THE SOLUTION
I designed WiredUp to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world UX experience. The platform connects students with local businesses, offering hands-on volunteer opportunities where they can apply their skills to meaningful projects. In addition, WiredUp provides specialized UX courses to equip students with the in-demand skills needed to thrive in the tech industry.
THE PROBLEM
In today's competitive job market, many students face significant barriers to gaining practical UX experience. The gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application leaves them underprepared for industry challenges. Universities often fail to equip students with skills tailored to the rapidly changing demands of the tech industry, making it difficult for graduates to secure meaningful, hands-on opportunities before their first job.
THE DISCOVERY
According to research by Indeed, the number of open UX roles has significantly decreased since early 2022:
"Since their peak in early 2022, UX research job listings have dropped by 71%, and UX design job listings have declined by 70%"
This trend poses a significant challenge for students and aspiring professionals trying to enter the tech industry, especially in UX, as job opportunities shrink, and competition rises.
USER INSIGHTS
To explore this problem further, I conducted a survey with seven participants to understand their biggest challenges in entering the tech industry.
The user survey revealed that the most significant challenge for aspiring tech professionals is gaining practical experience, with 71.4% of participants identifying this as a primary obstacle. Respondents also highlighted difficulties in building a professional network (57.1%), finding relevant job opportunities (28.6%), and accessing qualified mentorship (57.1% actively seeking guidance but haven’t found a suitable mentor). These findings strongly support the need for a platform like WiredUp, which bridges the gap between academic learning and real-world experience.
When imagining an ideal platform for tech career development, participants identified three key features as most valuable:
Networking opportunities with peers and mentors (57.1%)
Career development events and opportunities (57.1%)
Structured learning modules to enhance technical skills (42.9%)
This user feedback emphasized the importance of hands-on learning through local, community-driven projects and access to mentors, both of which are core features of WiredUp.
COMPETITOR
ANALYSIS
For WiredUp's competitor analysis, I compared key platforms offering UX-related learning and career support, such as LinkedIn Learning, Udacity, and General Assembly. While these platforms provide valuable features, most lack hands-on, real-world project opportunities, a local focus, and integrated mentorship. WiredUp differentiates itself by addressing these market gaps through practical, localized UX projects, direct mentorship, and courses designed to enhance both skills and career networking.
USER
PERSONAS
I created two user personas to explore my possible audience, Emily and Javier. Emily is a recent UX graduate that requires practical experience to complement her education and Javier is marketing career switcher that entered community college to study design.
THE
FORMULATION
To bridge the skill gap, I created WiredUp—a platform designed to connect students with local businesses in need of UX support, providing hands-on volunteer projects and access to expert guidance.
Main Features Would Include:
Real-World UX Projects: Volunteer opportunities with local businesses, available for all skill levels.
Mentorship: Each project includes access to an experienced mentor for guidance.
Modular Learning: A class-like, step-by-step structure for ease of use and tracking progress.
Comprehensive UX Courses: Specializations like design thinking, motion design, prototyping, wireframing, Figma basics, etc.
LOW-FIDELITY
WIREFRAME
The first stage in designing WiredUp involved creating low-fidelity wireframes. These initial designs focused on laying out the structure, flow, and key user interactions without delving into specific visuals. To transition into the next step, I created the design system to solidify the visual and branding elements needed for the high-fidelity wireframe.
FEEDBACK AND
ITERATION
To ensure the design of WiredUp effectively met user needs, I conducted comprehensive usability testing using the UXTweak platform. My goal was to gain a deeper understanding of user pain points and identify areas of improvement in the prototype. The testing involved users completing key tasks such as navigating the homepage, exploring UX courses, and discovering local projects.
Testing Methodology:
Task Selection: I defined critical user tasks based on the primary use cases of the platform. These tasks included navigating to the course section, enrolling in a project, and using the homepage to get an overview of ongoing activities.
Participant Recruitment: I recruited a diverse group of participants who reflected the target audience for WiredUp, including college students and aspiring UX designers. This ensured that the feedback would be relevant and insightful.
Testing Environment: Using UXTweak, I monitored user interactions in a controlled setting, allowing me to observe behaviors such as click patterns, navigation paths, and time taken to complete tasks.
Feedback Collection: I collected qualitative feedback through post-task interviews and surveys, asking participants to rate their experience on aspects such as navigation ease, content clarity, and visual appeal.
After analyzing the test results and user feedback, I identified three main areas for improvement:
Task Flow and Navigation: Users experienced difficulty with navigation, particularly in understanding the function of certain buttons and labels.
Content and Information: Users found the information hierarchy in the course section confusing and struggled to locate the relevant content.
Visual Design: Although the design was visually appealing, users highlighted issues with text readability and consistency across the interface.
Following the redesign, I conducted another round of usability testing to measure the impact of the changes:
Task Flow and Navigation: Improved by approximately 20.12%
Content and Information: Improved by approximately 17.98%
Visual Design: Improved by approximately 17.98%
DESIGN SYSTEM
The WiredUp design system follows a minimalistic, clean aesthetic, reflecting the platform's focus on modern, tech-driven learning. The logo imagery represents wires connecting, symbolizing the connection between students, mentors, and real-world projects. The layout is built on a standard grid system, ensuring consistency across pages and enhancing user navigation.
KEY
TAKEAWAYS
Intentional Design Process: One of the biggest lessons I learned from this project was the importance of being intentional at every stage of the design process. Creating a design from scratch means each step—from lo-fi wireframes to hi-fi mockups—plays a critical role in shaping the final product. I realized how essential it is to focus on the placement, structure, and flow of each component to ensure a smooth user experience.
Usability Testing: In retrospect, I wish I had conducted usability testing at every stage of the wireframe process, especially during the lo-fi and mid-fi stages. This would have allowed me to identify and resolve usability issues earlier, preventing the accumulation of design flaws that only surfaced during the hi-fi stage. This new approach will be more time-efficient and cost-effective, especially when considering businesses investing in their user research.
Design Communication: Leading user research for the first time gave me invaluable insight into putting the user at the center of the design process. Gathering direct feedback from users during research helped me understand their pain points and motivations more deeply.
HIGH-FIDELITY
PROTOTYPE
This phase allowed me to see how the interface would look and function in real-world use, setting the stage for usability testing.