Intigo
Challenge: Create something that addresses a challenge undergraduates may face
Solution: A mobile app that provides resources and social forum networks for international students currently living abroad in the United States.
Submission for Rice’s 2024 Designathon
Solution: A mobile app that provides resources and social forum networks for international students currently living abroad in the United States.
Submission for Rice’s 2024 Designathon
Ideation
We initially started with three problems and brainstormed potential features to choose an idea to start designing:
1. Students who struggle with finding school/club related opportunities and updates about events
2. Students who struggle with finding internships and jobs and would like to connect with a professional
3. International college students in the U.S. who struggle with adapting to a new culture and finding their community/finding people with similar struggles
- Why did we selected this idea? The target audience is niche enough to narrow our research for the short amount of time needed and stand out compared to other ideas. But the TA is still demographically large enough to be relevant.
1. Students who struggle with finding school/club related opportunities and updates about events
2. Students who struggle with finding internships and jobs and would like to connect with a professional
3. International college students in the U.S. who struggle with adapting to a new culture and finding their community/finding people with similar struggles
- Why did we selected this idea? The target audience is niche enough to narrow our research for the short amount of time needed and stand out compared to other ideas. But the TA is still demographically large enough to be relevant.
User Research
We conducted several ways of user research:
1. Competitor Analysis: Researched the problems of Reddit, our primary inspiration
- The lack of tagging or filtering options inhibits the ability to efficiently scan information, especially for users seeking specific details such as visa/immigration issue
- Despite being ranked in the top 10% for its size among other subreddits, this subreddit exhibits a limited level of engagement. Most posts received a maximum of 5 comments and often had zero or only one reaction and comment in the past 24 hours.
- The anonymity on Reddit prevents users from discerning the ethnicity or background of the authors or commenters. While this anonymity may seem advantageous, it poses a challenge for international students seeking information that could apply to themselves, as experiences vary significantly based on country of origin and personal circumstances.
2. User Surveys: 36 responses from undergraduate international students
- 97.2% of the participants expressed a desire to remain in the U.S. after graduation for employment opportunities
- 69.4% identified employment prospects and visa/immigration challenges as the foremost issues faced by international students
- In response to these findings, we have chosen to refine our target audience and streamline the available categories in our community tab
Click to view full results
3. User Interviews: 15-minute user interviews with three international students
- Faced challenges in finding appropriate resources and communities to address job and immigration issues in the U.S.
- Expressed frustration with the limited guidance offered by their university's international student office
- There was a unanimous consensus on the need for a platform that fosters connections among international students, enabling them to pose and address questions related to these concerns.
1. Competitor Analysis: Researched the problems of Reddit, our primary inspiration
- The lack of tagging or filtering options inhibits the ability to efficiently scan information, especially for users seeking specific details such as visa/immigration issue
- Despite being ranked in the top 10% for its size among other subreddits, this subreddit exhibits a limited level of engagement. Most posts received a maximum of 5 comments and often had zero or only one reaction and comment in the past 24 hours.
- The anonymity on Reddit prevents users from discerning the ethnicity or background of the authors or commenters. While this anonymity may seem advantageous, it poses a challenge for international students seeking information that could apply to themselves, as experiences vary significantly based on country of origin and personal circumstances.
2. User Surveys: 36 responses from undergraduate international students
- 97.2% of the participants expressed a desire to remain in the U.S. after graduation for employment opportunities
- 69.4% identified employment prospects and visa/immigration challenges as the foremost issues faced by international students
- In response to these findings, we have chosen to refine our target audience and streamline the available categories in our community tab
Click to view full results
3. User Interviews: 15-minute user interviews with three international students
- Faced challenges in finding appropriate resources and communities to address job and immigration issues in the U.S.
- Expressed frustration with the limited guidance offered by their university's international student office
- There was a unanimous consensus on the need for a platform that fosters connections among international students, enabling them to pose and address questions related to these concerns.
Color Palette
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Problems and Our Solutions
Our team faced a significant challenge when, nearing completion of our mobile app, we realized dissatisfaction with the design. Initial user testing revealed issues with post formatting and profile layouts.
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High-Fidelity Wireframes
Demo Intigo Yourself