Research
Pain Points
1.Lack of centralized & reliable information
Students have to spend lots of time and jump between multiple platforms for information.
Students face difficulties with housing, banking, and navigating transportation in a new country.
Many feel isolated and unsure about making friends or integrating into a new culture.
2.Challenges with practical logistics
2.Difficult connecting with people
Initial Sketches
We created initial sketches to visualize the layout and flow of key pages. These low-fidelity wireframes allowed us to quickly explore different design ideas, refine user interactions, and ensure the overall structure aligned with our goals before moving into higher-fidelity designs.
Few Initial sketches
Final Product
The Importance of User Testing and Research
Design Driven by Usability
The Significance of Functional Components in User Flow
Takeaways
User testing and research are crucial for creating the best solutions tailored to the needs of a specific user group. It ensures the product is designed based on real feedback and addresses key pain points.
Design should prioritize usability, focusing on how it supports the user experience. Ensuring intuitive navigation and easy interactions enhances the overall functionality of the product.
Functional components are vital for a smooth user flow. They ensure the app’s interface is seamless, intuitive, and efficient, helping users navigate and complete tasks with ease.
Whats Next ?
Future Steps
Enhance Mentorship Opportunities
Increase Interactivity for Engagement
Expand Social Features and Support Language Barriers
Focus on enhancing the mentorship aspect by enabling students to become mentors through school credit, club involvement, or other opportunities, creating a more dynamic mentorship community.
Improve the interactivity of the mentorship experience to boost user engagement, ensuring that students have more meaningful and active connections with their mentors.
Expand social features to help participants connect and build relationships, while adding direct translation support within the app to bridge language barriers for a more inclusive experience.
Unilink
UniLink connects exchange students with local student mentors for guidance and peers in their program through events, fostering a supportive community.
Team:
Ruhin Gharai
Brian Camilo
Daphne Cheng
My Role:
Lead Product Designer
User Research
Timeline:
Feb - March 2025
4 Weeks
Tools:
Figma
FigJam
Canva
User Testing
After completing Prototype Version 1, I conducted user test interviews with 5 participants to gather feedback on usability. I provided them with specific scenarios to complete tasks on the app, observing their interactions and gathering insights on any issues, as well as potential features to add or improve. This allowed me to make informed iterations based on real user experiences.
“The Q&A page design can be better, and I think instead of filter maybe sorting to pick category questions would be easier”
Exchange Student 1
“I want to be able to save events I want to go maybe so I can apply closer to the date once I know my schedule better”
Exchange Student 3
“The booking symbol for scheduling was hard to find and I would rather have it on the navigation bar as I would check it out often”
Exchange Student 2
Since 2023, 280,000 exchange students have struggled to adapt to a new academic system, culture, and daily life with little time and no prior connections. Without proper support, many find it hard to fully embrace the experience.
Overview
Navigating a new country can feel daunting.
Adapting to a new country can be tough, but UniLink connects you with mentors and peers to make the transition smoother.
Don’t face the challenge of studying abroad alone, join UniLink.
User Research
Understanding the Struggles to Create a Better Solution
To create a product that truly meets the needs of exchange students, we must first understand their challenges. By gathering insights into their struggles, we can design a solution that addresses their needs. To achieve this, I conducted a user research survey with 23 responses and 12 questions and these are the pain points found.
Personas
I created personas to better understand the unique needs of exchange students. These profiles help guide the design of UniLink, ensuring it effectively addresses challenges like connecting with mentors and adapting to a new culture.
Information Architecture
My teammates and I brainstormed the app’s information architecture, organizing content to be intuitive and user-friendly. We broke down the pages into clear sections to prioritize features and create a seamless user flow.
High-Fidelity Design
We then translated our sketches into high-fidelity designs, refining the visuals and interactions to create a polished, user-friendly interface.
First Iteration of Final Product
Iterations
Multiple iterations were conducted for UniLink, refining the user interface and enhancing functionality based on user feedback and usability testing.
Final prototype
UniLink, is a platform designed to help exchange students gain firsthand insights from peers at their host university. With UniLink, students can:
Connect with student mentors through text, phone, or video calls for personalized guidance.
Learn from experienced peers about academics, culture, and daily life.
Check mentor reviews to find the right match for their needs.
Strengthen connections by signing up for exchange program events and community activities.
UniLink simplifies the transition for exchange students by providing essential support and connections throughout their experience.
Design System
The design system features a simple font for clarity, a neutral color scheme to keep the focus on the information, and iterations made to components for better usability and consistency.
Find your Student Mentor
UniLink’s homepage provides a simple, streamlined way to browse and connect with local mentors, helping you find the right guidance to navigate your exchange experience.
Ask, Connect, Discover
A vibrant space where students can ask questions, share experiences, and gain valuable insights into academics, culture, and life in their host country.
Participate in student-led events or university-sponsored activities that enrich your exchange experience and help you build meaningful connections.
Join & Thrive
Booking Button Iteration
Improved Booking Access – The booking button is now placed in a more visible spot on the navigation bar for easier and quicker access.
Confusing Booking Button – Users struggled to find their bookings as the button looked too similar to others, making navigation difficult.
Before
After
Event Save Feature – A new feature allows users to save events they’re interested in, making it easier to sign up when they have a clearer view of their schedule. This helps students plan ahead and not miss out on opportunities.
Additional Feature
Event Forum Iteration
Q and A Page Iteration
Streamlined Filtering – Users can now click individual categories for a more intuitive Q&A experience.
New Interaction Features – Added options to like, comment, save questions, and view answer counts.
Expanded Privacy Options – Users can still post anonymously but now have the choice to display their name and photo.
Enhanced Visual Design – Improved color alignment and font hierarchy for better readability.
Overly Simple Design – Too few buttons and limited functions made navigation unclear.
Weak Visual Hierarchy – Color-coded boxes lacked clarity, and questions had no clear text hierarchy.
Overwhelming Filters – Users preferred a simpler sorting system over complex filters.
Before User Testing
After User Testing
Reflection
Ideate
Prototyping
Explore More of My Work
