User Persona, Empathy Map, & User Journey Map
User Persona
My target audience included students enrolled in the capstone project course to receive their Bachelor of Science degree in either Communications or UX Design at WGU. The students came to the PG platform for the sole purpose of completing their capstone projects, with the hopes of gaining experience and potentially developing portfolio artifacts. Students frequently became frustrated with the confusing and unintuitive nature of the navigation interface. They found it difficult to find and access the material and resources needed to manage and complete their projects.
Empathy Map
The empathy map I developed from the research revealed many things about the users. One student said, “The platform feels clunky and not well organized.” Multiple students expressed the desire to see the platform be more intuitive and easier to navigate. They felt the dashboard needed more information for the user to understand the platform’s purpose and how to use its functions optimally. Some students felt confused when they couldn’t access necessary information easily, and were frustrated that the requirement to use the PG platform to complete their capstone project was slowing them down. The PG platform could be seen as a barrier to efficient degree completion by some students.
User Journey Map
I created the user journey map to help me identify exactly where the user pain points were so that I could design a more user-friendly mobile platform. The user journey map took the user persona through the steps of their first interaction with the PG dashboard, applying for their capstone project, and then accessing their project from the dashboard once it is approved. One pain point occurs when the user first opens the PG platform. The purpose of the platform is not easily identified, and it is difficult to know what action should be taken. Another pain point occurs once the user’s project application is approved. There is no clear indication of how the user can access their approved/current projects on the dashboard. These user pain points helped me understand where the PG platform could be improved in the design of the mobile app.
