Introduction

Caregivers of school age children are in search of a new school for their child, they need a tool to organize their school search. Caregiver’s want to ensure their child’s academic growth and overall well-being. Caregivers want to compare schools with varying ideologies, courses offered, student diversity, and resources to find a school that aligns with their academic goals for their child. Caregivers also want a school that bolsters their values, provides appropriate support for a positive learning environment, and cultivates social belonging and confidence in their child. The target audience for Better School Choice - Parents, Guardians and Caregivers of school age children - have full and busy lifestyles. So we want to explore:

How can we create a tool for the user to find the right school for their child in an efficient and streamline way?

Mixed Method Research

Qualitative User Research

I conducted qualitative user research via reading 6 transcripts of open ended interviews with parents of varying socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The interview discussed their decision making process and values while looking for a new school for their child. With this qualitative data, I created a user affinity diagram, found common themes across user experiences, and created the empathy map below.

Market Research

I conducted a competitive analysis of 5 competitors within the industry, identifying their strengths, weakness and highlighted areas of opportunity for Better School Choice. Our competitors were Niche, Find Private Schools, Great Schools, Our Kids and US News & Reports. They offered common feature patterns and stand-out attributes like zip code based searching, step by step guides on how to apply to schools and articles by other prospective parents who have been through a similar process.

Task Scenarios

Based on qualitative user research and market research, I created potential Task Scenarios to better understand the trajectory of the user’s journey.

Low-Fi Exploration

With this, I created a low fidelity prototype to begin usability testing

Usability Testing

Using the low fidelity prototype above, I conducted usability testing via mixed methodologies consisting of - a “think aloud” portion and survey of overall user satisfaction, as well as recording how long each task took a user to complete. I conducted the test remotely and it was moderated, I took notes via typing,’the necessary materials needed for the participant was a laptop and wifi. My target audiences for participants were caregivers of school age children.

A significant insight from the Satisfaction Score testing and the “think aloud” method happening concurrently, was that users consistently struggled to find the “my list” feature within the “application status” page, and overall found the “application status” page confusing. 5 users out of 5 specifically voiced that they struggled to understand the “application status” page, and 3 users out of 5 could not find the “my list” feature because it was within the “application status” page.

Research Driven Design

Market research, as well as, qualitative and quantitative user research brought to light which features to prioritize for the Better School Choice (BSC) product design. Market research told a story of many strong competitors, it also showcased gaps where customer’s needs were not being addressed in the market. I concluded via market research that features to prioritize were search filters for teaching philosophy, a “my list “ tool to save favorite schools, and a tool to offer step by step guides on how to apply to each school.

The qualitative and quantitative user research I conducted narrowed down which features to prioritize. Initially, based on my qualitative research, I thought to prioritize the features of offering a step by step guide through the application process within the product design of BSC. However, through low fidelity prototyping, usability testing, and synthesizing quantitative research results, I found that users only wanted to prioritize the features of a search filter for teaching philosophy, and a “my list “ tool to save favorite schools. The “application status” tool offering a step by step guide on how to apply to each school was confusing. This was a curve-ball, I addressed this new information by changing the product design to ensure only usable features were included.

Various design methods were used to improve usability and address the pain points that came to light via my research. My design methods provided solutions for the issue of searching for schools by teaching philosophy's, keeping track of schools you like and ensuring the Better School Choice app was usable, intuitive and easeful. I tested the effectiveness of my design methods and solutions by iterating user testing.

Takeaways

Optimizing Navigation

The first pain point was too much information on the landing page, it created confusion for the user regarding what to do next and how to fastest access the search function within Better School Choice. I addressed this pain point by simplifying the landing page, this was the first screen users saw and interacted with when opening the app. I removed barriers like “log in” or “create an account” features to be able to access the search function. Instead, I redesigned the landing page to have a clear place where the user can access this, this design solution solved the users need for more intuitive access to the search function.

Enhancing Search Functions

The second pain point was the lack of specific filters offered to the user when manually searching for schools and the lack of a customized search option. I addressed the pain point of a lack of specific filters by adding filters for teaching philosophy, religious affiliations, and therapeutics offered. This redesign ensured that the user was able to search for schools by more then just educational programs offered. In addition, I created an option for the user to customize their search by leading them through every filter options and then showing only results that aligned with their desires.

Creating the “My List” Tool

The third pain point was that there was no easeful and intuitive tool available to help users keep track of their favorites schools. The user wanted a central location within the Better School Choice product that they could easily access and compare their favorites schools. I addressed this pain point by creating a “My List” function that would allow the user to see all their favorite schools effortlessly. Additionally, I create a smooth and intuitive way for users to add schools to their “My List”. With this redesign the user’s need for a central location to easily access their favorite schools and an efficient way to add/remove schools from their “my list” was met.

High-Fi Prototype