Overview
PhD Hub is a comprehensive support resource for Tandon's PhD student community and I joined the team as a UX Designer and Web Developer.
CLIENT
PhD Hub, NYU
Role
UX Designer
Web Developer
Team & Duration
2 UX Designers, 2 directors, NYU Engineering Team
Two Years
Tools
Figma
HTML
CSS
JavaScript
PHP
Google Analytics
UX Research
Pre-work
Before I joined the team, a basic draft of the site was ready
Before my involvement, PhD students accessed external resources through a basic site map, created after discussions with committee heads.
An initial site draft was developed using PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, featuring:
A landing page
A navigation bar leading students to different resources
Existing resources were incorporated, however further user research was needed to optimize information placement and add additional resources.
To understand students' needs, I led two student focus groups and organized a lunch-and-learn workshop with my team.
Overview of student focus groups:
Duration: 1 hour each
Participants: 4 PhD students from different programs (anonymized)
Categories explored:
Dissertation & Advisement:
Takeaway: Students need more structured guidance and clear expectations from advisors.
Action: Create a dedicated section with standardized advisement guidelines, including checklists and timelines to help students navigate their dissertation process effectively.
Experience at NYU Tandon:
Takeaway: While academic rigor is valued, students feel isolated.
Action: Incorporate a peer support network feature, such as a forum or chat system, where students can connect, share experiences, and offer mutual support.
Finances:
Takeaway: Many struggle with managing finances due to limited funding or being international students with no guiding resources.
Action: Develop a financial resources hub that includes budgeting tools, funding opportunities, and a calendar of upcoming scholarship deadlines to help students manage their finances better.
Health & Wellness:
Takeaway: High stress levels highlight the need for better mental health support.
Action: Integrate a wellness portal with mental health resources, stress management workshops, and a wellness event calendar.
Community & Belonging:
Takeaway: Students desire a more inclusive and supportive community.
Action: Design a community events page to promote social gatherings, networking, and inclusivity initiatives, fostering student connections.
I consolidated findings from focus groups and lunch-and-learn workshops to understand the requirements of the website.
After conducting the focus groups, I organized lunch and learn workshops with PhD administrators at Tandon, where we reviewed and discussed the anonymized findings. The feedback from both students and administrators informed the requirements for the website, as outlined in the final design section.
The other graduate assistants and I worked closely with Jamie Lloyd, the Assistant Director at PhD Hub, to enhance and refine the student resources on the website. We conducted several meetings with her and the Director to review our progress and obtain feedback on our design choices.
Design and Prototyping
Usability Testing
1/
Pre-test questions
Questions about their current resources for getting information, their pain points, etc. were gathered in a group setting.
2/
'Think-aloud' tasks
Each participant was given tasks to complete on the website while thinking out loud as they performed them.
3/
Post-test questions
Follow-up questions on their opinions on the appearance, navigation, information architecture, etc. were asked individually.
Final Design
I designed and developed the website based on the gathered requirements. Below are some key requirements and the corresponding screens.
Information Architecture and UI Kits were determined based on existing NYU website templates and guidelines.
Offer early summer orientation for life in New York: advice on housing and banking on the website.
Provide a checklist for paperwork, deadlines, and housing, with contact info for international student support.
A list of all fellowship opportunities available and applicable for students with different needs.
Details of past and upcoming social events exclusively for PhD Students at NYU Tandon.
Academic, Professional Development, Research, and Student Engagement Resources.
An FAQ page for academic and administrative queries.
My Learnings & Next Steps
Working on the NYU PhD student website has been a rewarding journey over the past two years. Teaming up with graduate assistants, administrators, and faculty gave me a deep appreciation for the power of collaboration and user-focused design. I gained extensive experience in managing the end-to-end product design process, developing a comprehensive resource from start to finish. This project really highlighted for me how crucial clear communication and an iterative approach are in building something that has an impact.
Next steps for this product includes:
adding additional resources
conducting further usability testing
ensuring accessibility considerations are met.