name: course registration redesign
project type: classwork
date: 10/22
description:
tasked with evaluating and redesigning a service, my partner and i decided to tackle OCAD University’s course registration system.
collaborator(s): Shoji Ushiyama
the problem:
when it comes time for students to register courses for the upcoming school year, the tools that OCADU provides to help with this process are flawed. because of this, the process is rather confusing, stressful, and often times frustrating.
the current user journey mainly involves:
- navigating frustrating menus
- frequently switching tabs and referencing information not found on the page
- finding eligibility through trial and error
- taking breaks to relieve yourself of this course selection nightmare
the users:
considering the current non-linear degree structure of OCADU’s curriculum, we’ve found that there are two types of students:
linear student ︎︎︎
wants to know what they have to take next
typically follows the sample course plan and recommended courses
wants to know what they have to take next
typically follows the sample course plan and recommended courses
flow student ︎
wants to know what they can take next
seeks out a variety of courses that they are eligible to take
wants to know what they can take next
seeks out a variety of courses that they are eligible to take
the current system does not properly accomodate for either
current student progress page:
- confusing visual hierarchy
- plethora of red text; feels negative even when you’re on track
- unintuitive menus (ex. dropdowns under dropdowns, confusing links, etc)
- hard to find information (ex. requirements hidden at the bottom of the page)
- displays unnecessary information
proposed solution:
- drastically improved visuals
- ‘at a glance’ menu displays more in-depth information on graduation progress and requirements
- option to display requirements in a format based on the sample course plan
- integration with course catalogue: displays fulfilled requisites and course eligibility
- only shows relevant information
additional mockups (top: current | bottom: proposed)
conclusion
this proposed solution drastically improves the experience of both linear and flow students when time comes to select courses for the upcoming year. eliminating the frustrations of the user interface, the constant switching tabs and consulting external sources, we believe these changes will:
- make the registration process easier and gratifying for students
- reduce the workload for the registration advising staff
- create an attractive system that may even be distributed to other schools/universities