Define Problem
Students Sometimes Face Difficulties With the Social Aspects of College
CollegeData's "Transition to College" Survey 2023 revealed notable social challenges for students. 19% struggled with social issues, 17% with life balance, and specific freshman year difficulties included meeting new people (5%), living with roommates (5.5%), and living away from home (8.5%).
Some Students Struggle With the Social Aspects of College
- “Friend groups form and end fast and [they] can be difficult to break into once orientation is over.”
- “Meeting new people is hard to do if you don’t live on campus”
- “It took a while to find people I felt comfortable around.”
- “I felt alone and didn’t have the support I once had in high school.”
- “I didn’t think homesickness was going to be as bad as it was, but it was really hard first semester.”
How CollegeData Students Survived the Transition From High School to College?
- “My college’s first-gen support system. We met monthly and attended events together. It helped me feel less alienated from my peers.”
- “Being close with my RA.”
- “Going to floor events and meeting people.”
- “Going to the mental health center and talking about my feelings.”
- “Joining a fraternity.”
User Research: Interviews
Interview Version 1
Interview V1 Response Summaries
Primary Factors When Selecting School Dormitories:
- Private bathroom
- Distance to campus/classroom
- Roommates/no roommate
Primary Factors When Choosing Cafeterias/Restaurants:
- Waiting time
- Price
- Taste
- Distance
Campus Activities:
- Clubs
- Sports
- Band performance, Proms
Balance Studying, Socializing, and Sleep:
- Give up one of the three
Form of Socializing for Making Friends:
- Clubs
- Common interests
- Same class/major/routine
Learn About Courses/Professors:
- CMU website, FCE
- Ask friends/upperclassmen
Challenges or Difficulties:
- Lack of a sense of belonging, knows no one from the beginning
- Course too challenging
- Heavy workload, Sleep deprivation
- Find something they like to eat
Colleges Can Do to Provide More Support:
- Psychological support(consultation)
- More single rooms in dorms
Final Interview
Final Interview Response Summaries
Sense of Belonging:
- Be with friends
- Connect to communities, attend regular activities
- Expose to different people
- Enjoy what they are doing, achievements
- Some don’t really feel they belong
Friend Group:
- Same major friends, roommates
- Strong friend group
- Separate friends, multiple friend groups
- Friend groups vary day by day
- In a giant group, but all not that close
Important for College Experience:
- Social and academic balance, knowledge and relationships
- Friends, meeting ppl
- Healthy social environment
- Good cafeteria, study space
Running Traditions:
- Carnival
- Fence painting
- Buggy
- Bagpipes
Most Memorable College Experience:
- Spend time with friends/people they love
- Attend social events
- Academic achievements
- Internship offers
Affinity Diagramming
Existing Ways for College Students to Find Their Friend Group
Our affinity diagram focuses on the question: "How do people find their friend groups?" This analysis reveals that friend group formation revolves around three key areas: major/academics, extracurricular/social time, and association/relatability/comfort.
Major/Academics
- Friends often emerge among those with similar academic interests or schedules.
- Shared classes, majors, or academic goals foster connections.
- Collaborative study and work experiences are common bonding grounds.
Extracurricular/Social Time
- School organizations and clubs are vital in forming friendships.
- Common hobbies and interests outside academics bring people together.
Association/Relatability/Comfort
- High school acquaintances, roommates, and those with similar backgrounds form tight-knit groups.
- Friendships grow where personality types align and comfort is felt.
Challenges in Friendship Formation
- Large classrooms and campuses can hinder personal engagement.
- Academic-focused friendships might pressure individuals to maintain a professional demeanor.
- Multi-faceted friendships may lead to superficial connections in large groups.
Proposed Solutions + User Feedback
Generative research was conducted to organize the current information and develop corresponding solutions based on various categories.
Subsequently, several functional pages were proposed based on these categorized solutions. These include:
Subsequently, several functional pages were proposed based on these categorized solutions. These include:
- Recommendations of people based on activities/organizations
- Recommendations of people based on class schedules
- A generator of people similar to the user
- A main page for users to create and explore posts
- A feature to schedule meetups
Next, we ask people for feedback based on the question: "Analyze the pieces and think about what you would have wanted and needed at the beginning of your freshman year and throughout college. Explain which page you find most important."
Main Page User Feedback
For the main page of posts, we created mainly six categories: game, sports, clothing/shopping, study, restaurants/eating, and borrowing. Then, we ask people to rank what they care about most for each category.
In the sports and games category, users prioritized skill level, while cost emerged as the main concern in the marketplace. For studying, the style was deemed most important, and taste took precedence when it came to eating out. Distance was generally not a concern since many of the activities are easily conducted online. A notable commonality across most priorities was the element of personal association or relatability, with factors like skill level, style, and taste contributing to a sense of comfort and connection.
In the sports and games category, users prioritized skill level, while cost emerged as the main concern in the marketplace. For studying, the style was deemed most important, and taste took precedence when it came to eating out. Distance was generally not a concern since many of the activities are easily conducted online. A notable commonality across most priorities was the element of personal association or relatability, with factors like skill level, style, and taste contributing to a sense of comfort and connection.
Information Architecture
Low Fidelity Sketches + Wireframes
Design System
Logos
Colors
Typography
Icons
Final Mobile Interface
Login
On the login page, users can log into their school community with their student ID and email.
Build Your Profile
On the profile page, students can create customized profiles to display their hometown, major, interests, classes, and groups to find others with similar backgrounds.
Recommend For You
Recommend Students, Groups, or School Clubs That Match the User
The profile page suggests students with similar backgrounds, interests, and classes. The group page recommends groups that match their interests or have members with similar backgrounds. The student club page proposes campus organizations that align with their interests and backgrounds. These recommendations will grow more personalized as users interact with and meet more individuals.
When the message button is clicked, it will take the user to another page with more details on the post, who posted it, and a button to send a message. The user will then be redirected to the conversations page.
When the message button is clicked, it will take the user to another page with more details on the post, who posted it, and a button to send a message. The user will then be redirected to the conversations page.
CConnect
Share Activities or Events to Connect and Communicate With Others
CConnect caters to various student needs by organizing its content into different categories. Students can share activities or events, such as visiting new restaurants, playing games together, studying in groups, participating in sports, and more.
It allows direct communication, allowing users to contact the individual who posted an activity or event they are interested in.
It allows direct communication, allowing users to contact the individual who posted an activity or event they are interested in.
Marketplace
Borrow, Sell, or Buy Items Directly From Each Other
Marketplace is where students can borrow, sell, or buy things. Users can contact the person who posted an item to figure out details about the item and arrange when and where to meet, streamlining the process of acquiring or selling goods within the student community.
Conversations
The Conversations page combines individual and group messages, facilitating interactions among users discussing 'Marketplace' items, 'CConnect' activities, and 'Recommended for You' matches, creating a centralized hub for chat-based communication.
