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Our vision is to create user-centric platforms for MyLVC and AccessLVC, providing a seamless and intuitive experience for students and faculty at Lebanon Valley College. With a focus on simplicity, usability, and personalization, we aim to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and empower users to achieve their academic goals. Through a redesigned interface, we will integrate essential functionalities, prioritize clarity and consistency, and allow for customization, enabling users to navigate effortlessly and concentrate on their education and success. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional user experience that fosters joy, engagement, and academic achievement.
The success metrics of MyLVC and AccessLVC would be considered an efficiency increase in the systems. The measure was the number of clicks when accessing either system reducing the amount was the success metric.
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AccessLVC and MyLVC are important web platforms used by students, faculty, and staff at Lebanon Valley College. This research aims to identify the key reasons behind the need for a redesign of these platforms based on user feedback and usability considerations.
1. User Feedback:
a. User Frustration: User feedback indicates that accessing and navigating both AccessLVC and MyLVC can be confusing and frustrating, leading to inefficiencies in completing tasks such as course registration, accessing academic information, and managing personal profiles.
b. Complexity and Clutter: Users have expressed difficulties in locating specific features, links, and resources due to cluttered interfaces and complex menu structures, hindering their overall experience and productivity.
c. Limited Customization and Personalization: Users have expressed a desire for more customization options to tailor their user experience based on individual preferences and needs. Redesigning the platforms can provide more flexibility in personalization, allowing users to access relevant information and features more efficiently.
The initial prototypes for MyLVC and AccessLVC aimed to enhance user experience through the implementation of UX principles and mental models. Challenges included incorporating all essential links while maintaining a cohesive design. The prototypes focused on grouping related links, establishing visual cues, and differentiating faculty and student sections. For AccessLVC, the prototypes aimed to simplify tracking credits and requirements with intuitive interfaces and personalized recommendations. Overall, the prototypes aimed to improve usability and facilitate efficient navigation within the platforms.
My Work
My work consisted of running tests on the interactions between both the internal sites of LVC and finding the pain points of these websites. Furthermore, coming up with solutions to these problems through the use of UX principles. Development of proposals for both systems were presented and critiqued.
For AccessLVC, the principles of Hick's Law, Recognition over Recall, and Mapping are important considerations. Simplifying choices, providing visual cues, and establishing clear connections between user actions and system responses can enhance decision-making, usability, and navigation within the platform.
In the case of MyLVC, the principles of Poka Yoke, Consistency, and Customization are crucial. By implementing error prevention techniques, maintaining design consistency, and allowing users to personalize their experience, MyLVC can minimize mistakes, provide a familiar and intuitive interface, and cater to individual preferences.
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In AccessLVC, we identified a challenge with course scheduling and understanding degree requirements due to their separation in different navigation pages. To address this, we proposed a solution of implementing a split-screen interface. This design improvement allows users to view their degree requirements and available courses for scheduling simultaneously, simplifying the process and enhancing user efficiency.
During our assessment of AccessLVC, we identified challenges related to course searching caused by complex naming mechanisms used by LVC. Categories like formative experience, intercultural competence, and connective experience posed difficulties for students in understanding their scheduling and degree requirements. To address this, we propose an improved system that clearly indicates which courses fulfill specific requirements and provides immediate confirmation. If a course does not meet the requirements, the system will notify the user accordingly, ensuring a more streamlined and informed course selection process.
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In MyLVC, significant improvements were made to the login stage, allowing users to choose between staff and student logins and providing convenient access to other related links. The dashboard serves as a centralized hub for students, offering access to important internal software like Canvas and Outlook. By consolidating these tools into the dashboard, MyLVC enhances the user experience, enabling seamless navigation and efficient workflows for both staff and students.
In the upcoming iteration of MyLVC, personalization takes center stage. Users are empowered to customize their dashboard by selecting the links they want to see. Whether it's Canvas, Outlook, AccessLVC, or the main menu, users have the flexibility to tailor their dashboard to their preferences. Additionally, the calendar feature in the previous version of MyLVC has undergone significant improvements. It now integrates various functionalities, combining event sign-ups, news updates, and weather information into a unified calendar experience. This enhancement adds value by providing users with a comprehensive view of LVC events and allowing them to easily participate in campus activities.
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Challenges
It was found the biggest challenges in the redesign of MyLVC and AccessLVC was:
AccessLVC
MyLVC
Response
In which I adapted to the situation through:
AccessLVC
- The response was keeping these titles under the same categories but creating a broader categorization separating into General Credits and Major credits
- Having both applying process and required credits known through indicators, safety nets through confirmations, and such
MyLVC
- Developing an easy way through usage of tutorials and confirmations
- Integrating calendar with Canvas and creating a section for reminders plus Outlook emails
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In this school project, we redesigned MyLVC and AccessLVC to improve usability and integrate external systems. Usability testing on the wireframes was conducted to gather user feedback, identify issues, and validate design decisions. This testing ensures user-centric platforms that meet the needs of Lebanon Valley College's students and faculty, providing a seamless and intuitive experience.