SOLE UX DESIGNER
3 DAYS
DESIGN CHALLENGE
the problem
College students often struggle to locate and reserve suitable study spots on campus, leading to wasted time, last-minute frustration, and difficulty planning productive study sessions.
secondary research
research strategy
I relied on secondary research. I utilized reddit, university forums, to gather my findings.
research synthesis
pain points
Students often reach spots only to find them full or noisy. This gamble makes them avoid going to spots altogether.
Missing essentials like Wi-Fi or coffee, and a poor vibe—such as bad lighting or environment—often force students to relocate.
Students often have to seek underutilized spaces, like quiet, private empty classrooms or departmental lounges.
it's ridiculous there's absolutely no place to study, everywhere is so annoyingly crowded. It took me 30 mins to find a place to study.
the pivot
the perfect spot
I defined a problem framework that describes what an ideal spot means for a student. An ideal spot sits at the intersection of:
how might we
Create a seamless experience that helps counselors track, manage, and act on their student pipeline without ever losing context?
user flow
The end-to-end user flow which includes saving a spot as well as seamless check=ins using Bluetooth beacons.
the pivot
bluetooth beacons
I posted my designs on a few college subreddits.
The QR system check-in posed a lot of concerns from students about safety concerns as well as added friction. I pivoted to the following approaches:
Utilize proximity detection using blue tooth beacons for frictionless check-ins.
QR scanning may still be present for edge cases like poor GPS; however with added safeguards.
solving for the exploration
A good spot also involves how quickly and easily a student can find it.
solving for the right space
A student values a spot based on its amenities; for example, coffee machines are preferred when studying for an exam the next day.
solving for the right time
An efficient study spot is one which offers peace of mind. Students want to go at the most optimal time a spot offers the same.
solving for the right people
Group projects require collaboration. A student wants to schedule their meets with the right people.
edge cases / mvp
For spots wihout bluetooth beacons, information about the spot may be gathered via a quick feedback from students who are actually present in the spot.
my learnings
This case study reinforced my belief in validating every assumption with real users. My initial idea of using QR codes for spot reservations raised significant user concerns, prompting me to rethink my approach to the problem.