1. Web design
2. Graphic design
3. Illustration
4. Animation
5. Branding
2. Graphic design
3. Illustration
4. Animation
5. Branding
USER
High school and college educators, topic experts, and students
CLIENT
Highly Nriched
ROLE
Lead UX Designer
User Researcher - User Advocate
High school and college educators, topic experts, and students
CLIENT
Highly Nriched
ROLE
Lead UX Designer
User Researcher - User Advocate
Highly Nriched Platform & Branding
Project Summary:
A product from a nuclear deterrence incubator held by NSquare Collaborative, Highly Nriched is an educational platform designed for high school and college teachers to find learning resources and curricula related to topics surrounding nuclear weapons.
The Highly Nriched platform, created in partnership with NSquare Collaborative and funded by Ploughshares and Cardiff University, engages students and teachers in discovering new, experiential learning tools from experts in the nuclear field that reframe how we perceive nuclear weapons and their indirect impact on us every day.
Problem statement ︎
New perspectives in the nuclear weapons space have been declining over the past decades as less information about how nuclear weapons shape our world is made available to new adults choosing their desired fields. When shared with young people, the field of atomic weapons is told in the past tense when it is an ongoing effort.
Challenge ︎
How might we enable young people to access other and ongoing perspectives of the nuclear weapons story and inspire them to pursue a career in nuclear weapons?
Unique Solution ︎
To design an all-in-one platform that 1) connects students to mentors in the nuclear weapons space so they can meet real people and hear their stories 2) is a hub for new, engaging activities on nuclear topics for teachers to introduce to their classrooms 3) hosts content created by curriculum experts and allows for them to receive feedback and compensation for their work.
(A) Problem space
Tasks:
︎ Research what is needed to enter the nuclear weapons/ policy space︎ Research how people make career decisions
︎ Identify when most US people make decisions on their careers
*ChatGPT was used to refine sketches for clearer communications across teams
UNDERSTANDING
Stats were derived from a voluntary Google form to 12 young professionals and 27 students (undergraduate, upper classmen)*
Decision making research*
Stats were derived from a voluntary Google form to 12 young professionals and 27 students (undergraduate, upper classmen)*
64%
Knew what they wanted to do when they entered higher education
53%
Discovered their interest from outside of their initial career pursuit
51%
Spoke with someone about what they did and was influenced by their story
35%
Knew exactly what they wanted to do and have continued to this day
17%
Had a clear path with milestones to achieve the career they desired
UNDERSTANDING
Driving Insights
(B) Behavior Research and problem framing
Tasks:
︎ Develop user profiles to understand the needs and priorities of the targeted audiences.
︎ Derived from the following research, create design parameters to guide the design.
︎ Gather market research to identify opportunities in the digital learning resource space and gather data for strategically positioning Highly Nriched’s mission, features, and branding.
Hypothesis:
For a young person to choose a career as a nuclear weapons expert, they need to find themselves and connect to previously untold stories from people and events in the field that challenge preconceived notions of what national security looks like.
UNDERSTANDING
Studying the means of nuclear weapon
What nuclear education materials are being applied today?
What are their narratives, goals, and perspectives?
As the lead designer for the Learning and Human Factors group, I led the team in starting with the question of what the current, most accessible educational resources were available to young people aged 14-18, and how those resources presented nuclear weapons. Was it in the past tense of the current day? What were the objectives of that resource? How did learning about nuclear weapons from that resource leave you feeling?
Studying the means of nuclear weapon
information exposure
What nuclear education materials are being applied today?
What are their narratives, goals, and perspectives?
As the lead designer for the Learning and Human Factors group, I led the team in starting with the question of what the current, most accessible educational resources were available to young people aged 14-18, and how those resources presented nuclear weapons. Was it in the past tense of the current day? What were the objectives of that resource? How did learning about nuclear weapons from that resource leave you feeling?
Summaries of forms where nuclear weapons education exists
Identifying points of confusion, strategic storytelling, and outcomes
(C) Product Research
Tasks:
︎ Develop user profiles to understand the needs and priorities of the targeted audiences.
︎ Derived from the following research, create design parameters to guide the design.
︎ Gather market research to identify opportunities in the digital learning resource space and gather data for strategically positioning Highly Nriched’s mission, features, and branding.
︎ Interview RISD’s TLAD leadership to start shaping the needs of educators from different school levels
Identified Users
User 1:
Undergraduate student
Undergraduate student
User 2:
College Professor
User 3:
Education content creator
User 4:
Graduate student
User 5:
Expert
UNDERSTANDING
Market Research
The educational platform/ digital learning resources are saturated with established products. Upon designing this platform, market research was conducted to identify opportunities for differentiation and address a pressing need.
- The majority of educational content sites have a focus on the kind of resources/classes they provide (i.e., business, general grade level education, global relations, creative skills)
- Most focus on students finding their desired content and using it as a motivator to learn.
- Certifications as drivers for completion
- Educational resources often include a video component that allows an expert to tell a story.
- Follow-up may be found in related reference materials or complementary subject courses.
Branding
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Content-Type
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Targeted Audiences
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(D) User experience and strategy for behavior change
Highly Nriched is an educational platform created to be a hub for students and educators to find experiential learning resources and connect with a vast network of experts to ask questions, learn more about topics specifically around climate change and nuclear weapons, and find mentorship. A student can explore various learning activities created by some of the most inspiring intellectuals and connect with those professionals to learn more about their career journeys.
Tasks:
︎ Map out key stakeholders’ opportunities to impact the site for their educational purposes
︎ Design and refine a clean user flow to achieve each of the identified needs of targeted audiences
UNDERSTANDING
User experience mapping
User experience mapping
UNDERSTANDING
Competitor Features Research:
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Competitor Features Research:
Insights into Teachers Pay Teachers tool
UNDERSTANDING
Further research: objects in the
customer’s ecosystem
College students utilize a variety of devices to access class assignments and complete their homework. A 2015 survey by Pearson found that:
Takeaway ︎︎︎ Designs must be compatible and equally, if not uniquely, engaging for the laptop and mobile formats. Create a system that is modular with independent information in clusters.
(E) Prototyping + Testing
Tasks:
︎ Integrate data and objectives into the wireframe and identify a high-impact visual system
︎ Organize content that feels organic, intuitive, and optimizes clarity to decrease friction, letting the contributed work be showcased
︎ Pinpoint moments for activations to engage the users to create an exploratory experience
PROTOTYPING
Information Architecture
PROTOTYPING + TESTING
Low-fidelity prototyping
TESTING
Insights
︎ Homepage Navigation
︎ Curriculum Search
USER TESTING
Testing on 12 potential users of Highly Nriched (8 professional educators and 4 highshool students) the findings here show how the website was easy to navigate but the users needed more time to read through the text to find key information.
Below are notes from interviews ︎︎︎
Alpha Prototype User Testing
Testing on 12 potential users of Highly Nriched (8 professional educators and 4 highshool students) the findings here show how the website was easy to navigate but the users needed more time to read through the text to find key information.
Below are notes from interviews ︎︎︎
ADDITIONAL METRICS
Alpha Prototype Launch Outomes
+56
New Mentors
+130
Added approved content
+45
Approved contributors
+120
Average number of total curriculum downloads
(F) Visual Identity
In this digital experience, illustrations were utilized to both orient the user and provide additional context for the page. Illustrations provided us with a great opportunity to apply the branding in new ways, further define Highly Nriched’s goal and focus, encourage connection, and change a person’s perspective on these subjects.
Tasks:
︎ Use visual components to help move the user through the site and improve their overall web experience
︎ Create assets that elevate the page and do not compete with uploaded materials
︎ Design custom illustrations that are eye-catching and orient the user in the user flow
Branded elements
To distinguish the Mentors pages from the Contributors-related pages, selected colors from the color palette were used for the buttons to orient the viewer in the Highly Nriched site visually. The buttons were also designed to have moving gradients when the participant would hover over to give a sense of activation.
The right image shows a document that served as a reference tool for the developer by the designer to communicate the different colors used, their configurations, and the sizes of the buttons.
Additional elements for an
improved user experience
How can the branding be utilized to help lower the barrier of entry for newly adopted users?
Several opportunities for photography are available to provide information, add interest, and showcase the work and mentors of the Highly Niched platform. A series of thumbnail illustrations was created to serve as an alternative option if photography was unavailable or if the contributor or mentor chose not to share their images.
Profile stand-in images
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Activity icons/stand-in images
Logo
During the beginning stages of the platform design phase, Highly Nriched also rebranded to bring the look and feel to a higher collegiate level. Inspired by the science of atom splitting, Highly Nriched’s logo freezes the moment when a burst of new, raw energy comes forth after the atom splits.
(E) Next Iteration & Execution
Tasks:
︎ Implement designs with interactive elements for users to test during the IDSA conference.
︎ Collaborated with a software engineer to translate the design into applicable components and creatively solve obstacles to keep the goals of the product intact.
︎ Revise the design as implementation occurs and adjust deliverables for ease of application into website-building software.
︎ Review over a year for later adjustments and design feedback.
Contact for Resume
© RivesMatsonDesign
© RivesMatsonDesign