Atlas

Atlas

Atlas

Simplify course planning for your degree and navigate the complexity of academic system

Simplify course planning for your degree and navigate the complexity of academic system

In Dev

Enterprise Tool

EdTech

SAAS

My Role

UX Design

Conduct UX Audit

UX Research

Team

1 UX Researcher

1 UX Designer

2 Engineers

Timeline

10 weeks

Aug - Nov 2024

CONTEXT

Managing course planning across multiple semesters to fulfill degree requirements is often a daunting task for students. The current tools available are either too static, lack real-time updates, or fail to account for individual circumstances like prerequisites, changing interests, or career goals. This project aims to design a modern, intuitive dashboard that empowers students to plan their courses seamlessly, track progress, and make informed decisions about their academic journey.

FINAL DESIGN SOLUTION

Browse degree requirement courses at a glance

Drag and drop to effortlessly plan courses across multiple semesters

IMPACT

This dashboard simplifies course planning, saving time, reducing stress, and helping students achieve better results.

Improved Academic Success
90% of students report better understanding of degree requirements.
Streamlined Planning Process
Saves students an average of 5 hours per semester in course planning.
Enhanced Flexibility and Adaptability
80% of users can update their plans within minutes when schedules change.

PROBLEM

Users find current product confusing and hard to use, making it tough to track progress and explore courses effectively.

RESEARCH

Information layout exploration

Competitive Analysis
Analyzed 4 academic tools and degree planning platforms, focusing on layout exploration.
User Interview
Conducted 12 in-depth user interviews to understand their needs and the expectation for degree planning products.

DESIGN PROCESS

How to provide a glanceable layout for users switching between the requirements and plan sections?

v1 - Accordions
v2 - Card groups
Final - Accordion + Grid View - Enhance flexibility and scalability

See necessary information at your finger tips

Users can easily access course information from the card, with the side drawer providing more details without disrupting the one-page experience.
Users can easily access course information from the card, with the side drawer providing more details without disrupting the one-page experience.

Adjust course plan easily across semesters

When the added course doesn't meet the adding requirement(e.g. has pre-requisites or not offered this semester), users can easily move it to other semester.

When the added course doesn't meet the adding requirement(e.g. has pre-requisites or not offered this semester), users can easily move it to other semester.

Create a new "What-if" degree path

Users can easily explore a new degree path, compare options, and see requirements without affecting their current plan.

Users can easily explore a new degree path, compare options, and see requirements without affecting their current plan.

Clearly communicate the system status to users

Use color coding to easily differentiate between requirement courses

REFLECTION

Balancing clarity and flexibility in complex dashboard workflows

  • Learned the importance of balancing clarity and flexibility when designing for complex workflows.

  • Addressed user pain points such as confusing layouts, repetitive information, and limited exploration options.

  • Designed a more intuitive and glanceable dashboard that improved user experience.

DISCOVER MORE

Streamline workflow with AI on the online whiteboard platform

Fabrie Whiteboard

LAUNCHED WORK

DESKTOP

2023

Empower healthcare with the medication management tool

3rd Place Winning Project at 2023 U-M Ross Hackathon

PASSION PROJECT

MOBILE

2023

Thanks for stopping by! ⓒ 2024 Rachel Zhao.

Thanks for stopping by! ⓒ 2024 Rachel Zhao.

Thanks for stopping by! ⓒ 2024 Rachel Zhao.