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Empowering first generation students with community, connections, and mentorship.
UX Designer
Case Study
Personal Project
Next-Us is a platform designed for first-generation college students, connecting them with peers and mentors who understand their unique challenges. By creating community and providing valuable resources, Next-Us helps students navigate college life and find belonging.
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As a first-generation college student, raised by hardworking immigrant parents who spoke limited English, I was unable to seek guidance from them when the time came to apply to colleges. However, I was fortunate to have two older sisters who I could go to for support, allowing me to navigate college smoothly.
Knowing that most first-generation students may not have older siblings to guide them, got me thinking:
"What are the challenges that first-generation students face during the college application process, and while navigating their college experience?"
How can we cultivate a supportive community for first-generation students, facilitating a smoother journey through the college application and transition process?
A platform for first-generation students transitioning into college to find community, connections, and mentorship.
55% of children under the age of 18 in the US have parents that do not have a college degree. Most of these children will grow up to be first-generation college students (Forbes).
A significant portion of the upcoming generation will likely become first-generation college students, highlighting a critical need for resources that are necessary to be put into place to support them.
8 first-generation students from three different US colleges were interviewed to gain more insight into the problem space.
Many students noted a lack of support or uncertainty, feeling isolated on their journey to college without someone to turn to.
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First generation students across different college campus were surveyed to gain more insight on the problem space of “support”
did not have a mentor figure in high school to assist them on college applications.
found difficulty in applying to college.
found good availability of mentor figures that helped them navigate college application process.
found difficulty in transitioning into college.
did not have a mentor figure in college that helped them transition into college
found good availability of mentor figures that helped them navigate college.
First-generation students encounter challenges on their journey to college, experiencing issues like lack of support, and having limited access to support options.
Jessie is the first in her family to apply for college and is getting ready for the college application season.
She has little support, leaving her feeling lost and overwhelmed in the application process.
She would like advice from fellow first-gen students who have been through the process already.
Harry just entered his first week of college and was very excited to meet new people
He found himself struggling in his first week of college, facing imposter syndrome and feeling like an outsider when talking to his peers.
He wishes he had friends from similar backgrounds that he could relate to to help him feel more a part of a community.
I knew I wanted my solution to take on the form of an app, recognizing that communication among Gen Z, my target user generation, predominantly occurs on mobile devices, making an app the most effective platform to engage with peers and online friends.
Here are some of the features I wanted my app to have:
To allow users to ask questions, engage in open discussions, and assist others in finding answers, fostering a like-minded community.
To allow underclassmen to "match" with an upperclassman mentor to support them through the college journey.
To allow users to openly talk with their peers and mentors, allowing them to form stronger connections.
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User testing was conducted on the first round of wireframes by asking the user to interact with the screens on the mobile Figma app.
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Frames were pulled up on the mobile Figma app and testers were asked to interact with/walk me through the prototype, while I noted areas that may need improvement .
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Next-Us is a content-heavy app so it is designed in dark mode with a dark purple background, to provide users with an eye-friendly and visually comfortable experience. Orange was chosen as the accent color to give the interface a pop of warmth, creating a welcoming atmosphere for this community-centered app.
Iterations of a dark color palette were made and tested with users. A majority of users favored the 4th color scheme, pointing to the dimensionality created by the dark purple gradient.
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The challenges faced by first-generation students in navigating the college application and transition process are tackled by providing them with a platform to connect with peers with similar experiences and receive mentorship from upperclassmen.
