Current Look

Proposed Look

Introduction

Humber Current is a website created by Humber College for graduating students to showcase their portfolio and connect with potential employers and fellow graduates. It serves as a vital hub for employers, industry professionals, and stakeholders interested in exploring the diverse range of creative projects undertaken by graduating students.

Motivation

As a school project case study, the redesign aimed to address the limitations of the previous version and create an improved platform that effectively showcased the exceptional work of the graduating students.​The redesign aimed to provide a valuable and impactful online presence for the students, enhancing their opportunities for future career success.

Design Process

Empathize

To ensure a user-centric redesign of the Humber Current website, I conducted thorough research to understand the needs of graduating students and the expectations of potential employers. This research phase allowed me to gather valuable insights that guided the subsequent design decisions

Interviews with Graduating Students

As a school project case study, the redesign aimed to address the limitations of the previous version and create an improved platform that effectively showcased the exceptional work of the graduating students.​The redesign aimed to provide a valuable and impactful online presence for the students, enhancing their opportunities for future career success.

Research on Employer's Expectations

Understanding the expectations of potential employers was crucial to ensure that the redesigned Humber Current website effectively served as a bridge between students and job opportunities. I conducted research to identify the qualities employers seek when evaluating student portfolios

User Personas

I developed user personas to better understand the diverse needs and preferences of the target audience for the Humber Current website. From the interviews conducted, I was able to identify key characteristics and motivations of graduating students and potential employers.

Journey Maps

To gain a deeper understanding of the user experience, I created a comprehensive journey map for the Humber Current website. This journey map depicted the user journey of students and potential employers that try to access the website. By visualizing each touchpoint, emotion, and pain point, I gained valuable insights into the existing user experience. This allowed me to identify pain points and areas of improvement.

Define

In the Define stage, I delved deeper into the insights gathered during the Empathize stage to define the problem statement and establish clear design objectives. By synthesizing user research findings, persona characteristics, and pain points, I focused on understanding the core needs and goals of the users. This stage was crucial in laying the foundation for the subsequent design decisions.

In the Define stage, I delved deeper into the insights gathered during the Empathize stage to define the problem statement and establish clear design objectives. By synthesizing user research findings, persona characteristics, and pain points, I focused on understanding the core needs and goals of the users. This stage was crucial in laying the foundation for the subsequent design decisions.

In the Define stage, I delved deeper into the insights gathered during the Empathize stage to define the problem statement and establish clear design objectives. By synthesizing user research findings, persona characteristics, and pain points, I focused on understanding the core needs and goals of the users. This stage was crucial in laying the foundation for the subsequent design decisions.

Problems

​Graduating students lack an effective platform to showcase their work and attract potential employers. 

Current website design and structure make it challenging for students to create personalized and visually engaging portfolios.

Key Takeaways

The redesign should prioritize creating an intuitive and user-friendly platform for students to build and customize their portfolios easily.

Enhancing the visibility and presentation of student work is crucial to showcase their skills and attract potential employers.

Ideate

To visualize and iterate on the user interface and interactions, I utilized paper prototypes. These hand-drawn representations of screens and elements allowed for rapid ideation and feedback gathering. By involving key stakeholders and conducting usability tests, I gained valuable insights into the usability and effectiveness of different design concepts.

Paper Sketches

Key Takeaways

This allowed me to generate a wide range of possibilities and consider different approaches to address design objectives.

The paper sketches served as a tangible representation to gather insights and iterate on the designs.

They allowed for swift modifications and iterations, saving resources and accelerating the design process during the early stages.

Prototype

I translated the design concepts and refined ideas from the Ideate stage into interactive digital prototypes. These prototypes served as a medium for testing and validating the user experience before proceeding to the development phase. By creating interactive and clickable prototypes, I aimed to gather feedback, iterate on the design, and ensure a seamless user journey

Key Takeaways

Although the project ended at the prototype stage, I recognize its potential for further development and refinement.

Given more time and resources, the next steps would involve usability testing and incorporating feedback to iteratively refine the design.

The prototype serves as a foundation for future iterations and can be handed off to development teams or serve as a starting point for future enhancements.

Reflection

The redesign project for the Humber Current website has been an enriching experience that has allowed me to apply my UX design skills and gain valuable insights.​By conducting user research and creating personas, I gained valuable insights into the requirements and preferences of both students and prospective employers. This understanding shaped the design decisions and ensured that the final prototype catered to the specific needs of these user segments.

Next Steps

While the project has reached the prototype stage, there are a few key next steps to consider for its further development: 

Conduct thorough usability testing sessions with representatives from the target user groups, including students and prospective employers. Gather feedback on the prototype's usability, navigation, and overall user experience. Incorporate the insights gained from testing into iterative design refinements.
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Transition the prototype to a development team or consider collaborating with developers to bring the redesigned Humber Current website to life.