Making Friends on Campus Virtually Through Prototyping
Cynthia Gutierrez
Frieda von Huene
Team
Timeline
January - March 2023
Role
UX Designer
In Prototyping Methods I, we were challenged with creating an online experience to show potential students the qualities attending DePaul University if they were unable to visit the school in-person.
Problem
Create an application, similar to a dating app but for friends, that will pair up current and future students. DePaul students will show the incoming student a personalized view of DePaul, and what it means to be a “Blue Demon.”
Solution
To get more empathy for incoming students at DePaul University we started with conducting primary research. This consisted on Surveys and Interviews. We also looked for articles pertaining to what incoming students look for in Universities.
Primary and Secondary Research
Survey
Created a Google form where we had 21 users participate.
Some of the questions asked in the survey were:
In three words can you describe what you were/are feeling during the process of picking a university? If not applicable please put N/A.
Has the pandemic altered your college search? If so, how? If not applicable please put N/A.
Interview
Our team interviewed 6 individuals that fit the criteria of being in high school or up to their second year of college.
Some of the questions asked in the interviews were:
When looking at colleges/universities, what are your criteria for choosing those schools?
Did you pick colleges that mainly provided online classes, in-person, or a mix?
Results of Primary Research
After reviewing our data from the surveys and interviews we began with creating an affinity map. We found 8 common themes like location of college, financial aid, or university living that coincides with some insights.
From these insights we created design principles. One design principle was providing opportunities for parents to view and learn about the college individually which was derived from the insight of parental influence to attend higher education.
User Stories
As a potential student, I want a pen pal system at universities so that I can talk directly to enrolled students.
As a college student, I want easier access to community activities through my college campus so that I can meet like-minded peers and create positive relationships to aid in my time at school.
As a student, I need smaller/more personal classes so that I can better engage with my professors and/or peers and further excel in my studies.
Prototyping
Paper Prototype
Scenario: You are a senior in high school currently looking to find out more about DePaul University. You want to talk to a DePaul student about campus life. You find the “Meet Ur Match” app sponsored by DePaul. After you sign up, can you find your matches in the browse tab and start a conversation with a student at DePaul?
Each group member created an iteration of the paper prototype, and this final version combined the best qualities of all three.
