Project Overview
"Grad Mate" is my independent project that emerged from identifying a market gap during my process of applying to graduate schools. I teamed up with a fellow designer who shared the same passion for working on this project.
Duration
3 months - Mar to July 2022
Team
Mahalakshmi, Raghav Anand
Tools
Figma
Miro
Here is the problem!
Pursuing a graduate program at an international graduate institutions is no simple task; it demands significant time, energy, building professional connections, and financial investment.
User Interviews to understand their pain points
We initiated our research with user interviews to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the issues. These semi-structured interviews included face-to-face and telephonic sessions, each lasting 20 minutes. The recruiting criteria were anyone who is currently pursuing master's or in the process of applying to grad schools.
Group 1
Undergraduate students preparing for master's programs
Group 2
Working professionals planning to pursue a master's degree
Group 3
Students currently pursuing/ pursued masters aborad
We synthesized the findings through affinity mapping, identified that there were a lot of overlaps between what they wanted and what precisely fell under one of the 6 key findings mentioned below.
Unclear Process
The process of applying, right from choosing courses to navigating visas, seemed unclear.
Tedious exam preparation
Juggling between multiple resources like websites, PDFs, and YouTube for exam prep (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)
Hard to find online communities
Students struggle to find online communities, often relying on Facebook which redirects them to WhatsApp
Lack of Mentorship
Participants reached out to alumni on LinkedIn for university or course info but often got no replies.
Finding the right course
14/20 students wanted to pursue a master's degree but were unsure which course to choose.
Unreliable consultancies
Participants were concerned about the legitimacy of consultancies, causing apprehension.
Survey to know the bigger picture!
Based on the qualitative information obtained from the user interviews, I formulated a short survey to gather feedback from a wider audience regarding these pain points.
Major Insights from the survey
112 Responses
How would you rate the process of finding the student groups?
Very Easy (11)
Somewhat easier (11)
Difficult (31)
Very Difficult (59)
120 Responses
How much did you know about the application process when you started?
No idea at all (12)
Had a basic idea about the process (48)
Had a good idea about process (30)
Knew everything about the process (22)
115 Responses
How do you select a masters program that is right for you?
Self Research (62)
Related to undergrad (29)
Related to work experience (12)
Through professional help (12)
Competitor Analysis to understand the gaps.
We conducted a competitor analysis to identify gaps in services offered by existing products. Based on user interviews and research, we selected key platforms that assist students applying for graduate programs abroad:
Yocket
App focusing on services over community.
YM Grad
Popular app for international education and networking.
GradCafe
Online forum for sharing admissions and scholarships.
Information architecture for organizing content
After thorough research, I summarized the findings to create a list of features and design requirements. We then developed the Information Architecture, organizing content and navigation to ensure ease of use. The structure was refined based on feedback from fellow designers.
Conceptual model
After formulating information architecture, we wanted to visualize how our product could effectively address each identified user pain point and so we created a conceptual model to depict them.
Wireframing and testing
Added a request tab for privacy
In response to users' privacy concerns about being contacted by anyone, I implemented a 'request' tab allowing users to authorize and control who can contact them.
Event - Join/ watch or listen to recording later
6/8 users indicated that they typically engage with the content during their commute, so I incorporated a 'Listen to audio only' button. This feature aims to minimize mobile data usage while still allowing users to access the content in audio format.
Event participants and friends
Users expressed a desire to see if anyone from their friend list is participating or has participated in the events. For this reason I added a section that displays their friends with a count to get a quick picture.
Key Features
Comprehensive guide
Users can understand the process, identify the best course, find exam resources, access consultancies, and scholarships.
Express, Share, and Connect
Users can share their thoughts, photos, and polls, as well as create and discover events.
Find Trusted Consulting
GradMate helps users to find reliable consulting firms by reviewing their track record, feedback ratings, and reviews.
Simple 4-step sign-up process
Users could quickly sign up in 4 steps by using email or mobile number. They could even sign-up using Gmail or Facebook.
Peer Support and Mentorship
Grad Mate includes master's aspirants and students who are currently studying. This enables everyone to learn from each other and be mentored by seniors who have already gone through the process.
Participate in events to stay updated
Join information sessions hosted by peers and experienced candidates to gain valuable insights and stay informed about the course, universities, and opportunities.
Fosters community and builds connections
Users can message their friends, join groups specific to their course and universities, and collaborate with like-minded peers for a more enriched academic experience.
Feel the pulse through polls
Users can post questions and polls to gather valuable feedback from both peers and mentors, aiding in informed decision-making throughout their journey.
Jason
“This is going to be a game-changer! I particularly like the study session that has the modules, super helpful”
Ayisha
“I wish we had something like this while I was applying to grad schools, I had to figure out everything on my own”
