THE COMPANY WANTED TO....
Get to know and understand the applicant's journey during the entire university application process
THE CHALLENGE....
Identify opportunities for improvement in the applicant's experience
SCOPE
AND
OUTCOMES
This project involved a research phase and an analysis phase with the goal of identifying improvement opportunities for the applicant's experience, starting from their awareness of UPN until their first semester in the university. The project output was a roadmap containing a list of initiatives derived from challenges identified during the research. Additionally, a proposal for an MVP was included, determined through the prioritization of pain points and challenges based on business and UX impact, as well as the complexity of the solution
DEFINING THE SCOPE
The sponsor of the project had a clear vision—they wanted to comprehend the applicant's journey. However, with numerous stakeholders involved in the process, it was essential to keep them focused on UPN's objectives. To achieve this, we conducted a scope canvas workshop, during which we collaborated with all stakeholders to define the project's purpose. This included identifying business objectives and user needs
RESEARCH
Deep Interviews (Stakeholders): Initially, the research focused on understanding the context and how UPN employees interacted with users, as well as their behind-the-scenes work. This information was crucial to grasp their processes and policies, enabling us to later identify any potential impact on the applicant's experience.
Deep Interviews (Students): To comprehend the application process experience, we conducted thirty interviews with freshman students from various campuses in Lima and fifteen interviews in campuses outside Lima (Trujillo). This approach recognized the differing needs of students and the distinct segments they belonged to, especially when comparing Lima with Trujillo.
Workshops (Applicants): These workshops targeted senior year high school students who were in the process of deciding which university to apply to. We conducted three workshops in Lima and three in Trujillo.
Mystery Shopper: We incorporated this exercise to immerse ourselves in the experience, allowing us to understand the journey of applicants not only from UPN but also from other universities that are direct competitors.
ANALYSIS
After completing the research, we proceeded to compile the information gathered from interviews and workshops. We identified and crafted user personas, mapping the customer journey to pinpoint all the frustrations and issues applicants were encountering. This journey also encompassed the phase of acknowledging UPN, where we delved into understanding why and how individuals considered UPN as an option, exploring motivations and potential drawbacks.
With this wealth of information, we curated a presentation for our sponsors and clients, sharing all the insights and findings obtained during our research
DEFINITION & IDEATION
Before delving into any solutions, we established a central challenge for our ideation process, engaging project stakeholders. We employed the 'How Might We' (HMW) approach to define the challenge, and during the ideation workshop, we utilized various techniques to generate a plethora of ideas. Subsequently, we collaborated with stakeholders to prioritize these ideas.
Using the consolidated ideas, we developed a new customer journey that incorporated diverse strategies to enhance the applicant's experience. Additionally, we created a service blueprint to elucidate to the client how the proposed improvements would function
ROADMAP
Last but not least, we created a roadmap with all the team, continuum and UPN. It was a result of the previous phases.
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In this project, the research phase played a pivotal role, and the most valuable lesson I learned revolves around the significance of a meticulous research plan, including the careful recruitment of interviewees. This element can make a significant difference, particularly in terms of time and resources
