WLU Registration Guide
Course registration
As Team MOSEEY, Wilfrid Laurier University tasked us with enhancing the registration process for both incoming and mature students. Our solution involves redesigning the registration guide, focusing on visual clarity by reducing text and ensuring easy access to program-related non-restricted electives.
My Role
I collaborated throughout the whole design process with Team MOSEEY. Mainly contributed during the early ideation and prototype stages; brainstorming, sketching, visual design, and testing.
I conceptualized and designed the foundational layout for the gold solution, including prototyping the final mockup.
Team
Mason Wright
Olivia Albin
Simrit Dihillon
Elise Vanderwindt
Emily Xiao
Duration
Sept - Dec 2019
(4 months)
Tools
Adobe XD, Google Slides & Docs, IDEO’s “The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design”
Client
Problem
"Make the Laurier registration process easier for students." Our clients tasked us with addressing their initial challenges, including:
Not enough students are using registration resources and tools
Laurier receives numerous repetitive emails and phone inquiries
Design Challenge
Our project faces constraints such as:
Can't change any of the registration platforms or resources
Solution has to be centred on changing the previous design
No costly additions could be added to the guide (e.g. chatbots)
How might we streamline the process of course registration and reduce student confusion?
- Team MOSSEY
Solution
Gold Solution
The gold solution was designed for the future and was created with the most ideal solution in mind. We implemented a fourth step within the guide, a search filter, and added video tutorials.
Checkout our prototype showcasing each step below. (38 sec)
Silver Solution
The silver solution was designed for the present, with client restrictions in mind, for easier implementation. We reduced the text, added more graphics, and included searchable PDFs.
What it looks like today
Check out how our ideas are being implemented on the current Course Registration Guide.
Process
Research
As a team, we conducted interviews gather qualitative data to identify what aspect of the registration process students found challenging. Following interviews with students from various programs and years, we identified the following major issues:
📦
Cluttered
Students had difficulty navigating the registration guide with the text heavy content and repeated links, making them confused.
📘
Electives
Students had issues finding the appropriate electives they were able to take, which caused increased frustration.
Fred
Year 1 | 18 years old
“I love school, but doing my classes online has been really tough, and I feel like I’m not learning anything at all.”
Unfamiliar with resources, tools, processes
Limited connections to other students
Already stressed from high school exams
Ideation
After understanding and identifying needs and pain points, we set some goals and started ideating potential solutions.
🔎
Search Filter
Allow students to find required courses and electives easier.
✂️
Reduce Text
Reduce text heavy content and add more graphics, video tutorials, and other visuals to help students identify important elements and ease navigation.
🏛️
Emphasize Electives
Add another step dedicated for finding electives while also clarifying students on restrictions and how ot navigate around it.
Using whiteboards, we mapped out the process of the existing registration process and begin conceptualizing our solution.
Wireframing & Prototyping
We created wireframes and an interactive prototype with Adobe XD.
Changing assumptions
After user testing, we discovered that our icon for Foundation (F) courses was perceived as a symbol of failure by students. We change the icon for ‘Foundation’ courses (F) to Brantford Foundation (BF) courses to avoid reinforcing the negative mental model they had.
Conclusion
This was my very first client UXD project! This project helped me pursue my path in the world of UX/UI. It was the first time collaborating on a design project with fellow UXD students.
From using post it notes during ideation to learning how to prototype in Adobe XD, working on this project allowed me to apply what I’ve learned in class into the real world. I learned how to apply design processes, collaborate within a team, and navigate client constraints. Seeing the significance of our work strengthened my dedication as a designer, motivating me to consistently learn and actively seek future design opportunities.
