too but my lead designer had my back, being an amazing leader he is!
However, as I got in the groove, I did alright and they even loved the design so I think I hit it right out of the park.
This was new to me because even though I have presented in front of larger audiences and other higher level people in my previous job, this felt different. Maybe because I’ve always presented in front of people I know.
As I did not know the stakeholders much, there was a nervousness while explaining the design and design decisions. I even messed up once or twice too but my lead designer had my back, being an amazing leader he is!
However, as I got in the groove, I did alright and they even loved the design so I think I hit it right out of the park.
This was new to me because even though I have presented in front of larger audiences and other higher level people in my previous job, this felt different. Maybe because I’ve always presented in front of people I know.
As I did not know the stakeholders much, there was a nervousness while explaining the design and design decisions. I even messed up once or twice too but my lead designer had my back, being an amazing leader he is!
However, as I got in the groove, I did alright and they even loved the design so I think I hit it right out of the park.
The end.
The end.
The end.
Read about my startup
Read about my startup
Read about my startup
Next case study (random)
Next case study (random)
Next case study (random)
or
Hit me up to talk about this project over a cup of chai!
Hit me up to talk about this project over a cup of chai!
Hit me up to talk about this project over a cup of chai!
What was the interview protocol like?
Team dynamics
All about university design team
IU's Rivet design system
What aspect I need to grow in?
Copyright © 2025 Dharam Lokhandwala. Updated in January 2025.
Copyright © 2025 Dharam Lokhandwala. Updated in January 2025.
