Case Study

Case Study

TravelSco
Mobile App

TravelSco
Mobile App

TravelSco
Mobile App

Role

UX Designer & Researcher

Team

6 Comp Sci students

Timeline

3 months in 2022

Context

At the University of Toronto, we created TravelSco, an app to help international students prepare for their academic journey. We utilized user research, design, and usability testing.

Role

UX Designer & Researcher

Team

6 Comp Sci students

Timeline

3 months in 2022

Context

At the University of Toronto, we created TravelSco, an app to help international students prepare for their academic journey. We utilized user research, design, and usability testing.

Role

UX Designer & Researcher

Team

6 Comp Sci students

Timeline

3 months in 2022

Context

At the University of Toronto, we created TravelSco, an app to help international students prepare for their academic journey. We utilized user research, design, and usability testing.

Problem

International students struggle with unclear relocation information

As an exchange student at UofT, I experienced how international students struggle to find clear information on entry, housing, documentation, and local communities.

Outcome

A mobile app with reliable resources for students studying abroad

User Research

85% of students get lost in scattered university websites

Students start excited but get overwhelmed managing multiple university requirements. Research shows the main challenge is information overload.

User Flow

Collaborative ideation and prototyping

After individual wireframing sessions, the team's ideas merged into a prototype with four core modules: Onboarding, Discovery, Tracking, Discussion.

Wireframes & Progress

Iterating on modules

We validated prototypes through heuristic evaluation and usability testing, refining design based on user feedback and behavior analysis.

Discovery module

Immigration and university information management.

User control & freedom

Heuristic evaluation revealed limited user control: users couldn't reset progress or explore multiple universities at once.

User control & freedom

Heuristic evaluation revealed limited user control: users couldn't reset progress or explore multiple universities at once.

User control & freedom

Heuristic evaluation revealed limited user control: users couldn't reset progress or explore multiple universities at once.

Usability issues

After adding features, testing showed users were unclear what 'reset progress' meant, and overlooked 'create new journey'.

Usability issues

After adding features, testing showed users were unclear what 'reset progress' meant, and overlooked 'create new journey'.

Usability issues

After adding features, testing showed users were unclear what 'reset progress' meant, and overlooked 'create new journey'.

Clearer navigation

We simplified labels by changing "Create new journey" to "Add a new university" and added an Edit icon, making multi-university exploration more intuitive.

Clearer navigation

We simplified labels by changing "Create new journey" to "Add a new university" and added an Edit icon, making multi-university exploration more intuitive.

Clearer navigation

We simplified labels by changing "Create new journey" to "Add a new university" and added an Edit icon, making multi-university exploration more intuitive.

Discussion module

Community help and socialization.

Consistency and standards

The app's discussion feature feels choppy, stuck in isolated sections instead of being smoothly integrated across the app.

Consistency and standards

The app's discussion feature feels choppy, stuck in isolated sections instead of being smoothly integrated across the app.

Missing discussion panel

Users barely noticed the discussion panel, often thinking it was broken, and its weird close-out method didn't help matters.

Missing discussion panel

Users barely noticed the discussion panel, often thinking it was broken, and its weird close-out method didn't help matters.

Missing discussion panel

Users barely noticed the discussion panel, often thinking it was broken, and its weird close-out method didn't help matters.

Consistency and standards

The app's discussion feature feels choppy, stuck in isolated sections instead of being smoothly integrated across the app.

Consistency and standards

The app's discussion feature feels choppy, stuck in isolated sections instead of being smoothly integrated across the app.

Improved discussion access

Relocated discussions to bottom navigation, organizing them by country and topic, with external community links for expanded support.

Improved discussion access

Relocated discussions to bottom navigation, organizing them by country and topic, with external community links for expanded support.

Improved discussion access

Relocated discussions to bottom navigation, organizing them by country and topic, with external community links for expanded support.

Branding

TravelSco Design System

TravelSco combines formalized blue for credibility with user-friendly rounded shapes and playful hand-drawn illustrations.

Final Designs

Meet TravelSco

TravelSco combines 4 key features that the team identified as those that solve key user pains.

Discover requirements

Access and save essential immigration information.

Create multiple journeys

Explore several countries and universities at the same time.

Track your progress

Track progress with a checklist of requirements.

Chat with peers

Join discussion to learn from others' experiences.

Retrospective

So how did it go?

During the final round of testing participants shared their feedback on the concept of TravelSco.

It's a really good place to have all the information in.
I found it very hard to have these questions answered, just look at the official website - there is so much information.”

I would definitely use this if I would be applying to new universities, cause nothing like this exists