In an ever changing world of technology, virtual interactions have become an integral part of our lives. From meeting friends to learning new subjects, video calls are ever so reliable. But what happens when it isn’t? When COVID-19 struck, students across the globe became reliant on “Zoom,” a video communications platform. Although it provided teachers and students with a way of interacting, it also posed another set of challenges regarding coordination and attention.
Despite having many competitors, Zoom gained popularity (as well as its stock) during the pandemic. It's widely familiar amongst students of all ages and used across various professions. Asynchronous meetings culturally impacted how we conducted our educational interactions because of its ability to allow individuals to "meet" at the convenience of their homes. At the time of this project, some of our classes had been already in-person, yet others were still online, exemplifying Zoom's persistence to remain as an essential service for many. Knowing this, we knew the internet had a lot to say, giving us reason and insight on how we could improve Zoom for further usage.
To embark on our journey of user research, we dove deep into the virtual world of Zoom, eager to unlock its secrets and understand the student experience within its digital realm. Armed with curiosity, empathy, and a set of burning questions, we engaged in one-on-one interviews with eight students, their voices becoming the guiding light that illuminated the path to meaningful insights. Through open conversations and attentive listening, we unraveled the joys, frustrations, and aspirations of these students, laying the foundation for our quest to redefine the Zoom experience for their benefit.
"It made me feel left out."
-Vincent, UCSD
From our sketches, wireframes, to high-fidelity prototypes we conducted user testing to navigate through areas of confusion, as well as maintaining the consistency of Zoom's current interface. This was helpful in transitioning from design to design and coming up with the best solutions.
The in-app calendar eliminates scattered class links, providing a centralized hub for convenience, organization, and motivation.
With student engagement in mind, the question queue prevents lost questions in the chat and ensures streamlined communication and support.
The reminder feature ensures that students never miss an upcoming meeting.
This was my first design project and a great introduction into working with others and conducting user research. I learned how to communicate with my teammates on designs that I did not necessarily agree with, but also learn how to take criticism. However, in retrospect, I have to acknowledge that our research process fell short by primarily revolving around competitive analysis which inadvertently limited our thinking and hindered our ability to explore the Zoom user experience in a more expansive and creative manner.
Moving forward, I hope to approach research with an open mind and leverage diverse methodologies to ensure a comprehensive understanding of users' experiences and pave the way for innovative design solutions. This could be more extensive secondary research or maybe increasing the representation within our user interviews.