HBCU HUB App Redesign
iOS & Android
A platform where highschool students can connect with a recruiter or coach at any 4-year HBCU.
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Overview | Why it works | Design Process | Research | Background
From empathy to opportunities
The HBCU HUB App is a HBCU finder and recruiting platform for students, recruiters and coaches. This app assists students to research and apply to HBCUs. Additionally, students can meet recruiters, and audition with coaches at HBCUs across America. This app creates a cultural experience while giving students opportunites to find scholoarships and interact on a social platform called "The Yard".
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Before this redesign began, I was working for HBCU HUB App as a content designer and manager, I already haead familiarity with the audience, style and voice of the brand. This redesign gave me the opporunity to apply those elements into user centric and cultureal experience for prospective HBCU students.
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Impact
The HBCU HUB App is a HBCU finder and recruiting platform for students, recruiters and coaches. This app assists students to research and apply to HBCUs. Additionally,
students can meet recruiters, and audition with coaches at HBCUs across America. This app creates
a cultural experience while giving students opportunites to find scholoarships and interact on
a social platform called "The Yard".
​
Before this redesign began, I was working for HBCU HUB App as a content designer and manager,
I already haead familiarity with the audience, style and voice of the brand. This redesign gave me the opporunity to apply those elements into user centric and cultureal experience for prospective HBCU students.
​
Client Goals
1. Simplify the UI and create a clean and seamless user experience.
2. Gamify the onboarding process to enhance user engagement.
3. Integrate college recruiters and provide them with backend access on the app.
4. Represent HBCU culture through the app's design and aesthetics.
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Challenges and Pain Points
​Users find the initial sign-up process cumbersome, requiring them to input all their information upfront. The goal is to break down the onboarding process into steps for a smoother user experience.
The app lacks dynamic content, leading to a repetitive user experience.
The client desires a UI that embodies HBCU culture and stands out from other college-related apps.
ADA compliance is essential, ensuring font colors, sizes, and background colors are accessible for users with visual impairments. Consideration for gender and parental access is also important.
Previous App Design
Target Audience
Students: Seeking to send academic information to HBCU staff, filter schools based on interest, and save preferred schools.
Recruiters: Wanting to view booked appointments with students, contact students via the app, and potentially post ads in the future.
Coaches: Interested in seeing booked appointments with students, contacting students through the app, and potentially utilizing in-app advertising in the future.
Design Considerations
The existing logo will remain unchanged, but feedback is welcome regarding the use of a diamond shape for the H background.
Brand guidelines and content library will remain consistent with the current representation of the brand.
Design should align with the top graphic design trends for Gen-Z, including colorful minimalism, geometric shapes, simple data visualization, monochrome effects, text-heavy videos, symbols, muted colors, and social slide decks.
Popular social apps such as GroupMe, Discord, and Instagram can serve as references for the overall design approach.
User Story
UX Design Process
Research and Analysis
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​Conducted a thorough analysis of the client's requirements and existing pain points.
Explored the target audience's needs, motivations, and expectations.
Researched the top graphic design trends for Gen-Z and popular social apps to inform the design direction.
Top Graphic Design Trends in 2021-2022 for Gen-Z:
Colorful minimalism
Geometric shapes
Simple data visualization
Monochrome effects
Text-heavy videos
Symbols, symbols, symbols
Muted colors
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Most popular social apps
GroupMe
Discord
Instagram
Wireframing and Prototyping
Wireframes were created to visualize the new UI, focusing on simplifying the interface, introducing dynamic content, and incorporating gamification elements.
Prototypes to test and refine the user flow and interactions was done via Marvelapp.com
Iterative Design
Collaborated with the client and development team to gather feedback and iterate on the design.
Conducted ADA testing to ensure accessibility compliance, considering font colors, sizes, background colors, and inclusive design elements.
Incorporated user feedback and made iterative design improvements based on the stakeholder's preferences.
Visual Design
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Defined a color palette and shapes that align with HBCU culture, considering the client's desire for colorful minimalism and muted colors.
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Created profile page designs that showcase the user's academic information, preferred schools, and appointments.
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Designed icons and visual elements for social features, focusing on symbols and geometric shapes.
Conclusion
The redesign of the HBCU Hub mobile app aimed to enhance the user experience, simplify the UI, and integrate new features to facilitate seamless communication between students, recruiters, and coaches.
By incorporating dynamic content, gamification elements, and adhering to the established brand guidelines, the new design successfully represents the vibrant HBCU culture. The ADA compliance testing ensures inclusivity for all users, while the use of current design trends and inspiration from popular social apps caters to the target audience's preferences. The iterative design process, collaboration with stakeholders, and incorporation of user feedback ensured a successful outcome for the HBCU Hub app redesign.
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