International students are in need of a centralized platform to navigate the complexities of studying abroad, such as understanding the education system, managing applications, accommodations, obtaining visas, etc.

“How might we design an intuitive app that centralizes resources for studying abroad and be a one-stop solution, thereby empowering students on their educational journey?”

Project Background and Personal Journey

As a dedicated content creator with a robust following of over 150,000 subscribers across social platforms, My venture into creating MarveloUS Talks stems from a deeply personal mission. This project was born out of the questions and interactions with my audience, whose aspirations and challenges in navigating the education system abroad called for a more interactive support system. The transition from content creator to community builder was a natural progression, fueled by the desire to offer a platform where information, support, and networking converge seamlessly.

The establishment of specialized Telegram groups was a pivotal moment, transforming passive viewers into an active, self-helping community. As the groups flourished, becoming a trusted space for knowledge exchange, it underscored the need for a more structured and accessible repository of information. Thus, my blog materialized, translating the complex study abroad narrative into comprehensive articles, further simplifying the journey for aspirants globally.

MarveloUS Talks is the embodiment of my dedication to education and community empowerment. With each feature, the app reflects my journey, one that has always been about spotlighting the student experience and easing the path to international education. It stands as a tribute to the trust and relationships I’ve built with my audience, a platform that doesn’t just answer questions but also fosters the growth and success of future global scholars.

Connect with peers & aspirants to unlock splendid networking opportunities.

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SHORTLIST & APPLY

PROBLEM

There is a clear void in the digital space for an app that aggregates comprehensive resources for study abroad aspirants and facilitates direct connections with educational experts. This gap hinders the potential for students to fully realize their academic pursuits abroad.

Students exploring study opportunities abroad face a labyrinth of information, ranging from university choices to visa requirements. This complexity often results in confusion and a sense of being overwhelmed, deterring many from pursuing their academic goals.

No singular platform exists that holistically combines academic advice, procedural guidance, and personal experience sharing. The fragmentation across multiple channels causes inefficiencies and hinders the decision-making process for students.

Current platforms fail to provide a dedicated space for students to connect with peers who are either going through the same process or have successfully navigated it, leading to a gap in community support and networking opportunities.

The visa application process is particularly daunting, with its own set of unique challenges and nuances that are not adequately addressed by existing resources, causing unnecessary stress and potential missteps.

There is a noticeable absence of a system that integrates personal experiences and expert advice with procedural guidance, which is essential for a well-rounded preparation for studying abroad.

Research: Competitive & SWOT Analyses

Telegram Groups

The inception of university-specific Telegram groups marked a significant advancement in the study abroad community’s digital evolution. These groups emerged as dynamic forums where students could swiftly exchange information, from course registration nuances to accomodations. Their real-time, peer-to-peer interaction model fostered a sense of belonging, vital for those navigating the complexities of moving abroad for education.

Blog Website

Parallel to the interactive Telegram communities, the Website has acted as a beacon, guiding students through the labyrinth of the abroad university application process. It provided structured content, from visa interview preparation to insights on campus life, embodying a virtual counselor for thousands of students. This repository of tailored advice has been pivotal in equipping students with the knowledge to confidently step onto foreign soil.

User Surveys & Interviews

Leveraging the expansive digital footprint across Telegram groups and the study abroad content platform, I embarked on a mission to glean insights directly from our audience. I deployed surveys and conducted interviews to validate our hypotheses and gather deep, qualitative insights.

Using a combination of our own bespoke survey tools and direct community engagement, we gathered feedback that was instrumental in refining the app’s design and functionality. Personalized interactions, such as virtual meetups and one-on-one sessions, provided a wealth of nuanced feedback crucial for our user-centered design process.

User Survey Takeaways

I prefaced the survey with questions related to students’ experiences with studying abroad. As the survey reached a broad demographic, not limited to our community, I wanted to ensure relevance. The feedback highlighted a foundational understanding of the education system abroad, eagerness for streamlined application processes, and a desire for a unified networking platform.

Interestingly, despite high engagement levels in our Telegram groups, there was a noticeable demand for a more integrated, app-based solution, indicating a market opportunity for such a platform. This insight, coupled with our community’s input, suggested the potential for substantial user adoption and the need for enhanced visibility and accessibility of our services.

Card Sorts & Affinity Mapping

After the results, I ventured into the engaging phases of card sorting and affinity mapping. This interactive stage is particularly enlightening, as it allows us to immerse ourselves in the world of our users, extracting powerful narratives from their shared experiences, and translating this collective voice into an intuitive and empathetic design structure.

Through this process, I not only categorized key features and content but also mapped out the emotional and practical pathways that our users navigate in their educational journey.

Meet the Users:
Personas, Task Flows, Journeys

In preparation for wireframing, I delved deep into the realms where our users are most active – be it academic forums, social media educational groups, or student blogs.

By engaging directly with our audience, I fostered a genuine connection, allowing us to fully understand their hopes, challenges, and everyday interactions. This empathetic approach not only enriched our research but also enabled us to craft detailed personas that truly reflect the aspirations and needs of future international students. These personas, in turn, informed the creation of task flows and user journeys, setting a solid foundation for the design phase.

In this way, I gained deep insights that helped me to create, or rather uncover, my personas for MarveloUS Talks.

The insights I gathered during my research helped me develop 3 personas:

Arjun – The Ambitious Tech Enthusiast

Priya – The Aspiring Biotech Researcher

Ahmed – The Innovative Engineer

Exploration, Ideation:
1A & Wireframes

In the exploration and ideation phase for our application, I focused on the core functionalities that would address the main concerns of our user personas—streamlined university search, application tracking, and community interaction.

Recognizing the need for a seamless and intuitive user experience, I meticulously mapped out the journey of a student selecting universities, managing application documents, and engaging with peers. Key features were conceptualized to include a personal dashboard for application status, a resource library for materials, and direct messaging capabilities for expert consultations.

With these priorities in mind, initial sketches were drawn, leading to the development of the first set of wireframes.

In designing our app, I focused on a feature that allows students to explore and bookmark different universities and programs, along with detailed profiles, course offerings, and contact options for faculty or alumni. Integration of a familiar, intuitive interface was key, so we adopted well-known navigation patterns to encourage a sense of familiarity and ease.

The wireframes included detailed steps in the university selection and AI suggestions by analyzing the resume. This was followed by the development of mid-fidelity mockups, which incorporated feedback from our initial user research, highlighting the desire for a personalized and intuitive experience in managing their study abroad journey. Below, you can see a brief of my wireframes with interaction arrows.

Usability Testing

I developed an interactive prototype and conducted an initial test with a small group of volunteers. The test was structured to provide insights into the user experience and the app’s intuitiveness.

Scenario: The user has just opened the app and seeks to understand its features, explore universities, and initiate the application process

Task 1: Navigate the onboarding process and provide feedback on its effectiveness in conveying the app’s purpose and features.

Task 2: Search for and select a university program of interest.

Task 3: Begin the application process for the chosen program.

This approach allowed me to gather valuable insights on the app’s user interface and functionality, directly from the target audience.

Usability Testing Results & Affinity Mapping

After our usability testing, I utilized affinity mapping to categorize and analyze the feedback and observations. I applied Nielsen’s Severity Rating Scale to prioritize the most critical issues for iteration.

A preference test was conducted to gauge user reactions to different UI elements, particularly focusing on the layout and color schemes. This feedback was pivotal in refining the UI design, ensuring that it resonated more effectively with our target audience’s preferences and expectations.

MarveloUS Talk’s Design Intermission: Clarifying & Increasing Usability

Shifting our application from a basic interface to a refined, intuitive design to provide clarity and ease, making the complex journey of studying abroad more accessible…

User Interface Design

The MarveloUS Talks app’s name was conceived during a social media-driven research phase, reflecting the inclusive and communicative spirit of the platform.

As I delved into the UI design, the initial concept was to mirror the app’s objective of clear and accessible guidance for students.

However, user feedback steered me towards a more universal design and ensured that the interface remained approachable across different demographics, for a design that’s not only functional but also resonates with our global audience on a visual and practical level.

App’s climactic iteration came to me clearly and intentionally over the following days. There was a main mission I felt compelled to accomplish in the final design:

MarveloUS Talks needed to be highly accessible, both visually and figuratively, to a wide range of users all over the globe.

Finally, The design evolved to become more than a mere repository of information, or for resources—it can now be used as a vibrant community hub, a gathering place for students from various backgrounds to connect, share, and grow on their educational journey abroad.

MarveloUS Talks taught me

MarveloUS Talks has been a journey of adaptation & expansion, growing from a singular focus on the U.S. education system to encompassing a broad spectrum of student needs and experiences. This evolution was fueled by a deep engagement with our users, whose insights have been invaluable. The app’s success in connecting students with mentors and resources has highlighted the critical role of accessible expertise in the educational journey.

The philosophy of user-centric design has been a cornerstone of MarveloUS Talks. From the outset, we invested heavily in understanding our users’ ambitions and challenges. This empathetic approach has not only enriched the design process but also made the creative journey incredibly rewarding. The joy of crafting an experience tailored to the genuine aspirations of students is a testament to the power of placing users at the heart of every design decision.