Pathways
Redesigned Duke's cocurricular learning platform to satisfy various information seeking personas
Desktop Responsive design User Testing
Overview
Pathways is a co-curricular learning website made for the Duke community to enroll in asynchronous and synchronous classes. Topics range from graphic design to potato printing to Python. I was tasked with going through previous user research and coming up with a new design that solves the main paint points, starting with the browse page.
What began as the redesign of a single page quickly grew into a much larger project to encompass the entire "browse experience."
Problem
Both new and returning users struggled to find classes they liked that fit their schedule. First-time users didn't understand the site language or what class options were available.
Objective
Make it easier for students and staff to find and enroll in fun classes that fit their busy schedules.
Outcome
Using the RITE method, my colleague and I iterated on five designs over the span of two months to find a solution that worked best for Pathway's users. Overwhelmingly positive response to redesigned prototype during final user testing. Redesign launched August 2024.
Pre-Redesign
Pain Points
According to our team's user research and the testing of early wireframes, users were frustrated with how hard it was to browse for interesting classes that fit their schedule.
🗓️ No Calendar View
Some students wanted a way to see what classes fit their busy schedules at a glance, instead of having to scroll through pages of date-sorted modules
🤕 Information Overload
Users said they primarily look at module titles and the date/ time when deciding on which ones to enroll in, so descriptions are not important to show up-front
🔎 Unhelpful Filters
As visible in the picture above, the topic filter opened a long list of unalphabetized topics that were too overwhelming and time-consuming to navigate
📵 UI Not Mobile-Friendly
The long row of Pathways takes up the first few pages when viewing on a smaller device, giving mobile users an even more frustrating browse experience
Project Goals
With the pain points in mind, I first started by defining the goals for the redesign. What would success look like for a new Pathways iteration?
1️⃣ Save Users Time
Help users find and enroll in classes more efficiently
2️⃣ More Guidance for New Users
Add definitions for site-specific words and a CTA on the home page leading to the browse page
3️⃣ Refreshed Overall UI
Create a more streamlined and minimalist feel while removing excess information
Using the RITE Method
For such a large redesign where I wasn't really sure where to start, my UXR colleague and I decided to use the RITE Method (Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation). I would design wireframes that improved a few sections of the interface, and we tested with around five users right away, making changes immediately after testing when we discovered any obvious issues.
Using this method was a game changer – it allowed us to quickly filter through a number of ideas and find what users are most comfortable with.
