TYPE: UX/UI, Web App, Case Study
ROLE: Concept, Research, Design
DURATION: Sep 2020 - Apr 2021
The Problem
Due to COVID-19, universities around the world have had to adapt classes to the digital world. As a result, many students have experienced the difficulties of learning through virtual meeting platforms, staying engaged, speaking up, and feeling a sense of connection with others.​ How might we create an online environment that reduces the barriers that inhibit students from speaking up and interacting with others in a virtual class setting?
The Solution
Bridge is a virtual classroom designed for Instructure, Inc. that makes connecting with peers and professors during classes more comfortable for students. Students can measure their own engagement and build their confidence in their abilities, while also giving professors insight into what they are learning.
Project Overview
For my undergraduate thesis, I explored how online classroom environments could be improved to reduce the barriers that inhibit students from speaking up and interacting with others in a virtual class setting. The idea for this project began when I started mulling over two challenges facing me and many of my fellow university students:
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I have experience with public-speaking anxiety and noticed that many of my classmates experienced the same thing. I wondered why we got so nervous before not only formal presentations, but also when just participating in class discussions or volunteering to answer questions informally.
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I and the majority of my classmates preferred to keep our cameras and microphones turned off during virtual classes and found it difficult to speak up and feel engaged. ​
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I was the sole designer on Bridge (I drew concept sketches, created wireframes, and designed the final prototype), the sole researcher (I interviewed stakeholders, and conducted secondary research) and I created presentations and videos.
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Throughout the project I was constantly looking back at my own experiences and those of my fellow classmates to design a solution that would actually solve our problem.
Secondary Research
Existing data on public speaking anxiety was used to determine a specific and relevant user group, university students ages 18 to 21.
Understanding the user
I started by conducting primary and secondary research to better understand the problem and the people affected by it.
Provisional Persona
Data from articles, research papers and personal experience was used to create a provisional persona to represent the target user group.
