Case Study
Designing a college information system
In this case study, we aimed to address the following problem:
How might we improve the student experience of enrolling in classes?
Overview
Description
This project was a class assignment to practice the design process by working with student advisors at Michigan State University to address a problem with the Student Information System (SIS).
Over the course of one month, our team user-tested the SIS and (re)designed a process to improve the user experience. We conducted department-wide research, created wireframes, conducted user testing, and presented our findings to our stakeholders, peers, and faculty.
Team Size
5 People
My Role
UX Researcher, Visual Designer, Writer
Timeline
1 month (November 2022)
Details
What is SIS?
The Student Information System (SIS) is the primary portal for accessing academic records, resources, and tools at Michigan State University. It is utilized by students, advisors, and faculty. However, the current process for enrolling in classes has caused frustration among students.
Research
Survey Results
In order to address the issue, our team conducted a survey to understand current obstacles with the design of SIS. Results were collected after two weeks and our top findings were:
41%
of students found prerequisites for classes unclear.
70%
of students found it difficult to identify class schedule conflicts.
41%
of students are unable to find available time slots to meet with an advisor.
*Note: our survey was based on 24 student responses.
Student Feedback
In addition to the survey, we sought out students’ feedback on the functionality of SIS. Here were a couple of responses:
“It’s hard to see if class times overlapped or not and it’s annoying to have to go back and forth between tabs."
“It feels like I have to go through a lot of steps to find what I need."
“I would like to see class requirements for graduation at the same time while searching for classes.”
Design
In order to meet the project’s tight deadline, we focused on one issue: identifying class schedule conflicts. Our team’s focus was to redesign the process of student class enrollment, with an emphasis on improving the schedule-building experience.
Ideation
To achieve this, we utilized a team approach and assigned one team member to visually map out ideas on a whiteboard while the rest of the team engaged in discussions around potential processes, designs, and features that would aid students in building a schedule without encountering difficulties related to class overlap.
Prototype
After discussing our ideas, we created low-fidelity wireframes.
ISSUE:
The menu takes up almost a third of the screen, causing the calendar to be very squished...
Classes are in an easy-to-read list.
ISSUE:
What information do users want to see under each class?
Calendar view helps users to see possible issues with their schedule.
User Testing
Next, we sought feedback from our classmates to identify any potential issues we may have missed. We received positive feedback on our solution and suggestions to incorporate a color code system to improve the calendar’s usability. This feedback helped us refine and improve our solution.
Solution
Description
Our final deliverable was a wireframe of a redesigned student class enrollment process that implemented a new feature to view a weekly class schedule in a calendar format. The use of different shades of colors in the calendar helps students quickly identify any potential conflict or unmet prerequisites. For instance, red indicated class schedule conflicts, yellow indicated unmet prerequisites, approval needed or waitlisted, and green indicated that the class is valid and can be taken.
To increase space, we created a collapsable menu.
Each class holds key information that users will most likely want such as location, time, and instructors.
Added a color code system to easily identify any issues with their schedule.
So, how might we improve the student experience of enrolling in classes?
From our research, we found key pain points that students faced when enrolling in classes such as:
-
Inability to see class overlap
-
Inability to schedule appointments with an academic advisor
-
Inability to see class prerequisites before enrollment
We narrowed down our focus to one key issue which was:
-
Inability to see class overlap
As a result, we prototyped, designed, and conducted several user tests to make sure the new feature was one that users would benefit from and enjoy using. We repeatedly made sure that our solution improved the student experience of enrolling in classes.
Reflection
This client project was a valuable learning experience in the areas of research, data analysis, and solution-building. Initially, I thought the project would follow a linear creative process where data collection and solution-building would occur simultaneously. However, I found that this is not always the case and multiple iterations of research and design may be necessary to achieve the final goal.
What I enjoyed about this project was the opportunity to make an impact on the experience of thousands of students at MSU. This was a real-world problem that requires a real solution, and being a part of a team that was determined to build the best solution for the students was exciting. If give the opportunity to work on a similar project in the future, I would be eager to showcase this project as evidence of my capabilities.