[Case 06]
Competency Pathways
Transforming student experiences into measurable, career-ready competencies
Competency Pathways
[Project Snapshot]
Faced with a 40% cart abandonment rate, I redesigned the checkout flow to address user pain points. By simplifying the process, optimizing for mobile, and adding features.
[Problem Statement]
The platform struggled with a 40% cart abandonment rate during checkout. Users encountered unclear error messages, redundant fields, and poor mobile optimization, leading to frustration and drop-offs.
[Role]
Product Designer
[Focus]
Technology
Systems Design
Student Experience
[Goals & Success Metrics]
Primary Goal
I just want the checkout to be quick and painless—no surprises or unnecessary steps!
[Goal]
Quickly complete purchases without interruptions.
Trust the platform to handle her payment securely.
Establish Credibility → Introduce validation to ensure experiences are trusted and meaningful.
Access a seamless mobile shopping experience.
[Success Metrics]
Long or confusing checkout processes.
Error messages that don’t explain the issue.
Increased Reflection & Engagement → Students become more intentional about documenting and reflecting on experiences.
Poor mobile optimization that slows her down.
[Process]
[01] Research
Complex and fragmented reporting processes discouraged use → Need for a simplified, guided reporting flow.
Mandatory account creation created friction → Need for a guest submission option to enable quick action
Lack of clarity and feedback reduced trust → Need for structured inputs, confirmation, and tracking visibility.
[02] Ideation & Exploration
Explored a step-by-step reporting flow to reduce friction while maintaining structured data collection.
Introduced guest reporting and guided form inputs to improve accessibility and submission quality.
Mapped the end-to-end journey, leading to confirmation and tracking features to increase transparency and trust.
[03] Design Process
Designed a streamlined flow with guest entry, allowing users to quickly initiate reports without barriers.
Structured the reporting experience into clear steps with a review stage to improve accuracy.
Integrated confirmation, tracking, and error handling to ensure transparency and continuous user feedback.
[04] Testing & Iteration
Simplified the flow by reducing unnecessary steps to improve speed and ease of use.
Prioritized guest submission after identifying it as a key factor in increasing engagement.
Refined review, confirmation, and tracking features to improve accuracy, clarity, and user confidence.
[Final Solution]
25% increase in checkout completion rates.
30% reduction in cart abandonment on mobile devices.
40% improvement in perceived ease of use, as measured by post-launch surveys.
[Impact]
Widespread Adoption
Implemented at multiple universities and colleges across North America.
Enhanced Student Engagement
Guided reflection and public visibility encourage students to actively document experiences
Improved Skill Communication
Students are better able to articulate transferable skills and growth to potential employers
Streamlined Usability
Dashboard improvements reduced friction in logging and managing experiences, improving efficiency
Employer Benefit
The card-based, professional presentation allows employers to quickly understand student competencies and relevant experiences.
[Reflection]
This project emphasized designing beyond individual screens and into systems and communication.
Key Takeaways
Clarity is structural, not just visual
Strong UX helps users express what they already know
Systems thinking is essential for complex, information-heavy problems
Designing this experience reinforced the importance of creating tools that don’t just store information but translate it into meaningful understanding.