Revitalizing the Student Experience: Redesigning a Decade Old Student Information System
Introduction
A Student Information System (SIS) is an essential tool for universities and schools to manage student data such as enrolment, grades, attendance, and other relevant information. However, SIS software solutions have not kept up with the modern design standards, causing frustration and inefficiency for users, including students, faculty, and staff. Our team was tasked with redesigning a decade-old SIS to improve the user experience (UX) and user interface (UI).
Current State
The Process
To redesign this massive application our choice of process was the double diamond design thinking process. And the reason behind that It’s important to bear in mind that this model is a non-linear. In fact, we were encouraged to go back and forth between these stages in order to fully understand what the problem is and how we can either solve it, or improve on an existing solution.
User Research and Insights
To understand the current pain points and potential improvements, we conducted user research through interviews, surveys, and usability testing. Our target users were students, faculty, and staff.
Students
- Difficult to navigate and find the information they need
- Inconsistencies and errors in grades and attendance records
- Limited functionality and interaction with the system
- Frustrating experience when attempting to register for courses
Faculty
- Difficulty in entering grades and attendance records
- Limited communication with students
- Inability to view all student information in one place
- Frustrating experience when attempting to manage class rosters
Staff
- Limited access to system features
- Complex and time-consuming data entry process
- Inability to generate reports or analytics on student data
- Frustrating experience when attempting to manage student records
Based on the user research, we identified the following insights:
- The current SIS is complex and difficult to navigate, causing frustration for users.
- There is a lack of consistency and errors in student data, leading to potential academic and administrative problems.
- The system is not user-friendly or intuitive, leading to inefficient workflows and wasted time.
- There is a need for better communication between students, faculty, and staff.
- The system should be designed with accessibility in mind to ensure all users can use it effectively.
User Personas
Sarah Thompson
Age: 16 Years
Background
High School student, loves to read books and plays tennis in her free time.
Goals and Needs
Access her grades, homework assignments, and class schedules quickly and easily; communicate with teachers and classmates; access academic resources.
John Smith
Age: 43 Years
Background
Father of two children, works full-time as a software engineer.
Goals and Needs
Stay informed about his children's academic progress, access teacher feedback and communicate with teachers, check attendance and receive notifications about upcoming events.
Emily Davis
Age: 35 Years
Background
High School English teacher, loves to travel and has a passion for teaching.
Goals and Needs
Easily manage and update class information, quickly provide feedback and grades to students, easily communicate with students and parents, access academic resources and materials.
Samantha Lee
Age: 40 Years
Background
School administrator with several years of experience, has a background in education.
Goals and Needs
Easily manage student information and records, monitor student progress and attendance, generate reports and analytics, manage academic resources, and communicate with teachers and parents.
Design Goals
To address the user pain points and insights gathered from our user research, we established the following design goals:
- Improve the user experience and make the system easier to navigate.
- Ensure consistency and accuracy in student data to prevent academic and administrative problems.
- Create a user-friendly and intuitive design to improve workflows and save time.
- Enhance communication between students, faculty, and staff.
- Ensure accessibility for all users.
Design Solutions
Based on our design goals, we proposed the following solutions:
Simplifying the Navigation
We reorganized the navigation to be more intuitive and user-friendly, making it easier for users to find the information they need. We also added a search function to quickly locate information.
Consistency and accuracy in data
We added data validation and error prevention features to ensure consistent and accurate data entry. We also added a dashboard for users to view their data and verify its accuracy.
User-friendly and intuitive design
We implemented a modern and clean design, with a focus on white space and visual hierarchy to improve readability and usability. We also added features such as drag-and-drop functionality and quick actions to streamline workflows.
Communication between users
We added a messaging system to facilitate communication between students, faculty, and staff. We also added a calendar feature to make it easier for users to schedule appointments and events.
Accessibility
We designed the system with accessibility in mind, ensuring that it meets accessibility standards and is usable for users with disabilities.
Student Portal Screens
Admin Portal Screens
Conclusion
By conducting user research and gathering insights, we were able to identify the pain points and needs of our target users. Through our design solutions, we were able to address these needs and achieve our design goals of improving the user experience, consistency and accuracy of data, user-friendliness and intuitiveness, communication, and accessibility. Our usability testing validated our design solutions, demonstrating that our redesign of the SIS was successful in meeting the needs of our users. With this new and improved SIS, students, faculty, and staff can now more easily navigate and manage student data, resulting in a more efficient and effective academic and administrative experience for all.
