GenAlly

First-Generation College Student App

Team

Team of 4

Role

UX UI Designer and Researcher

Tools

Figma

Figjam

Teams

Duration

3 months

Overview

The GenAlly project, part of my Interaction Design I course at Kennesaw State University, aimed to create a supportive community for first-generation college students. As a first-generation student myself, I was deeply connected to this initiative. My primary contributions were in wireframing and prototyping, though our team embraced a fluid, collaborative approach. "GenAlly" was designed to help students navigate the academic and personal challenges of college while fostering peer support. Using Goal-Directed Design, we developed features that specifically addressed the needs of first-generation students, creating a platform that serves as a companion on their academic journey.

Meet the Team

Design Approach

The Goal-Directed Design (GDD) emphasizes the creation of user-centric products that are intuitive and functional, informed by user input. This approach involves a series of iterative stages, including research, modeling, requirements gathering, framework development, refinement, and ongoing support. At the heart of the GDD methodology lies the integration of user research and feedback at every stage of the design process, ensuring that the final products prioritize user needs and preferences.

Problem

The existing landscape of support for first-generation college students predominantly emphasizes in-person resources, overlooking the potential advantages offered by online platforms. Existing products and services overlook the untapped potential of digital avenues in fostering community and support. Our innovative solution seeks to bridge this gap by introducing an app designed specifically to empower first-generation students. Through comprehensive access to information across various topics and facilitated networking opportunities, our platform aims to uplift and connect students, leveraging the power of digital connectivity to enhance their collegiate experience.

Kick-Off Meeting

During the research phase, my team and I initiated our project with a Kickoff Meeting worksheet, a review of relevant literature, a competitive audit, and insightful interviews with Subject Matter Experts. In the absence of actual stakeholders, we assumed their role, gaining valuable insights into our app's audience, purpose, and niche. We learned that our target user is a student whose parents did not earn a bachelor's degree, and we aim to create a supportive community for them. Our research also revealed a gap in existing services, highlighting the need for an online platform to build such a community.

Literature Review

In researching the GenAlly product, we uncovered that first-generation college students often lack the mentorship and support needed to navigate higher education. They are twice as likely to leave college without a degree compared to students with familial college experience. This highlights the urgent need for a platform that offers guidance and mentorship.

Key Points:

  • First-generation students face unique challenges that affect their academic performance and adjustment.

  • A sense of belonging, socialization, GPA, and re-enrollment intentions are interconnected and influence student success in college.

Competitive Audit

As we embarked on developing an app for first-generation college students, we first researched their unique needs and challenges. We then analyzed competitors like Reddit and LinkedIn to understand effective features. Surprisingly, we found no active app specifically for first-generation students in the Apple app store. While Reddit encouraged discussion, its first-generation student subreddit lacked engagement. Concerns arose regarding Reddit's anonymity fostering inappropriate behavior. Meanwhile, LinkedIn's professional focus limited its suitability for student connection.

Table of insight collected when researching competitors

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

Interviewing with a Subject Matter Expert (SME) wasn't obligatory, but our team proactively reached out to Chelsea Craig, the author of a significant thesis exploring the efficacy of mentoring programs for first-generation students. Recognizing the profound impact of mentorship highlighted in our literature review, we sought firsthand insights from someone experienced in developing such programs.

User Interviews

My team conducted face-to-face interviews with five first-generation students, four undergraduates, and one graduate. We documented reflections individually and then used affinity mapping to synthesize our findings. Although focused on Kennesaw State University, we aimed to understand the broader college experience.

Using insights from these interviews, we developed a persona—a first-generation student seeking knowledge or connections. To validate our hypothesis, we interviewed five more first-generation students, analyzing their challenges and comparing in-person and online networking. Affinity mapping helped us identify key themes, highlighting the importance of networking for both social and professional growth.

Affinity Map of Interview #3

Modeling Phase

Our team mapped interview participants onto behavioral spectrums relevant to the first-generation college experience, helping us uncover key patterns that shaped our project's direction. We found that most participants were highly engaged in university-sponsored activities, actively involved with mentors, and felt a strong sense of belonging on campus. To capture these insights, we compiled key characteristics and goals, which formed the foundation for our persona.

Using behavioral continuums, we identified significant trends such as mentor involvement, the use of on-campus resources, and how social media helps foster connections. This process allowed us to create our primary persona, Evelyn Holmes, who embodies the typical needs, behaviors, and goals of first-generation students. Evelyn reflects the essence of GenAlly's mission: providing the support and resources necessary for navigating the unique challenges of college life.

Requirements Phase

Informed by user interviews and our primary persona, we crafted a context scenario illustrating how first-generation students would utilize our app, aligning with goal-directed design principles. From this scenario, we derived specific action-based design requirements essential for wireframe development, ensuring user goal attainment.

Throughout this phase, we iterated on project statements, ideating essential functionalities for accessibility. We also delineated data and functional needs to align with users' mental models, as highlighted by Cooper's emphasis on understanding expectations.

Crafting a persona expectation involved brainstorming data and functional needs, structured within Cooper's framework, to hypothesize user requirements based on research findings. Additionally, we constructed a context scenario to outline usage settings, primary activities, and expected outcomes.

Through this narrative-driven exploration, we gained insights into users' interactions with the app, informing design decisions for seamless integration into their college experience.

Context scenario of our persona

Framework Phase

After outlining context scenarios and compiling requirements for our primary persona, our team moved into wireframing. We began by creating a key path scenario that mapped the primary user’s main journey, prioritizing critical requirements. We also included validation scenarios for less common user paths.

Using FigJam, we built low-fidelity wireframes tailored to users’ majors, career goals, and interests, reflecting both daily activities and edge cases. After evaluating the wireframes, we transitioned to Figma to develop a high-fidelity prototype, carefully refining our design to communicate our concepts effectively.

Refinement Phase

After completing the prototype, I led two usability studies, each encompassing various tasks within the app, such as creating a new post, joining communities, and utilizing the dictionary feature. In response to these observations, our team implemented the following enhancements:

  • Made the "search community" text field clickable and functional.

  • Introduced a filter feature for majors or academic years.

  • Include timestamps for posts to provide clarity on the regency of content.

Additionally, we invited two interview participants back for further usability testing. Throughout the sessions, they navigated the prototype, offering valuable feedback. Notably, during these tests, participants emphasized the importance of timestamps on posts to gauge event timelines and post relevance effectively.

Learnings

The GenAlly project was a transformative experience that enhanced my design and project management skills. Key takeaways include:

  • Skill Development: I gained new skills in conducting interviews and using the Goal-Directed Design (GDD) methodology, expanding my toolkit for user research and product development.

  • Design Practice: Using GDD introduced me to a structured, user-centric approach, helping us create a product tailored to first-generation students.

  • Personal Growth: I shifted from designing based on personal preferences to focusing on user needs, a perspective that will shape my future work.

  • Design Approach: Usability studies and user feedback taught me the importance of refining features like search fields and filters to improve user experience.

  • Personas: Personas guided our design process, keeping our focus on user empathy and understanding.

Overall, this project deepened my skills and perspective, and I look forward to applying these insights to future design challenges.

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