Skillspace

Skillspace

A platform that provides online professional training programs with newly designed peer matching and reward system features.

A platform that provides online professional training programs with newly designed peer matching and reward system features.

Timeline

Timeline

18-20 Jan 2024
Design Hackathon

18-20 Jan 2024
Design Hackathon

Team

Team

1 Product Manager
3 UX Researcher
3 UX Designer

1 Product Manager
3 UX Researcher
3 UX Designer

My Role

My Role

UX Designer

UX Designer

Results

Results

Winner of hackathon

Winner of hackathon

My Impact

My Impact

  • Participate in HMW questions creating and brainstorming, gained insights from market research results.

  • Cooperated with user journey mapping of peer matching feature.

  • Defined user flow of peer matching feature.

  • Built 15 wireframes and 15 high-fidelity prototypes of the peer matching feature.

  • Prepared the final presentation deck.

  • Participate in HMW questions creating and brainstorming, gained insights from market research results.

  • Cooperated with user journey mapping of peer matching feature.

  • Defined user flow of peer matching feature.

  • Built 15 wireframes and 15 high-fidelity prototypes of the peer matching feature.

  • Prepared the final presentation deck.

Overview

Overview

Background

Background

Skillspace offers online professional training programs tailored for busy working professionals in the tech industry from different countries. The product and design team is exploring an idea of build an online community within their education platform. This initiative aims to improve user engagement and establish a networking hub for our members.

Our goal is to complete the conceptualisation and design of the new online community functionality.

Skillspace offers online professional training programs tailored for busy working professionals in the tech industry from different countries. The product team is exploring an idea of build an online community within their education platform. This initiative aims to improve user engagement and establish a networking hub for our members.

Our goal is to complete the conceptualisation and design of the new online community functionality.

Design Process

Design Process

Understand

Understand

Customer Survey Report

Customer Survey Report

This past user survey report from presents the results to understand Skillspace users' needs and preferences for proposed online community features.

This past user survey report from presents the results to understand Skillspace users' needs and preferences for proposed online community features.

Participants

Participants

Skillspace users
Primarily tech industry professionals.

Skillspace users
Primarily tech industry professionals.

Distribution

Distribution

Via email and the Skillspace platform

Via email and the Skillspace platform

Response Rate

Response Rate

231 responses over two weeks

231 responses over two weeks

Key Finding

Key Finding

65%

65%

Reported low to moderate engagement.

Reported low to moderate engagement.

71%

71%

Want forums, chat, and video calls.

Want forums, chat, and video calls.

85%

85%

Want networking and peer support features.

Want networking and peer support features.

HMW Questions

HMW Questions

1

How might we make users feel more connected?

How might we make users feel more connected?

2

How might we motivate users to engage in the community?

How might we motivate users to engage in the community?

3

How might we let users enjoy learning?

How might we let users enjoy learning?

Research

Research

Before touching anything related to design, we dive into

1 - the psychology and motivations behind studying and learning effectively

2 - the existing learning platforms to see what was currently working and what could be improved

Before touching anything related to design, we dive into

1 - the psychology and motivations behind studying and learning effectively

2 - the existing learning platforms to see what was currently working and what could be improved

Competitor Analysis

Competitor Analysis

We choose 4 major learning platforms fail to maintain the community active by just using discussion forum.

We choose 4 major learning platforms fail to maintain the community active by just using discussion forum.

Insights

Insights

🤝

🤝

1: Peer System

1: Peer System

Learning with and teaching others is the best way to learn.

Learning with and teaching others is the best way to learn.

Effective community-building and website retention thrive on a peer system.

Effective community-building and website retention thrive on a peer system.

💰

💰

2: Reward System

2: Reward System

It’s not all about the money!

It’s not all about the money!

Gamification in education taps into the world of achievement, using elements like points, badges, and rankings as non-pecuniary motivators to fuel student progression.

Gamification in education taps into the world of achievement, using elements like points, badges, and rankings as non-pecuniary motivators to fuel student progression.

Challenge

Challenge

Problem Statement

Problem Statement

Too many busy professionals are experiencing disconnection from a community while studying in an education platform because of the lack of option to talk and learn from others thus users drop out of the course or stop it.

Too many busy professionals are experiencing disconnection from a community while studying in an education platform because of the lack of option to talk and learn from others thus users drop out of the course or stop it.

Ideate

Ideate

Value Proposition Canvas

Value Proposition Canvas

We first completed the Value Proposition Canvas to define customer profiles and to plan the product features and functions that match with user needs.

We first completed the Value Proposition Canvas to define customer profiles and to plan the product features and functions that match with user needs.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming

We categorized, and voted for the features to support and build a community.

We categorized, and voted for the features to support and build a community.

Design

Design

User Journey Mapping

User Journey Mapping

Based on different user learning habits, users are categorised into two types - introverted learners and extroverted learners.

Based on different user learning habits, users are categorised into two types - introverted learners and extroverted learners.

Introverted Learners - Journey for "Peer Matching"

Introverted Learners - Journey for "Peer Matching"

Joe aspires to learn through community media while also establishing a network to engage in learning discussions with like-minded individuals.

Consequently, the "Peer Matching" journey facilities the matching of learning companions through a form-fill process.

Expectations:

  • Personalised learning experience

  • Interactive and collaborative learning platform for study and network

  • Enhance users' sense of belonging to the platform.

Joe aspires to learn through community media while also establishing a network to engage in learning discussions with like-minded individuals.

Consequently, the "Peer Matching" journey facilities the matching of learning companions through a form-fill process.

Expectations:

  • Personalised learning experience

  • Interactive and collaborative learning platform for study and network

  • Enhance users' sense of belonging to the platform.

Extroverted Learners - Journey for "Earning Rewards by Contributing to the Community"

Extroverted Learners - Journey for "Earning Rewards by Contributing to the Community"

Emily has extensive experience in the web design field and is eager to connect with others. Most important, she values the knowledge-sharing environment within the community to benefits both others and herself.

Consequently, the "Earning Rewards by Contributing to the Community" journey encourages Emily through a reward system to participate in the community and share her experience and knowledge.

Expectations:

  • Foster interaction among community members

  • Drive shared learning and growth

  • Extra rewards for enjoy free online courses

Emily has extensive experience in the web design field and is eager to connect with others. Most important, she values the knowledge-sharing environment within the community to benefits both others and herself.

Consequently, the "Earning Rewards by Contributing to the Community" journey encourages Emily through a reward system to participate in the community and share her experience and knowledge.

Expectations:

  • Foster interaction among community members

  • Drive shared learning and growth

  • Extra rewards for enjoy free online courses

User Flow

User Flow

Prototyping

Prototyping

Wireframes

Wireframes

Visual Identity

Visual Identity

Design System

Design System

Final Design

Final Design

Feature 1 - Peer matching after sign-up for course

Feature 1 - Peer matching after sign-up for course

Demonstration

Demonstration

  • Choose to match studying peer at any time during the class.

  • Complete a peer preference questionnaire and wait 1-2 days.

  • Browse peer's profile and start connecting!

  • Choose to match studying peer at any time during the class.

  • Complete a peer preference questionnaire and wait 1-2 days.

  • Browse peer's profile and start connecting!

High-fidelity design

High-fidelity design

Feature 2 - Rewards system (skillspoint earning)

Feature 2 - Rewards system (skillspoint earning)

Demonstration

Demonstration

  • Browse a variety of topics in the community and answer other people's questions in the forum.

  • Receive Skillpoints when a answer is rated "Most Helpful".

  • Accumulate points to get discounts on purchasing courses.

  • Browse a variety of topics in the community and answer other people's questions in the forum.

  • Receive Skillpoints when a answer is rated "Most Helpful".

  • Accumulate points to get discounts on purchasing courses.

High-fidelity design

High-fidelity design

Accessibility & Inclusion

Accessibility & Inclusion

We care for everybody

We care for everybody

Change of Brand Font

Change of Brand Font

The typeface font 'Mulish’ of Skillspace isn’t accessible for Dyslexia, so we decided to change it to 'Lato'.

The typeface font 'Mulish’ of Skillspace isn’t accessible for Dyslexia, so we decided to change it to 'Lato'.

Inclusive Product Features

Inclusive Product Features

  • Every course video have captions and a transcript.

  • Instructors goes through a quick course about accessible videos creations.

  • The user have the ability to be visible to the community or keep their privacy.

  • Every course video have captions and a transcript.

  • Instructors goes through a quick course about accessible videos creations.

  • The user have the ability to be visible to the community or keep their privacy.

Impact

Impact

So what could change? (Our perceived outcome)

So what could change? (Our perceived outcome)

87%

87%

Increase in active user participation in community area

Increase in active user participation in community area

67%

67%

Increase in user satisfaction from our peer matching reward system

Increase in user satisfaction from our peer matching reward system

1000+

1000+

Connections made through peer matching

Connections made through peer matching

Reflections

Reflections

Product Success

Product Success

Our design outcome emerged victorious in the entire hackathon. This is a success closely tied to our meticulous research, user-centred design process, and comprehensive considerations of product strategy and accessibility.

We believe the features we've designed will prove useful to users, enhancing connections through learning partners and making the learning experience enjoyable with a reward system. We eagerly anticipate these functionalities participating in the testing phase and potentially being implemented in the future.

Our design outcome emerged victorious in the entire hackathon. This is a success closely tied to our meticulous research, user-centred design process, and comprehensive considerations of product strategy and accessibility.

We believe the features we've designed will prove useful to users, enhancing connections through learning partners and making the learning experience enjoyable with a reward system. We eagerly anticipate these functionalities participating in the testing phase and potentially being implemented in the future.

If we have more time

If we have more time

  • Test the features with diverse users.

  • Conduct a more thorough and comprehensive user research, for example, user interviews, to understand better the users.

  • Build a comprehensive design system as a diverse team (designers, product managers, developers and more).

  • Creating branding for social media, the essence of the company, and more.

  • Test the features with diverse users.

  • Conduct a more thorough and comprehensive user research, for example, user interviews, to understand better the users.

  • Build a comprehensive design system as a diverse team (designers, product managers, developers and more).

  • Creating branding for social media, the essence of the company, and more.

Personal Reflections

Personal Reflections

This is the first product design hackathon I've participated in, and I feel extremely delighted and honord to have achieved victory alongside my teammates.

Hackathon enhanced my ability to prioritise tasks and remain flexible during a design sprint, which differs from most project courses within the university. We conducted a rapid analysis based on the provided data, identified the most suitable solutions, designed prototypes, and prepared for the presentation. All of this was accomplished within a brief 48 hours, completing the entire process from ideation to prototype.

Throughout the entire journey, our team communicated and collaborated smoothly, had clear division of tasks, and learned from each other. Working with them has been a pleasant and rewarding experience for me.

Every design is a learning, and I can't wait for the next one.

This is the first product design hackathon I've participated in, and I feel extremely delighted and honord to have achieved victory alongside my teammates.

Hackathon enhanced my ability to prioritise tasks and remain flexible during a design sprint, which differs from most project courses within the university. We conducted a rapid analysis based on the provided data, identified the most suitable solutions, designed prototypes, and prepared for the presentation. All of this was accomplished within a brief 48 hours, completing the entire process from ideation to prototype.

Throughout the entire journey, our team communicated and collaborated smoothly, had clear division of tasks, and learned from each other. Working with them has been a pleasant and rewarding experience for me.

Every design is a learning, and I can't wait for the next one.

© 2024 Rosa Wang
Made with love in Amsterdam, NL

© 2024 Rosa Wang
Made with love in Amsterdam, NL