CollegeBuddy

In 2021, approximately 1 million students applied for higher education at universities in India and abroad. During this process, these students often encounter numerous problems and confusion. While there is a vast amount of information available online, it is often disorganised and unreliable.

Many students desire firsthand help and guidance, but it can be expensive to obtain through counsellors and consultancy firms. Even when they do seek guidance from these sources, it is not always the most helpful. By obtaining firsthand guidance from senior students who are already enrolled in their desired colleges, prospective students may be able to find a clearer path and receive assistance throughout the application process.

Through some secondary research, I gathered information about the problems that children face while applying to universities.

Primary research consists of the user interview questions that will help to validate my assumptions and information collected from the internet

After conducting research both online and through user interviews, I compiled all of the gathered information and identified common points and features that were either favoured or not favoured by users. From this process, I created a list of features to be included in the application.

The students expressed a desire for a feature that would allow them to easily access and organise information from multiple sources. They suggested that the information be organised in a systematic way, based on college, country, and courses. Many students also requested the ability to connect with seniors at their desired college.

To facilitate this connection, setting up volunteers at multiple colleges, with an incentive system based on payments per session can help immensely. To make these sessions more accessible to students on a budget, they should be priced accordingly.

With these considerations in mind, I began to develop a clear vision for the application and began organising the information into an Information Architecture.

The target audience for this app is young adults aged 18-30, so it was important to create a visually appealing design that did not sacrifice usability. I had a ‘Neo-Pop’ design style in mind and sought inspiration from various sources, including websites and apps that utilised this style. This helped to accurately incorporate the desired design style into the app.

From a solely technical standpoint, I drew inspiration from all the various web pages and apps I researched and began sketching paper wireframes for the website.

Have a closer look at my designs in my Figma File here.

The home page of this app provides a clear and organised overview of popular courses and countries for prospective students. By clicking on a specific course or country, the student can access more detailed information about their selection. This feature helps to avoid confusion and disorganisation when searching for information.

The search page of this app allows users to enter specific details, such as preferred country, degree type, and major, in a form-like system. By gathering this information, the app is able to provide more accurate and relevant results for the user's search query, helping them to find the best mentors for their needs.

The results page presents mentors to the user in a card-like format, displaying basic information such as name, college, course, year, and cost per session. To help the user make an informed decision, the topics that each mentor can assist with are also listed on the cards. This allows users to choose the best mentor based on their specific needs and requirements.

The mentor's profile page displays the profiles of potential mentors, including a brief write-up with personal information to help build trust with users. The education and experience of each mentor, including the institutions they have attended, are also listed on the page. Additionally, the topics that the mentor can assist with are provided to give users an understanding of what support they can offer. This information helps prospective students make an informed decision when choosing a mentor.

The booking page is designed to display only the necessary information, including a calendar view to select the date for the session, a list of available time slots, and a list of topics that the user can choose from (up to 2 per session due to the limited time of 30 minutes). This allows both the user and mentor to effectively utilise the session and discuss the chosen topics in depth. There is also a text box for the user to provide any additional comments or information about the session.

The profile page displays the user's profile photo, as well as their joining date and information about their previous and upcoming sessions (displayed in different colours). The app also includes a rewards system that encourages users to refer friends and earn free sessions. By promoting this feature, the app aims to build a strong customer base.

Thanks for taking the time to read my case study till the very end 🥰 .

I thoroughly enjoyed making this application. It was a solution to a problem that I encountered while applying to colleges abroad. I recognised that many other students likely face the same issue and I wanted to assist them in finding a solution. This project also served as a valuable lesson in the importance of research and user interviews. During the user interviews, I realised that this information is critical in validating design decisions and can often be overlooked in its value. I would like to express my gratitude to all of my friends and colleagues for their feedback, assistance, and motivation in making this project a success.

If you have any feedback or suggestions or just want to say hello, please feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn or Twitter.