- TimeLine
7 months 2017-2018
- Role
Managing project conception, Research, UI design and collaborating with developers
Managing the project conception (including identifying market, competitors, target users, timeline), collaborating with a developer for code, MySQL, database design and understanding the various technical challenges behind developing a social profile site with a submission blogging/ Portfolio platform. Learning how to bring a complex project from conception, ideation, site architecture through to a finished result. My CMS skills improved as well as those of UI and UX processes.
- Problem and Need
Collaboration and communication
Students :
Students in different creative courses can communicate and connect to collaborate on various projects. By viewing students portfolios and projects they can see different skills, interests and capabilities of the student. e.g:
- A light designed by an industrial design student that needs fabric working with a fashion design student.
- A fashion student needs buttons or cad designed working with an industrial design student
- Architecture students wish to collaborate with interior design students.
- UX design students have an idea for an animation on their website and wish to work with animation/ media students.
- It could even be a case that people in non creative disciplined courses wish to network with someone internal to the university. (Business Students looking to work with design students).
University :
Faculty staff need a better way to notify and communicate with students. University events occurring throughout the different departments and students from the various creative disciplines need notifying. E.g:
- A design lecture is being held in industrial design on ‘future materials’ which fashion students are interested to join.
By developing the inter disciplinary connections with students form various courses, the creative community will flourish. University is not about sitting down and being taught, but learning by doing, trying, communicating and experiencing, sharing expertise . In the working world after university people are becoming more and more diversified and required to have experiences and multiple capabilities outside their role type. By helping students learn new skills and better collaborate at university, they become more adapt for later life.
Student discovery and promotion
Students are eventually required to have a digital online presence and ways to share their portfolio. This can help gain their discovery in the world through external site visitors showing interest in their projects as well as sharing their work.
Social links built into the platform enable promotion of projects/ work to various social medias (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, email, CV url embed etc.)
University promotion, history and records
The University wishes to gain a greater position when competing with the other universities. A key way new students evaluate the quality of the courses is by looking at facilities, and ex students works. By the university having a way to document students work they keep a record and can better promote the course capabilities, skills and course work. The university can also promote students projects that have received various awards.
External advertising and interests
Various creative organisations, communities and events occur outside University within Newcastle and the greater area. Through NorthumbriaDesign.com These external opportunities could be submitted to the platform and then presented to the students.
E.g. A screening of ‘the history of the moving picture’ is airing at Tyneside Cinema.
The current method of communication within the university is email marketing focussed, which can be mistake for spam and is not centralised through a one stop place to see what’s happening.
Due to the high number of pages and profiles, there are also great opportunities for selected and appropriated advertising banners.
e.g. Student Discount on Laptops at abc shop in town..
Analysis was performed on current market leading platforms
Analysis was conducted into the current platforms, UI design, how they function and why they don't meet user needs. Comparing university user needs with the market leading platforms helped understand the business case and unique values the Northumbria platform could have to offer.
- Users and Stakeholders
A range of university internal and external stakeholders will adopt the platform
- Northumbria Students in creative Disciplines
- Companies looking for interns and Graduates
- University staff and creative communities
- University relevant advertising companies
Characters Designed by pikisuperstar / Freepik
Multiple interviews and discussions occurred to construct personas for the key user groups. 4 Persona types were created. These were used throughout the design process to ensure the target users interests and needs were best considered. This also helped support the business case.
