Problem Statement
UNC Charlotte, a sprawling 1000-acre campus, boasts a rich diversity with students hailing from approximately 100 different nations. Each year, a significant number of non-local students enroll, encountering challenges in navigating and staying informed about campus happenings. Common grievances include missing events and struggling with internal transportation.
Proposed Solution
Introducing myUncc, a user-friendly mobile app designed to simplify the lives of UNC Charlotte students from all around the world. With just a few taps, myUncc offers a range of helpful features, including finding professors, course registration, assignment tracking, campus exploration, on-campus food ordering, health center appointments, and school supplies ordering. It's a comprehensive tool designed for the convenience of all UNC Charlotte students, making it easier to stay informed about campus events and navigate university life. It serves as a valuable resource, especially for non-local students, offering assistance with understanding university rules and even the minutest of details.
Research Purpose
Around 40% of international students face difficulties in navigating a new campus and city, finding resources, and accessing essential services
One out of every four (26 percent) blind adults lives alone, but the patterns are different for men and women of different ages. Blind women are more likely to live alone as they age.
Fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million people who are legally blind in the United States are Braille readers. Further, a mere 10 percent of blind children are learning it.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Interview Students on campus
Explore students’ view on culture as well as how it impacts their way of networking and life at UNCC.
Exploring
To better understand the users and their Challenges at UNC Charlotte. To learn about their difficulties due to cultural differences
Lifestyle
Understand the emotions around networking- the introverts user group in particular
Introverts
Learn how students feel about the education at UNC Charlotte and know how they are benefit from the resources
Education
Transport
To understand their ease with transport and how they explore within the university
To understand their overall challenges related to UNCC.
Challenges
INSIGHTS
Takeaways based on 38 Interviews
I always miss events that happen on campus
UNCC is beautiful, always wanted to explore college, but i don’t think i have seen half of it
Exploring
It took me 2 months to realize that there is a saloon on campus.
Introverts
It was very difficult for me to be updated with college information, i rarely open my uncc webpage
I like how the food gets delivered to the dorms using robots
I didn’t know which bus to take to go to the University health center.
Transport
It is difficult to go on to the website every time to check the buses
i wish the bus information is easily accesible
Lifestyle
I like to move around the college with my friends in my free time
I made many friends from different places
I love plants, i was very disappointed to know that there was a plants’ how at the botanical gardens on campus , that i missed
I love how different kinds of food is available on campus
I recently attended an international communities event, that helped me grow my network so much
Education
I admire all of my professors; they are amazing.
I love my Computer classes so much.
I added my class to the calendar, but somehow missed it, and attended an event without realizing there was a class.
I once wanted to meet a professor and searched for her office information on the UNCC website, but I was unable to find it.
I frequently missed deadlines for my assignments and submitted them late.
I added my class to the calendar, but I somehow missed it, attending an event without realizing there was a class.
I found it difficult to adjust to a completely new environment because I was an international student and didn't know anyone at first.
Challenges
FOCUS GROUP
Two Kinds of Users
To make it simple for anyone associated with UNCC, provide them with an app that serves as a one-stop where they can find everything related to UNCC.
Primary Users*
**Main focus is the journey of the Primary Users**
By giving visitors to UNCC access to an app that acts as a one-stop for all things UNCC-related, we hope to make things simpler for everyone who visits.
Guest Users
Primary User - Akshay
Primary User - Lisa
Guest User - Emma
BRAINSTORMING AND IDEATION
Ideas based on research findings
MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE DESIGN PROCESS
Important considerations
MEDIUM FIDELITY WIREFRAMES AND TESTING
Takeaways based on 52 User Testings from the 1st round of iterations
I love it because it offers all the services I need or want from UNCC.
can we also have an other section dedicated to event happening in the college
I thank that this app allows us to filter food by cuisine because, as an international student, I struggled for two months to find food that satisfied my taste on campus.
I love that the app has a feature to quickly find a professor's contact information.
What is CRN ?
It would be nice to have the option of having discussions related to UNCC, so we could quickly chat about any information we might need.
can we also have another section dedicated to sports events happening in the college?
Is this just look at the class schedule
I wish I can personalise this by adding tasks related to my University
The suggestions are very helpful
I appreciate how easy it is to explore locations within the UNCC, but I wish we could also find the information about the bus that takes us there
You made our course registration so easy
I can't believe I was checking the course registration page every day and still forgot the deadline for it.
I like that we are notified when a class is scheduled, but I'm not sure if I will still be able to see it with all the notifications I receive every minute.
I like te idea of notifications being grouped
As an international student, the health center feature here is very helpful. It reminds me of a time when I was very ill and visited the SHC. I was told I was just 5 minutes late to book the last appointment of the day.
Major Improvements Performed for the Second Round of Iterations
HIGH FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Updated the home screen to reduce the need for users to swipe multiple times to access all the app's features.
Created a personalized calendar for the users where they can receive all the daily updates about the university and their schedule in one place, also grouping similar tasks to improve information organization
Added an additional feature to the explore page, allowing users to quickly find bus details for the place they are looking for without the need to switch between different pages in the app.
Revised the search requirements for the 'Find Professor' feature to make it more efficient for users, allowing them to easily locate any officer, not just professors alone.
Included key information on the Home tab to ensure that users do not miss deadlines
Included key information on the Home tab to ensure that users do not miss deadlines
USER FLOW
Users’ Interaction with the Platform
HIGH FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Final Mockups
CONSIDERATIONS
Provide search suggestions everywhere to help users understand what they can find.
Future Steps
Add another feature in the settings where users receive a vibration a few minutes before the deadline. This feature allows users to personalize it and turn it on for any updates or events of their choice related to the University, ensuring they don't miss any tasks or announcements.
Add a feature to the Explore page where users, after searching for a route, can add it to their favorites. This way, users do not have to add it again from the Transit page, this reduces the number of steps