Terra Dotta Virtual Advisor
For my senior capstone project, I was put on a team with three other UX Design students. We were paired with our client, Terra Dotta, to complete a project for them. Terra Dotta is a study abroad platform that works with a variety of schools to house the search and application process. We were tasked with creating a virtual advisor system that would match students to study abroad programs that fit their needs. One of the biggest goals was to find a way to diversify where students study abroad because most students only look at programs in Europe. In my role as the client liaison, I was in charge of bridging the communication between our team and the client. This includes scheduling client meetings, presenting during those meetings, and keeping the client updated on the team's progress.
Final Result
Research Phase
Research Goals
1. What goals and priorities do students have regarding the study abroad experience?
2. What hesitations do students have when considering the study abroad experience?
3. How can we make students aware of all available opportunities that fit their needs?
Steps
1. Competitive Analysis
2. Advisor and Student Interviews
3. Surveys
4. Persona and Journey Maps
5. User Flow Diagrams

User Journey

Persona
Defining Requirements
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Ensuring more meaningful and longer engagement from students
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Directing students to helpful resources
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Make students aware of opportunities they may not have found on their own
Design Phase
Final Steps
Usability Testing and Client Handover
Conducted user testing on 5 student stakeholders
Iterated on final design based on student feedback
Presented the final design to the client with future recommendations