My Role
Tools Used
Time Frame
10 Weeks (Mid Sep- Early Dec)
UX and UI Designer
Figma, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe XD
As students, managing multiple classes, assignments, extracurriculars, and personal commitments can feel overwhelming. Many of us juggle between platforms like Google Calendar, Notion, and university portals, yet none fully address the needs of students who want an all-in-one tool that is simple, customizable, and stress-reducing.
Our project set out to design a student organisation app that consolidates scheduling, assignment tracking, finances, and wellness tools into a single, user-friendly platform. The goal was not only to improve task management, but also to reduce stress and enhance academic productivity.
The primary goal of our project was to create an app that:
Helps students organize academic and personal tasks in one place.
Provides customizable features like colour-coding, reminders, and flexible layouts.
Reduces the mental burden of tracking deadlines and responsibilities.
Supports both academic and personal well-being through integrated mindfulness tools.
By the end of the design process, success meant delivering a functional prototype that students found easy to use, visually appealing, and genuinely helpful for staying organised.
Goal
User Interviews
Conducted with six student participants to uncover frustrations and desired features in organisational tools.
Interview Questions-:
What do you like or dislike about your current method?
How do you currently manage your academic schedule?
What features are essential in an academic organization app?
How important is customisation and visual appeal in such apps?
Are privacy, security, and potential data bugs concerns for you?
Do you prefer apps with academic-only features or a mix of personal and academic tools?
How often do you use organisational apps?
Participants grouped app features into categories that made sense to them, providing insight into intuitive navigation and priority areas.
We engaged six participants, asking them to organise pre-defined topics into categories they deemed logical. The topics included elements like class schedules, budgeting, and upcoming events. Participants were also asked to highlight the five most challenging topics to manage.
- Can you please organize these cards into categories? You can create whichever categories you think are appropriate.
- Which of these options do you find the most difficult to keep track of? Please pick 5.
From the card sorting activity, we found that students consistently grouped features into three main categories: Finance, Career, and Academics. Within these, pain points often surfaced around managing resumes, networking, budgeting, and remembering upcoming events. Despite these challenges, students made it clear that academic tracking, including assignments, schedules, and deadlines, remained their top priority. This reinforced the need for an app that streamlines core academic responsibilities while also supporting related tasks.
✨ Simplicity & minimal effort were top priorities; students want an easy-to-use, cross-device app.
🎓 Interviews with six students revealed clear academic management patterns.
🎨 Customization valued: colour-coded schedules, personalized reminders, and flexible layouts.
📲 Frustration with multiple apps highlighted demand for a single, unified platform.
🔔 Notifications essential, with preference for clear and customizable alerts.
📅 Layout preferences varied (grids, lists, calendars) → importance of adaptable design.
🔒 Privacy views differed, but students want balance between simplicity, personalization, and functionality.
Research Methods
Interview Insights-:
Card Sorting-:
Card Sort Questions-:
Card Sort Insights-:
We began by sketching wireframes in Figma, guided by student journey maps and competitive analysis. Competitors like Google Calendar and Apple Calendar offered strong usability but lacked customization. We aimed to bridge that gap with a more holistic, student-centered design.
Low-Fidelity Prototype -:
By the end of the project, we delivered a cohesive, intuitive prototype that students rated as easy to use and visually appealing. The process highlighted the value of combining multiple research methods (interviews, card sorting, usability testing) to ensure decisions were grounded in real student needs.
Future improvements could include:
Integrating collaborative features like shared calendars or study groups.
Expanding accessibility testing to ensure inclusivity.
Developing a live MVP for broader testing across campuses.
Final Impact
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Colour Palette
Final Prototype
🔍 Through usability testing, we observed:
Students easily recognized standard icons (e.g., gear for settings).
However, features like “Finances” and “Jobs” were confusing and seen as irrelevant to the app’s core purpose.
Users wanted more guidance during onboarding and greater clarity in task creation.
🔄 We iterated by:
Removing the Finance and Jobs sections.
Adding onboarding screens to clarify purpose.
Improving consistency in button colours and layout.
Enhancing task creation with clearer icons and a plus symbol for intuitive use.
Testing & Iterations
Introduction
Design Thinking
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Turning Complex Problems into Simple Experiences!!
Harpuneet Bhatia © 2025
