Better School Choice
An app that helps parents make the best choice when faced with a big decision about school by directly matching parents with schools based on their preferences.
Problem Space
Busy parents and guardians of young children need a platform to receive personalized recommendations based on factors like location and school size so that they can find the most suitable match for a school for their kids with the least amount of research & effort involved.
Design Process Overview
Empathize 〰️ Define 〰️ Ideate 〰️ Prototype 〰️ Test 〰️
Empathize 〰️ Define 〰️ Ideate 〰️ Prototype 〰️ Test 〰️
User Interview Findings
Belonging
Parents want their kids to feel as though they belong and have a community at their school.
Inefficient Communication
Schools provide slow responses and emails.
Visual Identity
Playful
Inviting
Colorful
Blanket Curriculum
Parents did not want a blanket curriculum since they felt every child has special needs.
No Vacancies
Schools did not have vacancies, parents were on waitlist for 30 schools.
Market Research
Conducting market research was a crucial step in helping me analyze my competitors and their weaknesses in order to find opportunities to drive the design forward.
Analysis
UniApply
GreatSchools
Niche
Strengths
Weaknesses
Admissions tracker
School comparison feature
Common Application form.
Too many site advertisements.
Too many filters when searching for schools.
School comparison feature
Intuitive interface
Wide range of information on schools.
Not enough coverage in certain regions.
User generated content: risk of biased reviews.
Detailed profiles for schools
Unique rating system
User reviews cover wide range of aspects
Less brand recognition compared to other platforms.
Task Flow
User fills in survey and receives instant personalized recommendations on the app.
When I am visiting a school’s website, I want to be able to receive personalized recommendations based on factors like location, school size, and academic focus so that I can narrow down my options and create a list of schools that match what I am looking for.
Ideation Sketches
After establishing my task flow, I sketched a few ideas for what the screens could potentially look like in the app. These sketches were directly derived from our user's needs and goals.
Digital Wireframes
Low Fidelity
I then translated my sketches into my first set of low-fidelity digital wireframes and conducted a round of usability testing to test the flow of the app and catch any issues early on.
Usability Test Findings
I conducted a usability test with 1 participant with 2 children, 10 and 4 years old respectively. Participant suggested making all the answer buttons for the survey interactive in the prototype so the app experience is better for the user. They liked the home screen and layout of the design overall and thought the survey was a useful tool they would likely use in the future while searching for schools.
Final Prototype
Learnings
Navigating diverse parental preferences
Parents have diverse preferences and priorities when it comes to selecting a school. Understanding this diversity through affinity mapping was crucial for offering a personalized experience.
Importance of user-friendly design
A user-friendly interface is critical. Parents may not be tech-savvy, so the app should have an intuitive design, easy navigation, and clear instructions.
Next Steps
Usability testing
Perform usability testing to ensure that the app is intuitive and responsive. Test the personalized matching algorithm to verify its accuracy and relevance.
Final Design Refinement
Based on user feedback and testing results, refine the final design elements and UI components. Ensure that the visual and interactive aspects align with user expectations and preferences.