What is ThoughtCloud?
ThoughtCloud App is a digital platform intended to foster connections, collaboration, and engagement in college campuses.
Main Challenge: Students often feel overwhelmed in choosing subjects and navigating college life, leading to frustration and disengagement without proper guidance.
Solution: ThoughtCloud connects students with mentors who provide guidance, helping them make informed decisions
My Role: UX Design, Research, Testing
Duration: May'24 - November'24
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Company: ThoughtCloud
Research
Conducted in-person interviews with students.
Q: What challenges do you face when choosing subjects or courses in college?
"I'm not sure what Subjects align with my career goals."
"I feel lost without advice and often choose courses randomly."
"I feel pressure from family and friends to choose certain courses, but I’m not sure they’re the right fit for me."
Q: Do you feel you have enough support or guidance when it comes to managing
college life?
"I'm not sure what Subjects align with my career goals."
"I feel lost without advice and often choose courses randomly."
"I rely on my friends for advice, but they’re just as confused as I am."
Q: How would you like to receive mentorship or guidance in your college journey?
"I’d love to have a peer mentor who is in the same field of study to help me with specific questions."
"It would be helpful to have a mentor who has already gone through the courses and can give me a roadmap for success."
"I’d like to be part of a group mentorship program where I can learn from multiple perspectives."
"I’d prefer a platform where I can easily connect with experienced students or alumni."
Conclusion:
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Students struggle with choosing the right courses, feeling overwhelmed without clear guidance.
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They often lack personalized support for managing college life and find it hard to connect with mentors.
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They prefer a flexible, accessible platform for tailored mentorship to help with course decisions, career planning, and overall college navigation.
Personas
Goals
Wants to choose the right courses but feels lost without guidance. Looking to get involved in campus activities but doesn’t know where to start.
Challenges
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Confused about which subjects align with her career goals.
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Struggles to balance personal interests with academic requirements.
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Lacks guidance on which extracurriculars to pursue for building her resume.
Needs
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Personalized advice on course selection and career path.
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Guidance on how to navigate college life and extracurricular involvement.
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A mentor or advisor to help guide her early college decisions.
Name: Sara
Name: Alex
Goals
Wants to stay on track with academic goals, network, and find mentorship for career advice.
Challenges
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Struggles to find mentors who can provide tailored career advice.
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Overwhelmed with balancing academic work, job search, and extracurricular commitments.
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Needs help in understanding which internships or opportunities will enhance career prospects.
Needs
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A platform to easily connect with mentors who can provide advice on career planning.
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Guidance on internships, job opportunities, and networking.
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Clear pathways to track academic progress and career goals.
Name: Emily
Goals
To leave a lasting impact on campus and graduate with a clear career path. Interested in guiding underclassmen and helping them succeed.
Challenges
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Wants to find more meaningful ways to contribute to campus life and help others navigate their college journey.
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Struggles to find an efficient way to connect with students who need guidance.
Needs
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A way to give back by mentoring and providing advice to younger students.
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A platform that allows her to manage mentorship opportunities and share knowledge effectively.
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A way to stay updated on relevant events and activities to continue building her network.
Key insights:
Mentorship
A student wants a way to easily connect with mentors, receive personalized guidance, track their progress, and stay engaged with campus activities.
networking
A student wants an easy way to connect with mentors in their field through networking, helping them make informed decisions about internships, career paths, and course selection.
Guidance
A student wants to mentor others, provide ongoing guidance, and follow their mentees’ development while participating in campus life.
Ideation
App Features
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Usability Testing
Mentorship Matching Interface
Issue:
Users found the mentor matching process unclear and confusing. There were no clear instructions on how the matching algorithm worked, and students didn’t know how to select mentors effectively.
Feedback:
"I don’t know how to pick a mentor. It feels like a random selection."
Resolution:
Need to introduce mentor profile details, such as their area of expertise and student feedback, to help students make more informed decisions.
Chat Page
Issue:
The chat interface felt basic and lacked context. Students had trouble identifying mentors or organizations within the chat, and it was difficult to differentiate between personal messages and messages from mentors or organizations.
Feedback:"I can’t tell if I’m chatting with a mentor or just another student."
Resolution:
Color coding or profile badges for different chat types to provide clearer context for the user will be helpful. Add a subject line or message preview to identify the purpose of the chat.
course Recommendation system
Issue:
The course recommendation system did not offer personalized suggestions, leading users to feel that the recommendations were too broad and not tailored to their individual career aspirations or specific goals.
Feedback:
"The recommended courses don’t match my interests or career path."
Resolution:
Implemented a questionnaire during onboarding to understand students' goals and preferences better, tailoring course recommendations accordingly.
Mentorship Matching Interface
Issue:
Users struggled with initiating conversations with mentors or organizations, as they were unsure how to start a chat or approach the right person.
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Feedback:"I’m not sure how to message a mentor or when to start a conversation."
Resolution:
Adding a button or prompt to suggest a conversation starter when a user visits a mentor’s or organization’s profile, will make it easier for students to begin communication.
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No Screenshots?
Due to a NDA I signed, I can't share any screenshots or details here.