Coursera
Role
Product designer
Project Type
Google UX design course project
Tool & Method
User Interview Wireframing / Mockups / Prototyping Usability studies Figma
Duration
2 Months
Google UX Design Plus Mentorship
I designed a mentoring website from user research to prototyping, with a focus on the booking session and graduate talk page flows.💎
This is a conceptual course project but it has been reviewed and given feedback by an experienced senior product designer.
Preview
1. Search a mentor
2. Choose a mentor
3. Book a session
4. Confirm the booking
Mentoring session booking in desktop
Become a mentor / Graduate talks in desktop
Context
Background
The Google UX design course provided by Coursera has been well rated by many students for the reasonable price and quality lectures. However, many students have difficulties finding a job and networking even after achieving a certificate of the course.
⚡The challenge
As a current student in the Google UX Design course, how can we foster a mutually beneficial relationship between students and graduates?
User Study
Before conducting the user interviews, I prepared a set of common questions for both potential mentees (students) and mentors (graduates). Following the interviews, I analyzed the responses and considered how the mentor-mentee relationship could be complementary in meeting their needs.
Students, potential mentees
"I am always curious about how graduates landed their first job after completing the course."
“I want to know how mentors improve their UI skills.”
“I would like to have a mentor available ASAP.”
Graduates, potential mentors
"I feel a sense of accomplishment by helping others and sharing my career stories."
"I want to be part of Google's UX design community."
“I want to network with other people”
Problem Statement
During user interviews with both current students (potential mentees) and graduates (potential mentors) of the Coursera Google UX Design course, I discovered that both groups strongly recognize the necessity and importance of mentoring.
However, they also noted that there is currently no platform within the Coursera Google UX Design course that allows for students and graduates to share information and network with each other.
Design Approach
Based on the issues with Coursera's Google UX Design course, I have sought solutions through improved communication among individual students in online classes and mentoring with graduates currently working in the UX design field. I have embraced the concept of a learning platform that fosters mutual assistance and growth between mentors and mentees.
⚡The challenge: How can I design a mentorship website where students and graduates can learn and grow together?
Main Flow
I created a main user flow to more concretely define how each mentee's needs and goals will be met. Since the mentees want to easily book a mentoring session, I focused on creating a streamlined booking process with fewer steps. On the other hand, since mentors want to feel a sense of camaraderie and belonging to the Google UX design community by helping students and sharing their career stories, I also created a "Become a Mentor" page where they can connect with other mentors and feel part of a community.
Design Solution
Mentee’s Need #1: They want to easily find the mentor they desire
Since the mentees have varying topics they want to receive mentoring on, and not all of them are native English speakers, they prefer to filter their search for a mentor based on mentoring topics, language, and the mentor's occupation, in order to select the most suitable one
Solution - Add mentoring topics and language dropdown options in the search bar
Mentee’s Need #2: They want have a mentor available ASAP
They often have an urgent need for guidance or support, as they are learning many new skills and concepts for the first time. For instance, they are using design tools like Figma or conducting user interviews for the first time, which can be daunting without the guidance of an experienced mentor.
Solution - Add ‘Earliest Session’ toggle
Mentees can easily see the next session date of their mentor and the mentor can clarify their availability status by showing their available dates. This helps to ensure that both the mentor and mentee are on the same page with regards to scheduling and can plan their sessions accordingly.
Mentee’s Need #3: They want to book a mentoring session easily
Mentee want to view clear and concise mentor’s profiles that outline their areas of expertise, their mentoring style, and their availability. And They also want to use a simple and intuitive online booking platform that allows them to easily view mentor’s availability dates and times.
Solution - Concise mentor profiles and a simple booking platform
Mentor’s Need #4: They want to help students by sharing their career stories and knowledge
Many mentors who obtained their certificate from the Google UX Design course have faced numerous challenges until they landed their first job. They hope to establish a positive relationship with current students by sharing their difficulties and mistakes, and offering guidance.
Solution - Add a ‘Become a mentor’ page
Mentors want to help students overcome the difficulties and frustrations they experience while attending classes because they are well aware of them. Many graduates have said that they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when helping others and sharing their own experiences and lessons learned. They also expressed a desire to do good as a member of the Google UX Design course community
Mentor’s Need #5: They want to share their career stories
They want to share their career stories to feel validated, connect with students and other mentors, and gain a deeper understanding of their own experiences, which can all contribute to their confidence.
Solution - Add a ‘Graduate talk’ page
By creating a "Become a Mentor" page, I can emphasize that being a part of the mentorship community as a graduate of the Google UX Design program is a meaningful experience for mentors. Additionally, showcasing the specific benefits of becoming a mentor through the experiences and stories of other mentors can help to illustrate the advantages of mentorship
Takeaways
I would like to discuss with other Coursera designers whether the UX design I created for a Google UX design plus mentoring website can be effectively applied to the Coursera website, both visually and functionally. Additionally, I should consider how my design aligns with Coursera's commercial goals In this project, I focused on the booking flow for mentoring and the website's menu layout. However, if given the opportunity, I would also like to design the mentor and mentee profile creation page, the review submission flow after a mentoring session, and the mentor video upload flow, among other things.