Study Abroad App
OVERVIEW
Study Abroad is a mobile app designed to simplify the process of looking at foreign universities.
The app would allow students who are interested in studying internationally to compare a variety of university specifics such as visa requirements, available housing, and curriculum.
ROLE
Product Designer
Product Strategy, Competitive & User Research, Visual Design, Presentation
August 2019 – May 2020
Background
Within the U.S. alone international students can make up 5 percent of the total student population, contributing billions of dollars to the economy. Our client sought to bring together a growing list of universities willing to share information to make comparing their programs an engaging and simple experience.
A Team of Designers
Myself and 2 other designers took on the task of producing the design for the Study Abroad app. Each of us was involved in every aspect of the process, developing our UX/UI strategy to produce an app that is easy-to-use and informative. Our achievements include:
- Taking an idea and creating a product. Together we built our Study Abroad app from an open-ended concept.
- Collaborating and sharing ideas. Our finalized designs were the result of many revisions, discussions, compliments, and critiques.
- Presenting project milestones to clients. At multiple stages of the design process we reported on our progress, taking feedback and suggestions from our clients to improve on the next iteration.
Problems
Particularly when looking at multiple schools or countries for study, it can be a challenge to compare programs. Issues can arise in getting overwhelmed with requirements & program prerequisites, or with keeping information on multiple universities organized enough for a comprehensive comparison. Key issues that needed to be addressed included:
- Users needed to be able to narrow down results to schools that met the criteria they were interested in.
- Users needed to be able to save schools or courses to be easily referenced at a later time.
- We wanted users to know not just about the offered programs, but also be able to get an idea of what life would be like on and around campus.
Solutions
Understanding these challenges, we developed these goals:
- Users should be able to sort by Course, Country, and University.
- Users should be able to do side-by-side comparisons of "favorites".
- Users should be able to see not only program specifics but also university facilities, housing options, and application requirments.
The Vision
Each university would have the same types of information available for review. Knowing this, we started with a basic layout of how the app would map out. Starting with narrowing the user's search results, and then allowing them to explore universities that they were interested in. Scribbles on paper eventually transformed into wireframes illustrating the expansive scope of the app.
Designs
With a clear vision of the functionality and layout of the app, it was time to develop our visual design. We went with a cheerful color scheme and simplistic style to keep the user on-task and free of distraction.
Our owl-esque mascot S.A.M. became the final touch. Friendly face ever-present as our users explore the next step in their education journey.
Loading Page
Excited for this next step in your education? So is S.A.M.
Login Page
Users can sign in to their account to access their saved information.
Sort University
Users who already have a university in mind can find the school of their choice.
University Page
Users can browse categories for a selected university. See how the university is rated, and favorite the school to view later.
Housing Page
Users can see what housing options are available on campus.
Comparison Page
Users can compare information on favorited courses or universities.
