Competitor Analysis
I created a competitor analysis to better understand how other public health schools approach the problem of multiple programs to organize
OVERVIEW
This 3-month project focused on simplifying the process for students to learn more and apply to specific programs at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. The redesign addressed key pain points, reduced complexity, and made it easier for prospective students to discover and apply to programs.
Impact
1. Reduced number of clicks by 50% and the number of decisions by 100%*
*# of clicks and decisions required on the students' end to apply for a Master's program
EXPLORING THE PROBLEM
Complicated Information Architecture
The existing information architecture and application flow involved multiple clicks and decisions, which confused prospective students and delayed their ability to determine the correct application path for a particular program.
DISCOVERY
To identify and prioritize usability issues, I conducted a heuristic audit of the current site, ran a competitive analysis, and met with internal stakeholders to deepen my understanding of the problem.
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Stakeholder Interviews
Since I couldn’t interview users yet, I started by speaking with the admissions team as they were the closest proxy to prospective students. This helped me better understand the problem.
Heuristic Evaluation
A heuristic evaluation was conducted early on in order to assess any usability issues. Once I discovered usability findings, I began to document suggestions for improvement, which I would later present to the client
USERS
Prospective Students
Primary Users who are searching for information about multiple programs and interested in applying
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Current Undergraduate Students
undergraduates interested in higher education. May be somewhat familiar with the website already
Admissions Team
Concerned with helping students find information and answer specific questions about programs
THE OPPORTUNITY
How might we streamline the "Explore Programs" and "Apply" flow to help students quickly locate, compare, and apply to specific programs without confusion?
Why didn't I interview the students themselves at this stage?
During the beginning of the project, the teams' budget for user research was delayed. For exploratory research, I decided to interview internal stakeholders as a means to better understand the projects needs
PROCESS
I created initial sketches and wireframes with Figma and refined them through iterative feedback from internal stakeholders and the client.
Wireframes
Usability Tests
Mid-project, I advocated for user research to hear directly from students. With a newly earned budget for three usability tests, I was able to identify other usability issues in my prototypes and the current website.
Findings
Enhanced Navigation & Discoverability
During usability testing, students praised the search bar affordance, the sticky filter menu, and the improved scannability compared to the original.
High Cognitive Load in the Application Page
When tasked with applying to a specific program, students struggled with the “apply” page due to the persistent issue of narrowing application types. While they liked the design, the high cognitive load from excessive decisions and text was a challenge.
Students want to learn more and apply to program is least amount of steps
The apply flow uses terms, often unfamiliar with new students, such as "SOPHAS" or "non-SOPHAS" applications
"If I click apply, I'm ready to apply"
-Usability Test Participant
-Usability Test Participant
FINAL DESIGN
Mobile Prototypes
Comparing programs
Stakeholder interviews with the admissions team and usability testing revealed a desire for students to compare program criteria at a glance. This includes graduation timelines and improved visual clarity for program location and degree level
