An Innovative Approach to User Research
Client
Industry
Role
Office of Admissions, DePaul University
Education
Content Strategy Director,
Program Instructor
Brief
Define the creative direction for a new virtual campus tour that effectively meets the needs of prospective and incoming students.
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Solution
We created a data-rich UX and content strategy brief by teaming up with first-year students who took the lead on research. Turns out, no school was making appealing virtual tours.
Services
Content Strategy, User Research, Experience Design, Curriculum Development, Training, Coaching, and Facilitation
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Process
By partnering with the EDGE program, students developed research, evaluation, usability testing, communication, and presentation skills—and weighed in on how an effective campus tour should look, feel, and work.
EDGE Program //
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Developed an EDGE program course designed to provide freshman with hands-on job experience, participate in career development workshops, and build XD skills.
The team explored 50+ virtual tours, evaluating the experience, usability, design, and content. They weighed in on what worked, what didn't, what was missing, and what was "just creepy." (Spoiler: Voice over is creepy.)
Strategy Brief //
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Folded feedback into a strategy brief,
including a set of recommendations for essential functionality, locations, keywords, content types, as well as voice and tone guidelines.
Next Steps ...
DePaul's development and content strategy teams used the brief as a road map to create a self-guided tour with a different flavor than others in the market. In the students' words, it strikes a “balance between guidance and freedom.”
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