Uxcel Pride Month Scholarship Program

Overview:

To celebrate Pride Month, Uxcel is launching a special scholarship program aimed at supporting aspiring UX/UI designers. This initiative is dedicated to fostering diversity, inclusivity, and the democratization of design education. The scholarship program is designed to provide financial support and educational opportunities to talented individuals from underrepresented communities who aspire to build a career in UX/UI design.

Project background:

Uxcel, a leading platform for UX/UI design education, recognizes the importance of creating an inclusive and diverse design community. Many aspiring designers face significant barriers, such as financial constraints and limited access to mentorship and industry resources. By launching the Pride Month Scholarship Program, Uxcel aims to address these challenges and make quality design education accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.

What I will cover:

This case study will provide an in-depth look at the development of the Pride Month Scholarship Program, including the project's objectives, research goals and methods, problem definition, target audience, brainstorming solutions, process sharing, final solution presentation, testing insights, and concluding thoughts. Through this case study, we aim to showcase Uxcel's commitment to supporting the design community and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the industry.

Inclusive and Engaging Design

To celebrate Pride Month, the landing page for the Uxcel Pride Month Scholarship Program incorporates vibrant Pride colors and themes to demonstrate Uxcel's commitment to diversity and inclusivity. The design process involved understanding the target audience's needs and preferences, brainstorming concepts, and creating a visually appealing and informative layout that effectively promotes the scholarship program.

Research and User-Centric Design

To ensure the landing page meets the needs of the target audience, I conducted qualitative and quantitative research. Surveys and interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals interested in UX/UI design provided insights into their educational needs, motivations, and challenges. Based on these insights, I adopted a mobile-first approach and created a simplified information model that is both engaging and easy to navigate.

Define Success Metrics

Number of Applications:

Track the total number of scholarship applications received to measure the reach and interest in the program.

Engagement Rates:


Monitor website visits, time spent on the scholarship page, and social media interactions to gauge audience engagement and awareness.

Scholarship Distribution and Feedback:


Measure the number of scholarships awarded and collect feedback from recipients to assess the program's impact and effectiveness.

My Research
Goals & Methods

Research is a critical component of any UX/UI project. It provides the foundation for understanding user needs, identifying pain points, and informing design decisions. This step involves setting clear research goals, using appropriate methods, and sharing valuable insights.

Understand User Needs: We aim to learn about the behaviors, preferences, motivations, and pain points of aspiring UX/UI designers from underrepresented communities. This understanding will help us design a scholarship program that truly meets their needs.

Identify Pain Points: 
We need to uncover specific problems that aspiring designers face, such as financial constraints, lack of mentorship, and limited access to resources. Addressing these pain points will ensure the scholarship program provides meaningful support.

Gather Feedback: We will collect feedback from users about existing or proposed designs for the scholarship program. This feedback will be invaluable in refining the program and ensuring it meets user needs effectively.

Explain Research Methods: We will use a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods to gather comprehensive insights.

Surveys:

Purpose: Collect quantitative data on the needs and preferences of potential scholarship applicants.

Method: Distribute online surveys to target groups, such as aspiring designers and current design students, to gather broad insights into their experiences and needs.

Interviews:

Purpose: Conduct qualitative research to gain deeper insights into individual experiences and challenges.

Method: Conduct one-on-one interviews with a diverse group of aspiring UX/UI designers to understand their personal journeys, motivations, and obstacles.

Competitive Analysis:

Purpose: Review similar scholarship programs to identify best practices and gaps in the market.

Method: Analyze other scholarship programs aimed at supporting aspiring designers to understand what works well and where improvements can be made.

Analytics Review:

Purpose: Gather data on user interactions with the scholarship landing page and promotional materials.

Method: Use web analytics tools to track engagement metrics such as page views, time on page, and click-through rates.

My Findings: Summarize the most important insights gained from My research, which should directly inform My design decisions. This will help ensure that the scholarship program is user-centered and addresses the specific needs of the target audience.

By addressing these user needs, Uxcel's Pride Month Scholarship Program aims to provide comprehensive support to aspiring UX/UI designers, enabling them to overcome barriers and achieve their career goals.

Empathy
map

By understanding these aspects, Uxcel's Pride Month Scholarship Program can be tailored to address the specific needs and challenges of aspiring UX/UI designers, providing them with the support and resources they need to succeed.

Define the
Audience

Defining audience is essential for creating a product that meets user needs effectively. This step involves identifying target users and creating personas to guide your design decisions.

Identify Target Users: Clearly understand who will use or is already using the scholarship program. Determine the demographics, behaviors, and needs of your primary users.

Create Personas: Develop detailed personas to represent your target audience. These should include information such as age, occupation, goals, challenges, and preferences to help guide your design decisions.

Personas

By defining your audience through detailed personas, Uxcel's Pride Month Scholarship Program can be tailored to effectively address the specific needs, challenges, and goals of aspiring UX/UI designers, providing them with the support and resources they need to thrive.

Brainstorm
Solutions

Purpose: To generate a large number of ideas quickly by allowing team members to write down their ideas independently before sharing them with the group.

Outcome: Produced diverse ideas for structuring the scholarship application process and outreach strategies.

SCAMPER:

Purpose: To systematically think through potential changes and improvements by substituting, combining, adapting, modifying, putting to another use, eliminating, or rearranging elements of existing scholarship programs.

Outcome: Identified unique approaches to enhance the user experience and inclusivity of the scholarship program.

Mind Mapping:

Purpose: To visually organize ideas and explore various aspects of the scholarship program, including promotion, application, and support.

Outcome: Created a comprehensive outreach plan and identified key components for the landing page design.

Generate and
Share Ideas:

Present the initial ideas that emerged during brainstorming sessions. This can include rough sketches, mind maps, or notes from whiteboard sessions. Highlight the diversity of ideas and the collaborative effort.

Journey
Steps:

The
Process

Sharing your process is vital for demonstrating how you approached the project and the reasoning behind your decisions. Include user flows, information architecture, and initial wireframes to show the evolution of your design. Along the way, briefly explain why you made certain design choices and how they address the problem or enhance the user experience.

User Flows: Mapping out the user journey is crucial to understand how applicants will interact with the scholarship program. The user flow for the Uxcel Pride Month Scholarship Program includes the following steps:

Information
Architecture:

The structure of the landing page is designed to provide all necessary information while guiding users smoothly through the application process.

Wireframe :

I created initial wireframes to visualize the layout and structure of key pages. Wireframes helped me focus on the user experience without getting distracted by visual design details.

Design
Choices:

Color Palette:

Choice: Bright and inclusive colors representing Pride Month and diversity.

Rationale: Vibrant colors create an inviting and celebratory atmosphere.

Typography:

Choice: Modern and clean fonts for readability.

Rationale: Ensures that all text is easy to read and enhances user experience.

Visual Elements:

Choice: Use of icons and images to break up text and add visual interest.

Rationale: Visual elements help convey information quickly and maintain user engagement.

Evolution of Design: Throughout the design process, continuous feedback was gathered from potential users and stakeholders

Visual Design

Click here for Figma link

Figma Prototype Link

Mobile View