In one of my program's design studio, we were tasked with creating a digital solution to a problem we were passionate about. In a team of 5, we decided to explore how the experience of accessing student spaces has changed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After over a year of remote learning, the University of Toronto finally opened its doors for in-person classes again. Prior to arriving, the university mandated that UCheck, a web-based COVID-19 screening questionnaire, be completed by students. After a user passes the screening, a green screen is displayed and is checked by security before entering a building. Additionally, students are required to scan their TCard, a physical student ID for security and safety.
Many students forget to complete their UChecks at home and instead do it in line or prior to entering the library. The traffic created has led to long wait times which causes frustration and tardiness. The UCheck system presents technical issues, such as requiring wifi to be completed or having long load times which also contributes to the problem. Additionally, increased crowding also poses a health concern as students are unable to maintain the recommended 6 ft distance given the size of the lobby.
Product Designer
User Researcher
Sept - Dec 2021
Balsamiq
Mural
Figma
How might we increase convenience while maintaining safety for students as they enter campus spaces, post-lockdown?
We noticed that many students don't complete their UCheck prior to joining the line. Instead, they fill it out while in the line. This slows down traffic flow and increases wait time. As a result of this persisting problem, the University felt the need to display a poster reminding students to complete their screenings beforehand (as pictured).
In addition to the UCheck screening, students are required to scan their TCard barcode for security. However, many students don't have their TCard on hand, and usually need to rummage through their belongings to retrieve it. This issue is also seen on the poster as it tells students to have their card in-hand and ready for scanning.
We created UCheck Me, a COVID-19 health screening mobile app for the University of Toronto. This prototype integrates student ID with the UCheck screening for check-in convenience. It also sends customizable notifications to the user's phone, reminding them to complete their assessment.
While this was initially a team project that ended at the mid-fi prototype, I wanted to see this project to completion so I continued on to create a high fidelity prototype as a personal project.
Presenting two pieces of information at every entry is tedious and retrieval stalls the flow of the line.
Our team integrated the TCard barcode into UCheck. The user can present their green screen and scan their TCard simultaneously.
Make the check-in process time-saving and convenient, leaving users with one hand free.
Students often forget to complete their UCheck. As a result, they complete the assessment while in line, contributing to long lines. Completion prior to arriving on campus is also crucial for health & safety.
The notification system will remind users to complete their assessment at times of their choosing.
Ensure users complete their UCheck prior to coming on campus and reduce queue delays.
Our first step was to use quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct user research and gain insight on our demographic.
Participants:
10 random students who use Robarts library everyday
Subject:
Check-in process using TCard and UCheck
Method:
Participants:
30 random students who use Robarts library everyday
Subject:
Waiting period in line before student enters building
Method:
Our research indicated that the current process is neither efficient or convenient.
"I was late for work because I was waiting in line due to UCheck. There was one time I waited 7 minutes just to get into Robarts which is pretty long considering how quick the process should be."
Based on the key findings, we began to interpret and make sense of the information, identifying pain points. Our hypothetical user, Mindy Hajubล allowed us to build empathy and understand our demographic's obstacles and goals.
We created an As-Is scenario that follows the user during each step of their journey to shed light on high-tension areas. Each team member then voted on pain points and opportunities for improvement.
The time it takes to retrieve the necessary documents slows the line down. Users will also have their hands full, making it difficult to carry other objects (i.e coffee, books).
Students complete their health screening on campus or in line. This slows down the check-in process and also goes against procedure guidelines set by the university.
We brainstormed several creative solutions then held a team vote where each member had to indicate which idea they believe has the greatest impact and feasibility. With the results from the vote, we plotted the ideas onto a prioritization grid. A mobile app emerged as the "No Brainer".
After brainstorming features we wanted to include in our product, we began prototyping. We created a lo-fi prototype out of paper sketches and conducted rapid usability testings with 5 participants. The lo-fi testing was especially useful in validating our concept and indicating which areas required more improvement.
Are users able to complete the task?
Can users complete the task in a timely manner?
What do users think of the app? Is it productive? Helpful?
Using the user feedback received, we iterated on our prototype and created a mid-fi prototype in Balsamiq. We then produced a storyboard to illustrate user flow.
We conducted another round of usability testing with 5 more participants. This gave us a chance to see how users would interact with a prototype more similar to our final product.
The summary of our results:
4/5 participants thought the onboarding process was intuitive. Using users' existing student account (UTORid) as their login for this app made the log-in process simple.
Overall, there were certain parts of the flow where users took a longer time to navigate to. 2/5 users stated in the follow up that they thought navigating to the homepage was confusing at times.
5/5 of participants expressed they were pleased with the TCard and UCheck integration. They believe that this would be a convenient way to check-in and could speed up the process.
3/5 participants showed signs of confusion while setting up notifications. Afterwards, users stated that they were unsure of what to do on the page.
My goal for the high fidelity prototype was to promote ease of navigation and provide more system feedback for an intuitive user experience.
While this project was initially a team assignment, I decided to complete a hi-fi prototype as a personal project.
The design process can be long and arduous, but we were able to support one another. By understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses, we used this to become an engine of productivity.
By conducting two rounds of usability testing, we were really able to see what works and what doesn't. It allowed us to improve our prototype and create an even better product.
I would like to conduct usability testings with the final prototype created. Although I have made a lot of improvements based on the usability testing from our mid-fi prototype, I want to gather insight and iterate even further.
Due to the lack of resources and time, we only interviewed students who entered Robarts Library. If given the opportunity, I would like to also interview students who access other campus buildings on a daily basis.
Thanks for visiting, let's stay in touch!
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