Torrens University: MyHub
Designing a personalised dashboard for students at Torrens University that consolidates key information from the multiple, disparate systems they use, in a clear and easy-to-understand way.
Client
Torrens University Australia
Roles
UX Design
UI Design
User Research
Information Architecture
Platform
Web
Awards
Year
2022
About the client
Australia's fastest growing university.
Certified B corporation.
Largest private uni in Australia with 21K+ enrolments.
Over 1,200 courses across Health, Business, Education Hospitality, and Design.
8 Campuses across NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, + Online.
Key challenges
1
Unify ecosystem
How might we consolidate the platforms students use every day into a central hub?
2
Surface key info
How might we provide students with an at-a-glance view of their most important information?
3
Streamline help
My involvement
Fleshed out the concept alongside another designer.
Interviewed users to discover the key features.
Card sorting to define information architecture.
Competitor analysis of other university dashboards.
Wire-framing concepts.
Designing the final UI with input from dev team.
Discovery rate out of 21k enrolled students
Average time users spent on the dashboard.
Users returned to the dashboard again
Issues directed to the right support channels
Challenges resolved
1
The dashboard consolidates all of the essential platforms students need to use, into one central launchpad, providing direct links to each system.
2
All of the key info that matters most to students on a regular basis is displayed front and centre on the dashboard, confirmed through user research and feedback interviews.
3
Dynamic help decision-tree on the dashboard guided students to the appropriate support channels and provided them with a list of key contacts, helping them quickly find the right assistance without needing to go through the general enquiries team first.
Shortlisted for Best CX Initiative
Recognised for its innovation, MyHub was shortlisted for Best CX Initiative at the CX Awards, alongside the likes of Hyundai, Optus, and Transport for NSW.
Deborah
"This looks great, much easier to navigate when everything's in a central location"
Yvette
"I am loving the layout, all the important things are right there, it's easy to use and navigate. This is much better."
Michael
"I love this new portal landing page. Everything is at my click point (fingertips!)."
Julie
"Just found this new hub and I love it. This is like a balm to my mind as it's hard to remember where everything is and it all seems to be here. Much simpler and easy to navigate."
Theresa
"Just wanted to say I love the new layout here. Easy to find everything."
Triza
"This is super awesome. I love this, it's so simple and straight to the point, especially for new students. Thank you guys!"
Paula
"I love this!!! It is functional and clear. The information I need is simple to find."
Gabriella
"I love this new layout. So much easier to access important information."
Ben
"So much better. I love the easy access to grades."
Process
User research
Interviewed 10 current students to identify which features the dashboard should have, and then used card sorting to organise the content into relevant groups that the most sense to those users.
Competitor analysis
Researched other education related dashboards to understand how this problem has been solved by others in the past. This revealed a number of different UI solutions to explore that we had not considered.
Wire-framing
Wire-framed ideas for the general layout of the dashboard, where the widgets should sit, and which should occupy the most space. First concept lacked visual hierarchy, second concept got much closer.
UI Design
Designed the UI in Figma based on the structure laid out in the wire-frames, designing the widgets in more detail and refining the layout.
Soft-launch to test assumptions
Link quietly added to the Student Hub, the existing internal portal, along with a message to inform students it is a work in progress, inviting any feedback. Success was to be measured based on discovery, engagement, and direct feedback.
Anecdotal feedback
Analysed anecdotal feedback, discovering:
Users overall satisfied with the layout and functionality, highlighting its ease of use.
A number of data related issues with API's displaying incorrect info in some places.
Suggested improvements to enhance the navigation and visual design.
User feedback interviews
Led interviews with 10 students to gather more specific feedback about the features and understand how students were integrating it into their study life.
Re-iterate designs
Back to the drawing board with newly gained insights, dashboard re-designed and version 2 was launched with an improved layout and visual design.
