Mentoring platform that lacks mentors will eventually fail
Build reliable relationships in a mentoring platform
My Role:
UX Designer
Platform:
Web application
Tools:
Adobe XD
Duration:
3 months
Background
Empowered Future is an innovative Canadian non-profit organization supporting emerging adults as they transition into adulthood. In this project, we designed a mentorship platform that connects trainees with volunteer mentors to help them achieve their career goals. We need to evaluate and modify the design to make sure the platform functionality and interface are useful and enjoyable before handing over the design to the developers.
My role
I am one of the designers on the design team, working with other designers and developers. Since I joined in the middle of the project, I am mostly responsible for the design on mentor side and hand over the prototype to developer.
Challenge: Insufficient supply of mentors
Mentors’ lack of initiative to utilize our platform can result in a shortage of mentors and potential loss due to overloading and mismatches in mentorship.
💻 Technical challenge:
Consider the capacity of development team, they prefer to build a website rather web application.
💰 Financial challenge:
As a NGO, our budget is tight and resource is limited.
How may we encourage mentors to actively participate in the platform and build valuable mentorships?
Research & Define
Conduct moderate usability testing
I conducted a moderated usability testing session on Google Meet with another designers to evaluate early concepts. Since our team had already created a simple prototype of the platform, we utilized it to validate our assumptions and uncover any hidden issues. This process allowed us to generate new and improved ideas to enhance the platform’s benefits for our target mentors and prevent user attrition post-launch.
💬 Feedback
- Website information cannot gain user confidence
- Users are concern about the time commitment and workload
- Users are confused about the process from accepting mentee requests to scheduling mentoring sessions
💡 Insight
- Redesign the website layout and content
- More features to enhance control and customization of availability settings
- Outlines the procedure on website and provide supportive features, such as notifications and reminder
3 most important design principles we learnt from the research.
Clarity and Simplicity
Keep the platform interface clear and simple to facilitate easy navigation.
Transparency
Provide details about the mentorship process, expectations, and guidelines to build user trust.
Flexibility
Maximize flexibility in mentorship arrangements and allow mentors to easily manage their workload.
Feature Sheet & Priority List
After conducting user testing, we analyzed the feedback to enhance the user flow and incorporate valuable features. We created priority lists and feature sheets, and engaged in discussions with the technical team to determine the necessary design modifications and additional features to be implemented.
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Alternative Design
Sketches for ideation
Based on the usability test insights and prioritized issue list, we ideated solutions focus on addressing critical and moderate issues first. Utilizing the existing design system, we built the prototype, ensuring consistency and adherence to established design principles.
Comment & vote the ideas
I have designed multiple versions of the high-fidelity prototype and presented my work to the design team for seeking feedback. Also, to address differing opinions on visual design, we employ a voting system to facilitate collaborative decision-making and arrive at a final design choice.
Design Solutions
Clear and intuitive application process
I have revamped the design of the “Become a Mentor” page to resemble a captivating landing page. The layout ensures that vital information is readily accessible to potential mentors, with a prominent call-to-action button that guides them towards taking the desired action of “being a mentor”. The refined design streamlines the content, delivering it in a concise and impactful manner, effectively conveying the necessary information and encouraging user engagement.
Flexible availability settings for managing workloads
After discussion, we decided to increase mentor control by introducing additional setting options. In the setup process, mentors will now have the capability to estimate and adjust their mentoring commitments on a weekly or even daily basis. Moreover, they can easily schedule breaks during busy periods, providing them with more flexibility and control over their workloads.
Provide contextual help
In order to provide a seamless and supportive user experience, I added some information icons, pop-ups, warning messages, and notifications to assist users in making decisions, allowing them to quickly become familiar with the platform’s functions and the entire mentorship process.
Follow design system
During the design process, we followed the design system to maintain consistency in style between the website and platform. At the same time, as new features are created, we may introduce new components to expand the existing design system, ensuring its continuous growth and relevance.
Final prototype
The value I create...
Future Steps
What’s next?
Reflection
Key takeaways
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