personal Project / end-to-end
accountable
Helping online professional skill developers stay on track with accountability partners
ROLE
UX Researcher, Interaction Designer, Visual Designer
DURATION
Q1-Q2 (2023)
PLATFORM
Mobile (Web)
INTRO
There's been a huge movement in online learning for professional skills
According to the World Economic Forum, research indicates that there's been a surge in online skill learning in recent years. Those in the workforce want to stay relevant in their current jobs or secure new opportunities, fueled by concerns about an unpredictable job market and potential layoffs. As a result, online platforms like Coursera have witnessed a exponential growth in its registered users:
But as digital learning continues to rise, so does a new wave of digital learning struggles. Although individuals have the flexibility to learn at their own pace, a common pattern is struggling with discipline when it comes to completing online coursework.
Problem
Maintaining discipline in online skill courses proves challenging for many learners who often face distractions while studying in the seclusion of their rooms.
How might we incorporate accountability to help online learners stay disciplined in their learning process?
Our Solution
match-making online skill learners with suitable accountability partners
Accountable, is a web-application tool for online learners to find compatible accountability partners to get their skill-learning tasks done together. You can easily reach out to others enrolled in the same online course as you or others who have similar skill study schedules.
research
diving deeper into the experiences of online learners
I started out by collecting user insight from surveys and then reaching out to my survey participants to get more information through user interviews.
User Survey
Questions:
What are/were your main goals in learning a skill?
During your learning process, what do/did you have the most trouble with?
During your learning process, was there anything that helped you overcome your struggles?
Created with Google Forms (7 responses total)
Survey results on the top struggles that users face
why is it so hard to push on?
A majority of our participants expressed struggling with distractions in their studying environment (typically within the confines of their personal bedrooms). If we dig a little deeper, participants also mention struggling with motivation to continue studying. This often stems from the demands of a full-time job or concerns about the career outlook in certain industries, especially for those making a career switch. Additionally, the extensive amount of material required to learn a new skill adds to the challenge.
"I like to set up the area I am studying in to be as comfortable as possible so it can lessen any distractions."
"I thought about quitting because it's very hard to get job after."
"It can be tough at times balancing work and learning.."
"I've learned to break learning materials down in small parts, so that it won't become overwhelming."
ideation
people often lose motivation easily
Amber is one out of the many people who we'll be designing for. As a mother and educator, she aspires to secure a better-paying remote job for more quality time with her daughter. The struggle of managing a demanding full-time job while learning new skills has become a significant challenge for her. Recognizing the need for change, she is actively seeking solutions.
Amber Jones, 32
Public School Teacher
Atlanta, Georgia
“Juggling work and studying has been challenging. I need someone to help accompany me and keep me in check.”
Goals:
To gain new professional skills in design
To find a better-paying, remote job
Challenges:
Balancing her time and mustering the energy to work on learning new skills after work
Frequently feeling discouraged and overwhelmed by the volume of material she's learning
Uncertainty about the career-switch path, leading to fluctuations in motivation
how can we help online skill learners stay disciplined and high-spirited?
1) Peer pressure - People are more likely to focus on something if there's a physical presence of others in the same vicinity as them
2) Set deadlines made with others - People are more inclined to meet deadlines if the deadlines were scheduled with other people
3) Intrinsic nature of returning favors - I found that, usually, if a person does a favor for someone, the chances of the other party returning the favor are high
the mvp concept
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot”
Michael Altshuler
Our online learners struggle with time management especially when their energy levels come into play. But just as external pressures may prompt attendance at work, scheduling meetings with accountability partners can provide a similar motivation. To address this, I came up with features where learners can find partners and schedule work sessions. Many online learners also want help breaking down course material, so I came up with adding a visual tracker or task organizer on top of that.
DEVELOPment
starting out with the basics
The first two versions of my MVP began to take shape as I built out the foundational onboarding, partner-searching, and task management experiences.
Version 1 (V1) and Version 2 (V2) of key mid-fi screens
recalibrating during the midfis
At one point during the mid-fi development, I got valuable feedback from a design critique that shed light on a major issue – the task feature was overshadowing the true essence of my MVP's purpose. So I planned my next iterations around the following directions:
Strengthening the "Partner Search" Experience: Onboarding questions were modified to solidify the matching experience for users
Providing a Tool for Communication: A messaging platform now lays within the app, empowering users to connect and exchange ideas effortlessly
Increasing Methods for Efficient Scheduling: Providing an interactive interface that lets users book study sessions with their partners seamlessly
Version 3 (V3), Version 4 (V4) and Version 5 (V5) Iterations on mid-fi screens
Fine-Tuning and Polishing with Hifis
In my high-fidelity designs, I prioritized clear affordances based on other valuable feedback received from design critiques, prompting me to polish design patterns and UI elements for better clarity.
As a result, Accountable underwent a significant transformation, evolving from a task-focused collaboration platform to one that better facilitates users in connecting with study companions, aligning more closely with Accountable's core value.
Version 3 (V3), Version 4 (V4) and Version 5 (V5) Iterations on mid-fi screens
quick overview of visual branding
TEST
Putting Accountable to the Test
I envisioned Accountable as a catalyst for forging meaningful connections to help drive accountability and, ultimately, skill-learning progression. But did the concept live up to user expectations?
testing overview
what made an impression and what can be enhanced further
Some features in the app, such as the calendar for scheduling sessions and the matching service from onboarding, generated excitement. However, others, like the chatting and search features, seemed promising but left users expecting more.
iterations
How can we improve?
"Having a personal relationship with a person will lead to accountability. The personal aspect makes the difference."
Usability Testing Participant
A crucial insight from usability testing revealed that users preferred getting to know their partners before committing to an accountability connection. The term "Accountability Buddy" felt like skipping a step, and what users were truly seeking was more in line with a "Study Buddy".
Conclusion
Future Features
With additional time, I would pursue the following roadmap to enhance Accountable. The plan involves refining the match-making process for online learners, improving integration of the task-tracking feature, and implementing automation to facilitate easier engagement and conversation between users and their study partners.
But most importantly…
I've gained valuable insights and lessons that will serve as guiding principles in my continuous journey of addressing user-centric challenges:
