Role: UX Researcher and Designer
Duration: 3 months
85%
of participants reported reduced cognitive load
75%
found the mentorship feature significantly improved their networking experience
Research & 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.
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
"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"