Acora
Role
Product designer/UIUX designer/Product manager
Team
UIUX Designer * 4
Design Lead * 1
Engineer * 2
Duration
2 months (10/2022-12/2022)
Platform
Mobile
INTRO
Project Overview
Acora app provides a platform for researchers to communicate, collaborate and socialize. The main functions of this platform are information collection, sharing, discussion, applying, hiring, advertising, and consulting, by which way to solve the problems of target users and attract initial users. The ultimate goal of Acora is to build an academic version of LinkedIn and connect researchers and scientists worldwide.
Acora app provides a platform for researchers to communicate, collaborate and socialize. The main functions of this platform are information collection, sharing, discussion, applying, hiring, advertising, and consulting, by which way to solve the problems of target users and attract initial users. The ultimate goal of Acora is to build an academic version of LinkedIn and connect researchers and scientists worldwide.
My Responsibilities
As Product Manager & UIUX Designer:
Conducted end-to-end flow of designing the social media product from user research, create persona and storyboard, designing prototype, user test, and pitch-all while collaborating with cross-functional team members
Designed animated and interactive high-fidelity prototypes using Figma
As Partner of the Startup:
Lead the team from building vision & mission, running user research, conducting market validation, defining product framework, and compiling a business plan for the startup
As Product Manager & UIUX Designer:
Conducted end-to-end flow of designing the social media product from user research, create persona and storyboard, designing prototype, user test, and pitch-all while collaborating with cross-functional team members
Designed animated and interactive high-fidelity prototypes using Figma
As Partner of the Startup:
Lead the team from building vision & mission, running user research, conducting market validation, defining product framework, and compiling a business plan for the startup
Problems
We found current Ph.D. applying process are cumbersome
Initially, some team members applying for Ph.D. programs found the process cumbersome and full of uncertainties.
Initially, some team members applying for Ph.D. programs found the process cumbersome and full of uncertainties.
For example...
😵💫Need to jump from different platform for recruit information
📧Need to use Inefficient communication mean to contact interested professor such as email
🤔Worry about the relationship with future professor due to recent news
Research Methods Used
Competitive Analysis
User interview
Online Survey
Secondary Research
User test
Competitive Analysis
User interview
Online Survey
Secondary Research
User test
SOLUTION
Final Design
Final Design
01
01
One Centralized Platform
We created an centralized platform for researchers and scientists to share their new research results, post recruitment, and provide business consulting . Users can also get updated on the most recent activities of their followed researchers, and acquire recommended content based on calculation.
We created an centralized platform for researchers and scientists to share their new research results, post recruitment, and provide business consulting . Users can also get updated on the most recent activities of their followed researchers, and acquire recommended content based on calculation.
02
02
Comprehensive Profile Page
The new profile page provides students with a comprehensive understanding of a professor or other users. In addition, Acora allows students to contact the professor's previous students for further information, such as working style and personality.
The new profile page provides students with a comprehensive understanding of a professor or other users. In addition, Acora allows students to contact the professor's previous students for further information, such as working style and personality.
03
03
Efficient communication channel
Allowing students to directly message their interested professor and get instant feedback instead of emailing
Allowing students to directly message their interested professor and get instant feedback instead of emailing
USER RESEARCH
User Interview
User Interview
Since some members in our team are already our target user, we first came up with some assumptions before conducting the user interview with more users. Then we had user interview with 12 target users, and the results showed some of our assumptions are corrected while some are biased. The user interview allowed us to dig deeper into users’ user journey and pain points.
Since some members in our team are already our target user, we first came up with some assumptions before conducting the user interview with more users. Then we had user interview with 12 target users, and the results showed some of our assumptions are corrected while some are biased. The user interview allowed us to dig deeper into users’ user journey and pain points.
What We Observed..
Observation 1
Student and professor are hard to know each other comprehensively
Student and professor are hard to know each other comprehensively
Observation 2
There is no centralized platform to find academic information such as advertisement
There is no centralized platform to find academic information such as advertisement
Observation 3
Current communication channel (email) is inefficient
Current communication channel (email) is inefficient
User Survey
User Survey
After the qualitative research, we found information asymmetry to be the major problem that exists in the process of application and hiring for Ph.D. and also in the whole of academia. Then we further conducted quantitative research by the method of an online survey to understand users’ need what information are most valuable for our target users.
After the qualitative research, we found information asymmetry to be the major problem that exists in the process of application and hiring for Ph.D. and also in the whole of academia. Then we further conducted quantitative research by the method of an online survey to understand users’ need what information are most valuable for our target users.
Conclusions
Most audiences are interested to know more about information such as headcount, network, and personality of a professor while these pieces of information are hard to acquire.
There is no centralized platform for collecting academic information, audiences have to browse different social media where exiting other research-free information.
HMW
How might we allow students and professors to know about each other better before collaborating?
How might we help users efficiently find academic information?
Competitive Analysis
To have a deeper understanding of the market and what our prominent competitors were already doing, we conducted competitive research on each facet of our direct competitors: ResearchGate, and indirect competitors: Linkedin, Twitter, Orcid, and Zhihu.
To have a deeper understanding of the market and what our prominent competitors were already doing, we conducted competitive research on each facet of our direct competitors: ResearchGate, and indirect competitors: Linkedin, Twitter, Orcid, and Zhihu.
IDEATION
User Flow
Sketch
Sketch
Design Iteration
REFLECTION
Takeaways
1. Research should be a continuous work. The project has focused on research and identify user need. In the design process, i realized that user research should not only happen in the beginning of the design process but is supposed to be a continuous work throughout the design process so we can have a deeper and comprehensive understanding of user need.
2. Understand your user. Before this project, i was not knowing the process of applying Ph.d. But from the user research on target user, i understood their pain points and need, and naturally find our desgin opportunities when i stand in user's shoes.
3. Consider various platforms. Product on mobile platform enable users to use it anytime at anywhere. But If i had had more time, i would do more research and create a website version of design as well, as our target user would spent much time on laptop, too.
1. Research should be a continuous work. The project has focused on research and identify user need. In the design process, i realized that user research should not only happen in the beginning of the design process but is supposed to be a continuous work throughout the design process so we can have a deeper and comprehensive understanding of user need.
2. Understand your user. Before this project, i was not knowing the process of applying Ph.d. But from the user research on target user, i understood their pain points and need, and naturally find our desgin opportunities when i stand in user's shoes.
3. Consider various platforms. Product on mobile platform enable users to use it anytime at anywhere. But If i had had more time, i would do more research and create a website version of design as well, as our target user would spent much time on laptop, too.
© Nicole Zhu. 2024
© Nicole Zhu. 2024
© Nicole Zhu. 2024