Simplifying Career Navigation for UMSI Students

Role: UX Researcher and Designer
Team Members: Sabrina May, Ciani Foy, Feyi Apampa, Niket Satoskar
Duration: 3 months

85%

of participants reported reduced cognitive load

75%

found the mentorship feature significantly improved their networking experience

Problem Statement

Defining the Problem

Fragmented Resources: Students felt lost navigating disjointed tools. One participant said, "It’s hard to keep track of everything. I’m always bouncing between five or six websites" (See: Interview Analysis).

Limited Mentorship: Generic and inaccessible mentorship opportunities failed to meet student needs. Another participant noted, “I’d love to have a mentor, but I don’t know where to start or how to approach them” (See: Medium).

Emotional Overload: Students expressed feelings of inadequacy and stress. A student commented, "I feel so behind when I see other students already landing internships” (See: Medium).

Diverse Needs: International students struggled to find visa-friendly jobs, while first-years needed foundational career guidance (See: Interview Analysis).

Actionable Insight
Students want a platform that centralizes resources, personalizes mentorship, and provides clarity and support.

Design Evolution

  • Added features like mentorship matching, job application tracking, and a calendar for events

  • Implemented accessibility considerations, including a color-blind-friendly palette and consistent typography to minimize cognitive load

Wireframes & Feedback

  • Early sketches featured a “Career Resources” section, later replaced by a Feed based on usability testing insights

  • Feedback from peers highlighted areas for improvement, such as the need for personalized onboarding and better visual hierarchy

The Goals & objectives

  • Centralization: Combine job boards, events, and mentorship into one platform

  • Personalization: Include mentorship matching and filters for visa sponsorship

  • Guidance: Reduce cognitive load with streamlined navigation and clear workflows

Information Architecture & Key features

Anchor Design Pamphlet

(Interact with the Pamphlet!)

Usability Testing

Objective
To validate design decisions and uncover pain points, we conducted usability tests with 8 participants

(See: Usability Testing Protocol F24).

Key Tasks

Navigate the Feed to find a saved job posting (See: Feed Test Script).

Use the mentorship feature to connect with alumni (See: Feed Test Script)

Findings

Positive: Students appreciated the centralized platform, with one stating, "Anchor feels like the tool I’ve always needed"

(See: Usability Testing Protocol F24).

Improvement Areas: Some users struggled with the referrals section and requested clearer labeling (See: Peer Design Critique).

Outcome
The final iteration incorporated streamlined navigation, enhanced filters, and improved mentorship workflows

(See: Anchor Final Report).

"Anchor made finding visa-friendly jobs much easier for me as an international student"

"Anchor made finding visa-friendly jobs much easier for me as an international student"

"I finally feel confident navigating career resources without feeling overwhlemed"

"I finally feel confident navigating career resources without feeling overwhlemed"