Magistro !?
UX designers will be certified by experts
I and my little baby started this journey. I was responsible for the UX/UI development of the project.
After the concept validation test i have met some startup owners and got offer to launch project with them.
Magistro is the baby startup that I decided to help students to learn the latest skills in the standards where top technology companies require.
I want to give better credibility to UX design students by help of my product.
Kicking to the missing points
of Udemy
Anyone who studies UX/UI design at Udemy or Coursera finds it difficult to assess their skills. Because of Udemy, Coursera usually gives you study material. They do not assess your skills. My product solves this problem and connects students with professionals who assess the skills learned. They evaluate the assessments and prove your skills.
How to get real industry UX/UI skills?
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Make an online UX/UI marketplace where professional UX/UI designers create and sell assessments.
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Give tools to lead UX/UI designers to create specific video courses in order to help new UX/UI designers to pass assessments.
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Give tools to new UX/UI designers to book mentors.
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Help students to get the latest UX/UI skills that the industry requires.
What challenges exist in online learning?
As huge information resources exist on the internet UX/UI designers learn UI/UX skills from the internet resources such as Coursera, Edx, Udemy, Youtube. They offer tons of courses for UX/UI subjects. However, users of these courses can not appropriately learn courses as the communication at these resources is designed in one way. Moreover, users of these online resources are concerned about the quality of their skills because they do not have to assess that skills. This is the challenge of my project.
The research will say me how to overcome this challenge!
To overcome this problem I need to learn the problems of users. I must understand why some of the students enroll in expensive bootcamps. To give a solution i have to make research.
See the research plan through the following link.
What will I achieve with the research?
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Understand the reason choosing expensive bootcamps rather than Udemy, coursera, edx.
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Understand the gap in competition.
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Understand the accomplishment process of the UX design learners
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Understand the problem and obstacles in their learning process over free online courses such as Udemy, Coursera etc.
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Understand difficulties they come across during the case study development process.
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Understand their needs to professional UX/UI designers
Students pay $7000 to get feedback from real industry professionals.
Research shocked me when I read the student's reviews in https://www.coursereport.com/. Students say that they pay expensive boot camps just because each week they talk with mentors in order to get feedback from real industry professionals.
They say that the online course materials can be found on youtube and other cheap online resources. They choose the boot camps because they get feedback and correct direction from mentors.
Shelagh Bennett says:
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"Springboard guides you through a range of key methodologies and best practices in UX design, with projects heavily focused on user research and usability testing, as well as plenty of mentoring from real industry professionals."
I interpret Bennet's review that bootcamps don't only teach you design, they teach you how to make research, how to identify user pain points.
The missing point of free online resources in this case is to teach right skills.
Leslie Fontie says
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I think the main difference between springboard and a lot of other courses out there (I did a lot of research before deciding on Springboard) is the 1:1 guided support.
I interpret Leslie's review that she need to talk with mentor. Why she needs to talk with mentor? May be he wants to ask how to solve the problem. May be she ask if her work is correctly done or not. All in all, I think she is not confident on her skill. For this reason she need mentor support.
Michelle says:
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"For me, the other things that made this particular program great were the 1:1 weekly mentorship meetings and various coaching meetings along the way"
I interpret Michelle's review that she needs 1-1 weekly mentorship to make sure he do thing in right way.
The missing point of the free courses is they can not check their works to be done in a right way.
Sahar Shakori says:
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"While my mentor provided so much feedback that allowed me to complete my projects with grace, a little more help would have been useful."
I interpret Leslie's review that she need to to get feedback about her works. So she also need some feedback about her works.
As detailed research in www.coursereport.com, the reviews of students clarified that students mostly like the way they learn in boot camps. During learning, process mentors help them to check their works so that they learn where they did mistake.
Competitive research
Indirect competitor
Strength
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Offer tons of courses, including UX design and different kinds of skills in UX design
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There are many course authors and professionals in Udemy courses
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Quite a big amount of reviews that give students a clear understanding of the quality of the course
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Prices are cheap, and you can get a course for $15
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Support different languages
Weakness
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You can only watch the course and can not ask questions or get a review
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The learning process depends on your time schedule, and you may not complete the course as there is not any deadline or goals
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Non accredited certificates
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Content depends on independent instructors
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Instructors do not assess skills
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Not Enough Practical Activities
Indirect competitor
Strength
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High quality of courses from leading universities
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Quizzes that pop up mid-video (exceptionally useful for reinforcing what you learn)
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Certificates from leading universities
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Accredited certificates
Weakness
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Plagiarism in assignments. Students usually submit other students assignments
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Students skim the course in order to get certificates
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Quiz based, computer evaluation of the assessments
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Not Enough Practical Activities
Indirect competitor
Strength
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Career aid program
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Udacity has also managed to structure its courses in a way that they take advantage of a project-based approach
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Udacity has also managed to structure its courses
Weakness
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Expensive
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Not Enough Practical Activities
Direct competitor
Strength
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UX designers could test their skills by answering test questions
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Competition based assessment system
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Interactive design
Weakness
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Assessment does not give value to users
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Users can be only assessed by a test
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Users are not assessed by professional UX designers
Where is the gap in the competition?
After the Covid-19 pandemic growth on online learning was observable. People invested their times to online courses. Today, there are variety of the online learning platforms exist in the market. However, there is a big gap in assessment system. Most of the courses just give learning opportunity. Rest of the courses depends on users. The big gap is there is not assessment market place in the online learning market. This exist in only expensive online bootcamps which costs over $7000.
I found a new planet
There are a lot of cheap alternatives for expensive bootcamps.
Purchasing feedbacks of professional UX/UI designers could be alternative for the expensive bootcamps and substitute expensive mentorship services.
The gap or missing point in this alternative is assessment by professional UX/UI designers based on case studies.
Every problem is like a big door. Surely there is a solution like a small key that can open it easily.
In my story, the big problematic door is expensive UX/UI Bootcamp. Because most of the students cannot afford to pay high tuition fees. They move to cheaper alternatives.
My users are not able to pay $7000 to learn UX/UI design. Instead, they choose cheaper alternatives such as Coursera, Udemy, Edx courses, and so on.
However, there are problems for students in alternative UX courses
Chang Mou
He is graduated Human Computer interaction and also he attended the UX course in Coursera
If you finish the course at Coursera you get a certificate. They do not check your skills, no credibility. No strict rules. Everyone can get the certificate. Recruiters do not value that certificate so much.
Chang Mou gave valuable feedback about free online courses
So, Chang Mou assumes that would be great if Coursera or another online resource would give credibility to students. Currently, certificates from such online resources do not give enough credibility students and hiring managers do not care that certificates.
So, I created Concept for Magistro
It is a page where we complete the gap in the market. Students who learn from different online portals could easily be assessed by experts. I believe that this product could solve student problem.
Believing in the idea is good but it does not mean that idea will work in the market
I am going to test my concept because it is a new idea in the market and the market must validate the idea. I have created the research plan and wrote the script to evaluate my product concept.
My assumptions
Before I started the concept test, I had some assumptions about the concept. These assumptions were as follows.
1) Customers will most likely buy this product. This is because customers are not really able to check the assignments given to them during online courses.
2) My second assumption was that the product I created allows me to check the assignments of better students than online courses.
3) I think that UX designers would agree to pay for this service.
4) My next assumption was that I thought that the confidence of those who successfully complete the tasks from this site will be even stronger.
5) After that, I think that students who successfully complete these tasks will be able to create a stronger CV.
6) I think that UX designers who successfully complete these tasks will solve UX problems in the same way as the world's leading companies.
7) Finally, my last assumption is that the certificate obtained from the Magistro website is more valuable for students than its competitors. To test these hypotheses, I conducted a survey to test the product concept.
Quite a lot of people were interested in the survey
So, I started to find UX design students and posted some screening surveys in social media groups where designers discuss UX and UI design. I asked some students to help me fill screening questions and choose the time for the survey over Zoom. So it worked, I received applications from designers who were interested in this survey.
I gave information about the product and then started a survey.
Ok. Because the concept is new, customers are not aware of it. That's why I started giving information about the product before starting the survey. Once users understood the product, I started asking them pre-prepared questions.
Only one assumption not validated
1) Customers will most likely buy this product. This is because customers are not really able to check the assignments given to them during online courses.
Validated: 5 out of 5 users strongly agreed with the first assumption.
So that means that UX designers would definitely buy this product.
2) My second assumption was that the product I created allows me to check the assignments of better students than online courses.
Validated: 5 out of 5 users strongly agreed with this assumption
So participants think that they can get a better assessment service at Magistro rather than Udemy and Coursera
3) I think that UX designers would agree to pay for this service.
Validated: 5 out of 5 users strongly agreed with this assumption
So participants think that they could pay for these assessments.
4) My next assumption was that I thought that the confidence of those who successfully complete the tasks from this site will be even stronger.
Validated: 5 out of 5 users strongly agreed with this assumption
Survey participants agreed to the assumption that they will feel more confident after completing the assessments.
5) I think that students who successfully complete these tasks will be able to create a stronger CV.
Not Validated: 3 out of 5 users gave 3 points out of 5
That means some portion of participants does not strongly agree that this assessment will help them to create valuable Resume.
6) Even I think that UX designers who successfully complete these tasks will solve UX problems in the same way as the world's leading companies.
Validated: 5 out of 5 users strongly agreed with this assumption
Participant beleive that they will solve the UX problems as the same way as professional UX expert solve
7) Finally, my last assumption is that the certificate obtained from the Magistro website is more valuable for students than its competitors. To test these hypotheses, I conducted a survey to test the product concept.
Validated: 4 out of 5 users strongly agreed with this assumption
Participant believes that Magistro offers better value than its competitors.
Concept validated
Listen how product concept created positive feedback on potential users.
Problem statement
The concept was validated but there are still some questions that must be solved.
I grouped them as problem statements.
Carina Yukie is a UX design student wants a systematic set of UX skills to plan before purchasing assignment or online course at Magistro page because she does not know where to start and where to end at learning and assessment process.
Karina Yukie
Live in Japan
Carina Yukie is a UX design student wants to see demo of the Magistro assignments or online courses before purchasing assignment or online course at Magistro page because she does not know the content or tasks in assignments and online courses.
Karina Yukie
Lives in Japan
Chang Mou is a UX design student wants to be sure expert UX designers will give fair feedback about his assignment because he thinks that expert will not give a fair assessment to save their time as no one check them.
Chang Mou
Lives in Montreal
How might we ...?
I have mentioned the core product and made the concept test for that product. Magistro fills the gap in the assessment market and covers the need of students who cannot attend expensive UX bootcamps. The concept test proved that the target market would buy assessment and the idea expert designers check their case studies had welcomed by users.
However, there are some problems that must be thought about.
These problems are:
1) How might we help UX students with which skill/certificate to start with?
2) How might we create an environment in which UX experts fairly assess assessments of UX students?
3) How might we introduce assessment or other UX expert products to explain service before purchase.
Brainstorming by Crazy eights
In this case study, I will just show the #1 problem in my MVP as it is enough complicated to solve it for UX design students.
I am going to ideate by the help of crazy eights.
1) How might we help UX students with which skill/certificate to start with?
Book mentor
Expert's skill program
UX/UI models and skill set
Users could book mentors
who could help them design skill plan
Each expert could create their own skill program that they use in their work.
Could be an option to offer different UX/UI design models and organize skill set based on this model
Skill models by case study assessment
An expert could design a skill program based on a submitted case study
Users select skills by themseves
Skills by steps of design
Most selected skills
Users just check the skills he knows based on given skill list which is standard
Users could be recommended by skills sets based on design steps such as research, define, design deliver
There could be the most selected skill set that users already selected.
Follow other UX designers
Users can see the skill set statistic selected by other users who has high skill point.
Idea Prioritization
Karina Yukie
Live in Japan
Karina Yukie just started UX design courses. She would use online expert assessment page. Her problem is designing her learning plan. She does not know where to start to learning process in UX.
For Magistro it is challenge to give students clear learning or assessment plan.
Student will pay for skill planning
Booking mentor could solve her problem. A mentor could design her skill plan. Disadvantage of this feature is the price of the service.
Free
Together with mentor booking feature, assessment portal can provide clear path for studend UX designers. Magistro could divide skills based on research, define, design, deliver stages. Through this model expert can add appropriate skill assessment or skill learning video by keywords. Understanding complexity of this flow, this solution will be developed in the next steps.
Now the challenge was how mentor and student interact in order to select appropriate skill plan.
I have created storyboard to show the process how UX students plan right skill set to purchase by help of the mentor. The key solution here is to identify which type of job students looking for in UX design market. So, based on his selection of job such as motion design, UX researcher, UX designer, UI designer etc. Magistro filter mentors to help him to create correct learning path.
User flow
Based on the story described in the storyboard I have created user flow. User flow shows how the user plans his skill set. Based on this flow UX design students can easily find out what to learn and which skills are important by booking a mentor.
The following hand-drawn sketches describe solution of UX students and expert interaction
I tried to design a simple but useful flow for mentors. The flow starts to ask questions about what specialization students want to learn. There actually several specializations such as UX designer, motion designer, UI designer, UX Content developer etc. So each specialization requires different kinds of skills and tools.
After that UX students scale their skills based on specialization previously selected. Students scale these skills by help of the self-skill evaluation diagram
Specialization
Self-Skill evaluation
Share portfolio and Behance profiles
Mentor adds skills to student skill pack
Student receive skills on his pack
Student added assessment to his wishlist to purchase later
OK. Now we can move to wireframes from hand-drawn sketches.
The first wireframes of the problem statement describe the flow of UX design students. Through these wireframes, they can easily choose mentors or UX experts who can help them to build skill plans. For this, students must submit their portfolios and pass the self-evaluation test. Please just live this experience at the wireframe given below.
Right after UX students submit their CV, portfolio and pass the self-skill evaluation, mentors receive all this information to process and creative skill set for students.
Now, UX students received their skill plan as mentors selected the right skill set for them and transferred their accounts. My third flow will show how students see their plan and how they add skill assessments from market place to their accounts.
Usability test: Wrong naming and incorrect location of button mislead users.
Patterns
Prompt 1: 5 out of 7 participants were able to find "plan UX" study program. 2 out of 5 participant who found the button had difficulties to find at first ten second.
Insights
1) Users mentioned that the button was ignored because it assosiated with chat button.
2) And also users mostly focused on expert part and expected button to be there.
3) Wording was quite confusing
4) Users are mainly focused on top menu and expert part in order to find "plan skill" button.
Patterns
Prompt 2: 7 out of 7 participants were able to find right flow
Insights
Users easily completed this flow. No action needed here.
Patterns
Prompt 3: 6 out of 7 participants were able to self-evaluate the skills.
Insights
Users easily completed the flow
Patterns
Prompt 4: 7 out of 7 participants were able to self-evaluate the skills.
Insights
Users easily completed the flow
Patterns
Prompt 5: 5 out of 7 participants were easily completed task. 2 out of 7 users had difficulties to complete the task.
Insights
Participants easily completed the task.
Patterns
Prompt 6: 7 out of 7 participants were easily completed tasks. They were able to add the skills from the marketplace.
Insights
Participants easily completed the task. They clicked correct button.
Patterns
Prompt 7: 2 out of 7 participants were easily completed task. Rest of the participants had a difficulties to find add to plan button.
Insights
Users noted that they confused it with buy button
Patterns
Prompt 8: 2 out of 7 participants were easily completed task. Rest of the participants had a difficulties to find all assignment button.
Insights
Users could not located right place to find all planned assignment in the same category.
Summary of usability test
Most of the users have a positive experience with the product. Users need a more intuitive way to access the "Plan UX skills button.
The profile dashboard was a good idea for them to see the future assignment and prepare for this assignments.
The most confusing part was the dashboard after users assigned by mentors.
They were surprised from booking the skills that could be helpful in their future job.
Ok.The wireframes updated based on usability test at Maze.co
So, Let's see what changed.
Prompt 7 was one of the challenging parts of the flow. Users are completely confused between the buy and plan buttons. The structure of the page was very confused. I changed the structure. Please see the following images.
Before
Users were confused and clicked the buy button instead of the "plan it" button.
After
In new mid-low fidelity wireframes, I included "drag skill window". So, I assume that users could understand it and drag skills on this window.
Prompt 8 was the most difficult challenge for users. Most of the users could not locate the all assignment button. It needed to make more sensitive button in correct position.
Before
In this prompt users could not focused on the "see all" button.
After
I have grouped added assignments in the same group.
Through this way i hope users could find the right button
Prompt 1. Users were not able to book study plans on the Home page of the Magistro. I got a lot of feedback about this button and checked the heat map in a usability study. On the heat map, most of the users searched it top of the page. It is actually a problem for me to put the plan study button at the top of the menu because it is a secondary product of my project.
Before
After
High fidelity prototypes
