This case study highlights the UX design work conducted as part of a SCAD project in the Information Architecture course led by Professor Anthony O’Rourke. The project aimed to empower young international students, helping them enhance self-confidence and cultivate meaningful connections within their friend circle.

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Project Overview


Design Process


We initiated the project by allocating half of its duration to UX Research and the remaining half to UX Design.

During the Research phase, we conducted user interviews and surveys to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem and identify key insights. We also performed competitor analysis to benchmark our solution in the market. This process helped us pinpoint pain points and core values, forming the foundation for our solution in the subsequent UX Design phase.

User Research

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Ideation

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User Persona

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Brand Identity

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Competitor Analysis

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Information Architecture

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Design

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Usability Testing

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y2CeMmuAy5a2w8MFePn-nWRDHZQ4mnPk/view?usp=drive_link

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Retrospective


An important takeaway for me was the impact of defining our core values during the solution-finding process. I discovered that concept validation played a crucial role, aiding in sifting through ideas and retaining the strongest ones. When working on the final UI, I realized the significance of paying attention to typography and hierarchy for a polished design. Moreover, I found that incorporating thoughtful interactions was key to making the app feel more friendly and engaging from a user perspective.

Prototype

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a1Sjob9OyAdkZrPTg-YWJidGINrWebR0/view?usp=sharing