00 The Team

Roberto Leon and Cass Koller - UX Designers

01 The Problem

The technology industry has a high demand for qualified applicants. Applicants trying to enter the field need the skill set and the confidence necessary to fill these roles. However, time and time again applicants hear:

With this kind of energy, applicants easily become discouraged. This creates a lack of motivation to continue technical skills in hopes of a better career. Through research, we found users became quickly overwhelmed by all of the resources they could find without a structured path. There are many technical resources out there when it comes to learning these skills.

When researching competitors, there wasn’t anything on the market that had not only courses but connections and events in the same space. It was essential to engage and empower users. Our target group consisted of young men and women aged 19–26 with high school education and general knowledge of technology working entry-level jobs. Research showed that our users come from a background with comfortability using a computer — they don’t have the financial resources, motivation, or time to attend traditional institutions.

02 The Project

LIFTOFF is a responsive web platform for those trying to advance their skills and become more satisfied in a new career. LIFTOFF offers customized learning paths depending on passion and beginning knowledge of the user. In addition to structured learning LIFTOFF also offers ways to connect with mentors, find networking events, and take stand-alone classes.

I worked with Roberto Leon on this project. The content within this Case Study is my contribution and process. 

03 Persona

The team interviewed several colleagues aged 19–26 with high school diplomas and knowledge of simple computer functions. Without a higher skillset users were unable to grow in more senior roles within tech or design firms. This information gained allowed us to find those that were determined to move up but undermined by the system of needing experience to get experience. Empathy of these users encouraged me through the process of building an app that could empower those who have been stuck — see the quote from an interview in our persona details.

04 Design Process

I started storymapping to write out all possible features our persona could want. After taking a look at the scope of the project, I started to realize that it was getting too overwhelming to navigate. From user research, it was suggested that we had to be straightforward and focused if for the user was going to stay engaged and empowered on the site.

I began sketching the wireframes so we could have an idea of what the architecture of the site would look like. Each page was blocked out with our refined story map — a profile page, assessment quiz, courses, mentors, networking events, job postings, and a resume builder.

The first design review happened soon after it was time to begin the wireframe process. Our feedback was to narrow the scope of our LIFTOFF, specifically removing the resume builder (see low fidelity desktop wires above). Scaling back allowed the project to align with user goals of a simple learning platform.

Changes Made:

05 Visual Design and Branding

It took awhile to come up with branding, as finding the right fit was pivotal to the user experience. Early on, I thought that the name would be important for the user’s engagement and excitement for the platform. In some regard or another, we have all been Jose. Many people have worked countless jobs unable to move up because of a lack of experience or direction. What was the way out of that? The initial name was ChangeUp, but through more iteration came up with LIFTOFF.

LIFTOFF has a built-in connotation of exploration, progress, and technology. The rocket ship came in quickly after, along with how to present the rocket ship.

Copy was pivotal to our testers experience before the high-res prototype ready. Through usability testing our wireframes, we found that without copy, users did not find purpose or direction when going through the desktop and mobile versions. They wanted to see examples of what the skills assessment would look like, along with what kind of content would be included in the classes. Several testers said that testimonials from current users would make them feel like the site is more trustworthy and valid. I added in what looked like trustworthy testimonials and personable bios for mentors showcasing personality and human connection. 

Typography took a little time to prepare for LIFTOFF. I knew I wanted a clean presentation that was simple to read (with a little character thrown in). TT Norms was the original decision, but I soon discovered as I typed anything other than capital letters looked very swirly and a bit illegible. Lato was a close alternative and paired well with TT Norms as the Headline.

The photos, titles, and headlines were all carefully thought out, as it all affected how our main user felt during their time interacting with the site. I wanted a professional resource that was vibrant and youthful.

Color took four tries to get right, but once it was right, we were soaring:

The final colors for LIFTOFF were blue, red, and a golden yellow. Blue, yellow, and red tied in exceptionally well with the brand thinking of a rocket ship taking off. It also paired well and balanced the content of the site. The emotions invoked through this palate were courage, knowledge, and happiness. Through testing, I found that users were not only pleased with the final decision but more engaged in the experience.

06 Challenges

I had joined this team after working for two weeks on another project. Jumping into a project once it already started taught me a valuable lesson of thinking on your toes and being adaptable to new situations. To me, this turned out being a fantastic real-life, learning experience. The project my first team worked on was very similar but had a different persona and solution. Taking what I could from my research and catching up the new interviews, I was able to challenge the initial design to make it stronger for my new guy Jose.

07 To Infinity and Beyond

Roberto and I worked extremely well together. Once we got on the same page as Jose (our persona), the sky was the limit. We were told by classmates, mentors, and our instructor that they could see this project take life and get developed to become a resource for those trying to reach their potential in the technology field.

Our high-res mockup tested well —  the colors, placement, and layout allowed for a smooth transition to learning and connecting. By the time we completed the project we were missing a few feedback pages which would make the platform even more straightforward for the users. Roberto and I quickly found how passionate we were about this learning platform and how much more work we could have done once the project ended. Adding in more animation would have given finesse to the project, along with building out the curriculum. Overall, I was thrilled with where LIFTOFF launched and landed.