Columbia College Chicago Course Registration
Role: UX Researcher + UI Designer
Role: UX Researcher + UI Designer
Columbia College Chicago’s course registration platform is a critical tool for students, but usability issues created frustration and inefficiencies. Through UX research, I identified key pain points and proposed solutions to streamline the registration process, enhance user satisfaction, and improve overall functionality.
Research Goals
1. Understand the primary pain points students face during course registration.
2. Identify opportunities to simplify navigation and improve accessibility
3. Propose design and functionality improvements to enhance the user experience.
1. Understand the primary pain points students face during course registration.
2. Identify opportunities to simplify navigation and improve accessibility
3. Propose design and functionality improvements to enhance the user experience.
Research Methods
User Interviews: Conducted interviews with 15 students to gather qualitative insights into their experiences with the platform.
Surveys: Distributed a survey to 100+ students to quantify common issues and prioritize pain points.
Usability Testing: Observed 10 students as they navigated the platform, noting areas of confusion or frustration.
Competitive Analysis: Studied course registration systems at peer institutions to identify best practices.
User Interviews: Conducted interviews with 15 students to gather qualitative insights into their experiences with the platform.
Surveys: Distributed a survey to 100+ students to quantify common issues and prioritize pain points.
Usability Testing: Observed 10 students as they navigated the platform, noting areas of confusion or frustration.
Competitive Analysis: Studied course registration systems at peer institutions to identify best practices.
Key Findings
Confusing Navigation:
Students struggled to find specific courses due to unclear categorization and filters.
The interface lacked a visual hierarchy, making distinguishing between required and elective courses difficult.
Confusing Navigation:
Students struggled to find specific courses due to unclear categorization and filters.
The interface lacked a visual hierarchy, making distinguishing between required and elective courses difficult.
Lack of Real-Time Information:
Students often selected courses only to find they were full or had scheduling conflicts.
The platform did not provide real-time updates on seat availability or waitlist status.
Students often selected courses only to find they were full or had scheduling conflicts.
The platform did not provide real-time updates on seat availability or waitlist status.
Inefficient Search Functionality:
The search bar was limited and lacked autocomplete or keyword suggestions.
Filters (e.g., by professor, time, or credit type) were buried and underutilized.
The search bar was limited and lacked autocomplete or keyword suggestions.
Filters (e.g., by professor, time, or credit type) were buried and underutilized.
Mobile Unfriendliness:
The platform was not optimized for mobile devices, forcing students to rely on desktop access.
The platform was not optimized for mobile devices, forcing students to rely on desktop access.