Jump to section
Jump to section
Jump to section
Summary
Boosting retention and staying accountable
Boosting retention and staying accountable
Product Design
User Research
Mapt is a startup that turns college planning stress into success with accessible AI-powered advising. As a founding product designer, I led the team on developing a new feature that gives students and their families a personalized and clear roadmap to college.
Mapt is a startup that turns college planning stress into success with accessible AI-powered advising. As a founding product designer, I led the team on developing a new feature that gives students and their families a personalized and clear roadmap to college.
Skills
Skills
User research, visual design, UX design, UI design, visual design, prototyping
User research, visual design, UX design, UI design, visual design, prototyping
Duration
Duration
May 2024 - September 2024
May 2024 - September 2024
Software
Software
Figma, Adobe Suite, Typeform
Figma, Adobe Suite, Typeform
Problem
Students feel unsure and lost in the college application process
Students feel unsure and lost in the college application process
The college application process involves countless steps, each with its own challenges, making it easy for things to fall through the cracks. To understand these challenges, we surveyed high school students about what prevents them from completing tasks such as “setting a scholarship goal” or “writing a personal statement essay.”
The college application process involves countless steps, each with its own challenges, making it easy for things to fall through the cracks. To understand these challenges, we surveyed high school students about what prevents them from completing tasks such as “setting a scholarship goal” or “writing a personal statement essay.”
47% of students are unsure of the steps to complete the tasks
47% of students are unsure of the steps to complete the tasks
46% of students lack motivation to complete the tasks
46% of students lack motivation to complete the tasks
7% of students don’t know when to complete the tasks
7% of students don’t know when to complete the tasks
These highlight students' biggest struggles: uncertainty about what to do next, when to do it, and staying motivated to stay on track.
Research
Understanding our users
Understanding our users
Our team created several user personas and user journeys to better understand how students and their families throughout the college application experience.
Our team created several user personas and user journeys to better understand how students and their families throughout the college application experience.
Click and drag to look around, ctrl+scroll to zoom in and out
Drag to look around, pinch to zoom
Drag to look around, pinch to zoom
Key findings
Key findings
Make the process clear
Make the process clear
The college application process has hundreds of tasks and deadlines to keep track of. The last thing we want to do is overwhelm the student with everything at the same time.
The college application process has hundreds of tasks and deadlines to keep track of. The last thing we want to do is overwhelm the student with everything at the same time.
Reduce the stress
Reduce the stress
Students want to know that they’re making the right decisions and staying on track. Showing them their progress and successes along with encouragement would help decrease their stress.
Students want to know that they’re making the right decisions and staying on track. Showing them their progress and successes along with encouragement would help decrease their stress.
Design
Iterations driven by user insights
Iterations driven by user insights
Various design iterations
Various design iterations
As the product designer leading this feature, I quickly iterated through design variations. We would survey users in our target audience on the new designs, then implement changes.
As the product designer leading this feature, I quickly iterated through design variations. We would survey users in our target audience on the new designs, then implement changes.
Example of improvement through user feedback
Example of improvement through user feedback
Solution and impact
Meaningfully helping students
Meaningfully helping students
After working with our developers on an MVP launch, the roadmap feature was brought to the live app. Our final design manages to solve both students’ and families’ key pain points.
After working with our developers on an MVP launch, the roadmap feature was brought to the live app. Our final design manages to solve both students’ and families’ key pain points.
Reducing stress
Reducing stress
The roadmap tasks and progress tracking shows students their overall progress and milestones. This gives them clear insight into whether they’re ahead or behind, eliminating the stress of not knowing if they’re doing the right thing. They can also focus on as many or as little tasks as they’d like at a time, which avoids overloading their to-do list.
The roadmap tasks and progress tracking shows students their overall progress and milestones. This gives them clear insight into whether they’re ahead or behind, eliminating the stress of not knowing if they’re doing the right thing. They can also focus on as many or as little tasks as they’d like at a time, which avoids overloading their to-do list.
Increasing motivation
Increasing motivation
Both parents and students can work on the college application process together, meaning everyone is extrinsically motivated by each other. It helps everyone stay accountable by making their progress visible to all.
Both parents and students can work on the college application process together, meaning everyone is extrinsically motivated by each other. It helps everyone stay accountable by making their progress visible to all.
Bringing clarity
Bringing clarity
The roadmap is organized and laid out by subject and by timeline, showing users exactly what they need to do for success. The homepage also suggests a few milestones automatically, showing what they should do next without overwhelming them with every single task.
The roadmap is organized and laid out by subject and by timeline, showing users exactly what they need to do for success. The homepage also suggests a few milestones automatically, showing what they should do next without overwhelming them with every single task.
Key flows
Key flows
Completing a task
Completing a task
When a milestone is complete, we automatically suggest a new one so they’re never lost on what to do.
Saving milestones
Saving milestones
Students can choose to focus on as many or as little milestones as they’re open to tackling.
Celebrating success
Custom animations for key moments of completion motivate students to continue working with Mapt.
Shared progress
Students can opt in to share their progress. This allows the parents to monitor progress in a non-invasive way.
Impact and takeaways
Impact and takeaways
450+ milestones completed by students
15% increase in student retention rate
Delivered 1,180+ personalized roadmaps
Move both quickly and intentionally
As a startup, we thrive on moving fast. We balanced speed with due diligence through proper user research, meaning we built the right thing the first time instead of having to waste time reiterating.
As a startup, we thrive on moving fast. We balanced speed with due diligence through proper user research, meaning we built the right thing the first time instead of having to waste time reiterating.
This isn’t the end
The roadmap tool launched to great success, but it’s still early in its life cycle. Our team will be tracking our key product metrics to see how it performs over time.
The roadmap tool launched to great success, but it’s still early in its life cycle. Our team will be tracking our key product metrics to see how it performs over time.
Next project: Building brand harmony ->
Next project: Building brand harmony ->
Let’s chat!
Say howdy at
kellyjincreative@gmail.com
Copied
kellyjincreative@gmail.com
Copied
kellyjincreative@gmail.com
Copied