UT Scheduler+

Roles: UI/UX Designer UX Researcher Software Engineer

Challenge

During the pandemic, underclassmen receive less guidance during their transition to college.

Approach

The UT Scheduler+ mobile app introduces available resources to freshmen while simplifying their class scheduling process regarding campus navigation. The “Ask Me Anything” feature utilizes natural language processing to present an easily accessible location for UT students to ask questions and receive accurate answers quickly, and the Google Suite integration streamlines the scheduling process.

Planning

Information Architecture

Originally, our information architecture focused on COVID safety, but we eventually pivoted the application towards other factors that are more useful in the long run and currently less accessible to underclassmen. We pivoted the FAQ idea into an “Ask Me Anything” page and addressed scheduling concerns instead of mainly COVID concerns.

Before wireframing, we completed a Competitive/ Comparative Analysis with Protect Texas Together, My UT, and Texas Longhorns mobile applications to evaluate the organization of relevant apps and examine their strengths and weaknesses.

Research

We presented our wireframes after redefining our objective and received feedback for iteration before our final prototype.

WireFrames & Feedback

Design

Neomorphic Design Language System from Figma community

We chose to utilize neomorphic design elements in the application because it allows for a more interesting and fun interface in comparison to standard UT themed applications. The app navigation is designed so that you can easily side swipe between the AMA page and the Resources page allowing for a minimalistic and simple app that is easy to use for underclassmen. The Resources page contains relevant information for students alongside the GSuite integration which allows users to export their class schedule and favorited events to their google calendar. Additionally, location and time information will automatically populate in the Google Calendar which automates the scheduling process.

Testing

User Testing Script

Takeaways

We wanted to learn more about how intuitive our user flow was, so we asked questions about:

  • Our flows for our various features and communicating its intended use
  • Comparing what users expected vs what they experienced
  • Any pain points they had
We showed potential users the intended interactions of finding helpful student resources, navigating the Google Calendar feature, and utilizing the “ask me anything” feature. Through it, we learned the following:
  • The app is intuitive, easy, and a natural process
  • We need to clear up some of the information we provide and possibly frame it in a way that provides more specific and personalized aid (instead of just information on UWC, offer formatting help, citation help, etc)
  • Offer a more personalized approach, so some students do not use Gcal, they use other scheduling tools, so being perceptive of that
Next Steps:
  • Further refine features that users enjoy
  • Try not to tend to every single pain point (scoping)
  • Discuss tradeoffs and ideating new features
  • Letting go of features that users found not useful