In my Design of Interactive Computational Media class, we were tasked with investigating and creating a digital product that would address an issue of our choosing. In a team of 6, we conducted academic research, crafted design tools (i.e experience map, job stories, storyboards), quantitatively and qualitatively researched users, prototyped, and tested our product.
Studies over time have consistently shown that women are still widely underrepresented in STEM education programs and in the labour market. A report released by the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education states, “the gender gap that exists in the STEM workforce cannot be blamed on differences in academic preparation” as women are equal to men in terms of capability in science and mathematics (McDermott-Murphy, 2022). However, external factors, such as “lack of role models [and] cultures that tend to exclude women” all contribute to this gender gap (AAUW, n.d).
The STEM disparity is an indicator of a much larger issue that exists within our society, therefore, it would be impossible to come up with a solution that solves these issues. Instead, our goal is to provide a solution that will support women who are entering the STEM industry by providing them with an inclusive and safe space to reach out for support and encouragement.
Product Designer
User Researcher
Jan - May 2023
Figma
FigJam
Discord
Google Forms
Zoom
How might we support young women in STEM & provide them with resources needed to navigate their career all while fostering a sense of community?
According to Bandura’s social cognitive theory, having a relatable role model succeed in a similar task is a key source to self-efficacy; “one’s perceived ability to learn and do well in a domain.” (Gladstone & Cimpian, 2021). Therefore, creating spaces for women to form personal connections with individuals of whom they identify can be significant in instilling confidence in women who wish to pursue STEM careers.
We created Sprout, a mentorship and networking app specifically geared towards women in the early stages of their STEM career. The goal of this app is for women to form meaningful connections with individuals of whom they identify and share goals or background with (i.e. mentors, peers).
Research participants expressed difficulty forming meaningful relationships during networking.
Users can customize their profile to cater to their career goals and interests.
Increase accuracy when recommending mentors and peers to connect with.
Participants want a supportive environment within the STEM field but are unable to find spaces of such.
Badges are awarded to mentors and companies to signify their level of support and values.
Curates a safe space and allows users to identify what values matter most to them.
Participants lacked networking experience despite understanding its importance.
The Awards feature breaks down networking into digestible, less-intimidating steps and rewards the user along the way.
Guide users along the networking process while instilling confidence and motivation.
Our first step was to send questionnaires to 47 of our primary and secondary stakeholders. Then, we conducted semi-structured interviews on 6 participants for a deeper understanding.
Interestingly enough, participants are more likely to identify challenges that other women face while gaining support for career opportunities; but are less likely to report experiencing it themselves.
We used our key and most common findings to create a hypothetical user, Sophia. She is an international student who aims to break into software development post-grad.
Despite acknowledging that networking is important, 70% of participants are not involved in any STEM extracurriculars. Reasons include: lack of free time, competition, imposter syndrome, and difficulty finding experiences.
Participants who have experience with STEM mentorships mention they have a hard time creating meaningful relationships with their mentor as they were unable to identify with their mentor.
We came up with a criteria for the perfect solution based on our user research, job stories, design requirements, and pain points. Using this criteria, we brainstormed ideas and narrowed down to a single solution.
A personalized matching algorithm will give users a list of compatible mentors based on their background, education, experiences, and interests to connect with.
Beginning production, we sketched out 20+ frames, focused on capturing the primary functions.
We conducted think-aloud and heuristic evaluations on 6 women in STEM, and 5 individuals with UX knowledge, respectively.
Are users able to complete the task?
How many mistakes does the user make?
What do users think of the app?
The concept of our app was validated as most participants praised its foundation However, we faced issues surrounding our graphics and Information Architecture (IA). Using the results from our lo-fi evaluations, we implemented these key changes:
We paid close attention to the IA, ensuring it was easy to navigate back to the starting page at any given time. In addition, error prevention pop-ups were added.
More recognizable icons were chosen, with a corresponding label underneath. We gave the app its own sense of style without losing functionality. Also, icons were kept consistent throughout the app.
A goal of this app is to encourage young women to branch out into the community and network. We added an awards system that lets users track their growth and progress.
During the onboarding stage, additional questions about the user was added to increase the chances of finding a compatible match.
We conducted one final usability testing on 5 women in STEM. High efficiency and effectiveness of the app can be seen at a higher level. However, from a granular view, friction exists within certain tasks which prevents ease of use, particularly surrounding the product's IA.
Measures overall user experience and satisfaction.
Quantifies efficiency by seeing interactions needed to complete a task.
Indicates effectiveness and intuitiveness of various features.
Uncovers the user's thought process and issues within the IA.
Gain an understanding of the user's subjective thoughts.
The final product is a networking app with a focus on mentorship for women in STEM. After the final usability testing, the team iterated upon the prototype once more, using the feedback given.
We conducted two rounds of usability testing during different phases of the product cycle. With each testing, we could see our product improving, and aligning more with our users' wants and needs. Additionally, we would consistently receive actionable feedback to incorporate into our product.
The team spent a lot of time understanding our stakeholders throughout the user research and design process. We found this to be crucial during the process as it allowed us to define the scope of our project and execute our plan effectively.
Though our main focus was on women-identifying students in STEM, we also collected data on gender identity, race, and ethnicity. If given the opportunity, I would like to conduct additional research focusing on the barriers that intersectional populations face within the STEM space. I think it would be beneficial to uncover any distinct challenges that various groups face.
An area we would like to work on next is the compatibility of mentor and mentee matches. Right now, we solely match based on users' expressed interest and background. However, I think we can further improve matching by looking at career goals and niche industries within STEM (ex. cyber-security). This could provide additional relatability within the mentee-mentor relationship.
AAUW. (n.d.). The STEM gap: women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. American Association of University Women.
Crawford, J. T. (2021). Imposter syndrome for women in male dominated careers. Hastings Women’s Law Journal, 32(2).
Gladstone, J. R., & Cimpian, A. (2021). Which role models are effective for which students? A systematic review and four recommendations for maximizing the effectiveness of role models in STEM. International Journal of STEM Education, 8(59).
McDermott-Murphy, C. (2022, June 22). Women in STEM need more than a law. The Harvard Gazette.
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