Student Services Hub
A UX redesign exploring how students find, understand and engage with university support services.
UX Research · Information Architecture · UX Writing · UI Design · Accessibility · Exploring AI Assisted Prototyping
Role : UX/UI Designer
Timeline : 8 weeks
Tools : Figma, Miro, Claude
The Problem
Finding support shouldn’t feel like another thing to figure out.
The existing student services platform held valuable support information, but it was difficult for students to navigate. Content was spread across repeated pages, organised around departments rather than student needs, and often required too much effort to understand.
Through user research and an accessibility audit, four key issues emerged:
Research & Insights
I reviewed the existing student services platform, carried out an accessibility audit, and conducted informal interviews with five students to understand how they searched for support information.
The research highlighted a need for clearer navigation, more accessible content, and a calmer way for students to find relevant services.
This led to the development of 3 persona’s to keep the project grounded around user needs.
Research Methods
Current User Journey
I performed a usability test on the current student services webpage with 2 seperate participants. This is an overview of comments made throughout.
Key Insights
Understanding ADHD
I chose to explore ADHD more deeply through Ben’s persona, not as a limitation, but as a way to understand how different students focus, process information and stay engaged.
Through interviews and secondary research, I found that support platforms do not always need to be stripped back or overly simplified. For some students, the challenge is creating an experience that is intuitive, visually engaging and easy to move through without feeling frustrating or dull.
Ben Hayes
Ben is an 18-year-old business and digital technology student who balances college with rugby training. He has dreams of starting his own sportswear brand. He has ADHD and often finds it difficult to focus in lectures or manage multiple assignments at once.
However, Ben doesn’t simply need a quieter or more basic experience. He often focuses best in lively environments, where background energy helps him stay engaged. He’s outgoing, creative and enjoys learning when content feels visual and interactive.
Project Definition
It was important to define the project goals to ensure that the user was at the centre of the design process as it moved forward.
Project Goals
Design a student service experience that is;
Enjoyable to use.
Feels personalised to the user.
Considers different types of focus.
Is clear, concise and offers reassurance.
Aligns with the principles of universal design.
”
“When I am looking for information on student services, I want it to be fun, easy to find information and personalised to my needs so that I can save time and feel more involved in IADT life and the services it offers”
Benchmarking
Research into existing products helped to align the ideation phase with the project goals. I looked at apps that had elements of fun and personalisation.
Microsofts inclusive design principles highlighted the importance of considering different types of focus. I looked at physical products such as fidget toys and how this engaging activity can better help people to focus on tasks.
Prototypes and Testing
I created paper prototypes and tested basic user flows. I wanted to discover what types of interactions were more engaging. I was inspired by apps like Tik Tok and dating apps that keep user engagement through various types of scrolls.
This small-scale testing showed that there was no clear favourite in terms of the presentation of services. This was an opportunity to link back to universal design and add a button that allowed the user to switch views or simply search for topics.
Student Services Hub
The student services hub is a community for students to access personalised support and information. The project highlighted the importance of creating fun and interactive experiences that students will want to use, whilst also providing clear actionable information.
UX Writing : Tone of Voice Considerations
The original platform offered no onboarding, leaving students to navigate a dense list of services with little context or support. This often resulted in confusion and drop-offs.
To improve first-time experiences, I introduced a light onboarding flow paired with human, friendly microcopy to guide users and reduce friction.
Key Enhancements:
A warm welcome message that sets a supportive, student-focused tone.
Onboarding questions that help personalise the experience and surface relevant services.
Conversational, jargon-free language that brings a sense of ease and approachability.
Subtle use of tone and content to add a touch of personality and fun — helping the platform feel more like a guide than a form
These improvements not only help users feel more confident from the start, but also allow the system to offer smarter service suggestions over time, tailored to each student's goals or needs.
Personalisation Through Onboarding
Profile Creation and Daily Newsfeed
Reflection
This project allowed me to take a complex, service-heavy experience and rethink it from a student’s perspective. The work sharpened my skills in designing for clarity, accessibility, and tone — and highlighted how thoughtful microcopy and onboarding can make large systems feel human.
What I have learned:
The importance of reducing friction through clear, welcoming language
How visual hierarchy and content strategy work together to simplify navigation
That even small improvements (like onboarding or tone) can have a big impact on engagement.
The value of testing whether students can find the support they need, alongside refining the visual design.
Next, I would explore an optional route directly to services, balancing quicker access with the benefits of personalised onboarding.
Testing & Impact
I tested the Figma prototype with eight participants, asking them to complete onboarding and find Assistive Technology Services.
Compared with the original student services website:
Average time to find the service decreased from (4min → 1min 40sec average) a reduction of approximately 58%.
All eight participants found the service on their first attempt, compared with four on the original website.
These results provide an encouraging indication of improved findability within this small test group. Further testing would help establish whether the improvements hold across other services and a wider range of students.
Exploring AI Assisted Prototyping
Taking it further with Claude. To see how far the project could go, I experimented with Claude to turn my Figma screens into a working prototype. I gave it my designs, content and research insights, asked it to critique the journey, and used it to build out the Book Appointment flow I hadn't designed yet, refining it with feedback as I went. It only worked because of the groundwork. The research behind the onboarding and my initial designs gave it something specific to build on. I haven't tested this version with students yet, so that's the next step.