A mobile application design for Northeastern University's Student Hub, a platform which connects undergraduate and graduate students with the university's resources.
Catherine Kennedy
Digital Experience Design Assistant
UX/UI Designer, Northeastern ITS
My Project Lead
Northeastern University's Student Hub is strictly web-based, posing challenges for students who need to access it on-the-go. In 2022, user analytics revealed a disconnect between the website's UX and students' needs. This project reimagined the UX in a mobile app format to better serve Northeastern student's needs.
Stakeholder Meetings with University Administrators
User Research and Prioritization
Research-Informed Design
Design Review and Iteration
Present to Stakeholders
Google Analytics
I examined the Google Analytics for the web-based Student Hub and found that the E-Bill—a link students review regularly to see whether their financial aid has been dispersed and their tuition paid—was hidden behind several clicks, even though it was the second-most visited page.
User Focus Groups
In several focus groups with 5-8 current students, we found that students avoided accessing Student Hub on their phone unless the task was urgent (eg. checking their registration status, their e-bill, and their schedule). We also heard that many students would appreciate if a mobile student hub had a dark mode.
Home Page
Redesigned User Flow
Rather than accessing high-priority links through a series of pages, important links take priority on the home page.
Alternative Color Scheme
Given that our stakeholders at the university were not yet sold on changing Student Hub's color palette, we presented another version using the web version's palette.
Resources Page
Redesigning for Real Use
The web-based Student Hub funnels students to a homepage with Northeastern news and their class schedule, but the reality is that most students only use Student Hub to access important links. This mobile app design prioritizes actual usage patterns over intended user behavior by putting Resources in the thumb zone.
Notification Pages
Eye-Catching Notifications
Students in focus groups mentioned that they felt notifications in the Student Hub were easy to miss. This mobile app design employs eye-catching UI elements to draw attention to urgent notifications.
