Seamless College Transition App

for First-Gen Students

APP DESIGN

College Action Program aims to eliminate the "Summer melt" barrier for low-income and first-generation college-bound students. This phenomenon occurs when students lose interest over the summer, leading to enrollment gaps. The CAP app provides a solution by managing applications and deadlines and offering ongoing support for a smooth college transition.

OVERVIEW

Role

Research

Interaction

Visual design

Prototyping & Testing

Team

Kayla H. (UX Designer)

Victoria A. (Ux Designer)

DURATION

1 Month

Tools

Canva

Figma

Maza

Asana

Slack

You can find a detailed case study here:

The Problem

Here’s a jarring fact: Between 10-40% of college-intending students never enroll. This phenomenon, known as summer melt, disproportionately impacts low-income and first-generation students. Without adequate support during the transition to college, many of these students lose their way.

I remember reading over 1 in 5 college-bound students fail to matriculate. Existing resources weren’t addressing this gap, and it was clear that we had an opportunity to make a difference.

The Challenge

Our research showed us that summer support programs can boost enrollment by 3-4 percentage points, we asked ourselves:

How can we design a tool that not only empowers students but becomes their compass during this critical life transitioning?

This question set the foundation for our design journey.

Designing the solution

Onboarding for Engagement

A Personalized Approach

Students will be able to personalize the app and choose what they need help with during the app's onboarding process.

Chat with mentors Engagement

Build-In Support

Chat-box is placed in a few different places on the app for easy access to help.

Gamified Task Tracker

Progress

The map is a fun and engaging way for students to track their tasks and view all the details/documents they need to complete in one spot.

Time Management

Tasks & Reminders On-the-Go

Chat-box is placed in a few different places on the app for easy access to help.

The journey

Iterative Design Process

Design evolution at a glance

We sketched, prototyped, tested, and iterated. I vividly remember the moment during user testing when a student said:

“This feels like having a mentor in my pocket."

Based on feedback, we made refinements and revisions to the sketches, incorporating additional features and clarifying the user interface. This process of iteration and refinement continued until we arrived at a final set of sketches that accurately captured the company's vision and objectives while also providing an intuitive and engaging user experience. Throughout the process, we remained focused on the user, prioritizing simplicity, ease of use, and clear communication to ensure that the app would meet the needs of students.

Final Design

Challenges and Compromises

  • Time Constraints:

    With just one month, choices demanded precision. Prioritization became essential as we balanced depth with speed.

  • Team Dynamics:

    We had differing opinions on visual styles. In the end, user feedback guided us to a consensus.

  • Brand Alignment:

    User testing revealed conflicts between our UI design and the company’s branding. Resolving this required swift adjustments to maintain both usability and company branding.

The Impact

By the end of this sprint, we had created more than just a design- we had a tool with the potential to help these students succeed. Feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the app as intuitive and empowering. Lauren, the founder, was thrilled with the results and used our work to secure funding for the project’s next phase.

Update: Lauren successfully secured funding! The next step is launching a website to build traction and gauge interest. Check it out: College Action Program.

Lessons Learned

Collaboration Drives Innovation:

Diverse perspectives challenged us to think bigger and better.

Adaptability is Key

Tight timelines demanded quick pivots, and we rose to the challenge.

User-Centric Design Wins

Focusing on real user needs led to a solution that resonated deeply.