Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den
Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den
Overview
Overview
Overview
DirectPass is a guidance platform helping international students navigate university admissions in the US and Canada. The product centers on an adaptive onboarding quiz, a personalized "Unlock Score" that frames a student's readiness, and a credential roadmap that turns that score into next steps. It runs on a freemium model and is built mobile-first for a global, multilingual user base.
DirectPass is a guidance platform helping international students navigate university admissions in the US and Canada. The product centers on an adaptive onboarding quiz, a personalized "Unlock Score" that frames a student's readiness, and a credential roadmap that turns that score into next steps. It runs on a freemium model and is built mobile-first for a global, multilingual user base.
DirectPass is a guidance platform helping international students navigate university admissions in the US and Canada. The product centers on an adaptive onboarding quiz, a personalized "Unlock Score" that frames a student's readiness, and a credential roadmap that turns that score into next steps. It runs on a freemium model and is built mobile-first for a global, multilingual user base.
Process at a glance
Process at a glance
Process at a glance
01.
01.
Primary Research
Primary Research
Competitive analysis, user interviews, surveys
Competitive analysis, user interviews, surveys
Competitive analysis, user interviews, surveys
02.
02.
Desk Research
Desk Research
Study abroad context, brand and platform logistics
Study abroad context, brand and platform logistics
Study abroad context, brand and platform logistics
03.
03.
Synthesis
Synthesis
Key insights, personas, user flows, IA hierarchy
Key insights, personas, user flows, IA hierarchy
Key insights, personas, user flows, IA hierarchy
04.
04.
Design Translation
Design Translation
Moodboards, logo directions, wireframes, prototyping
Moodboards, logo directions, wireframes, prototyping
Moodboards, logo directions, wireframes, prototyping
The Problem
The Problem
The Problem
International admissions is a high-stakes, low-frequency decision that most students make without institutional support; no counselor, no prior family experience with the process, and requirements that shift by country, institution, and program.
Our research question going in wasn't "what information are we missing", it was why does more information keep failing these students.
International admissions is a high-stakes, low-frequency decision that most students make without institutional support; no counselor, no prior family experience with the process, and requirements that shift by country, institution, and program.
Our research question going in wasn't "what information are we missing", it was why does more information keep failing these students.
International admissions is a high-stakes, low-frequency decision that most students make without institutional support; no counselor, no prior family experience with the process, and requirements that shift by country, institution, and program.
Our research question going in wasn't "what information are we missing", it was why does more information keep failing these students.
Research Methods
Research Methods
Research Methods
We used four research methods to understand the problem on a deeper level.
We used four research methods to understand the problem on a deeper level.
We used four research methods to understand the problem on a deeper level.
Phase 1: Competitive analysis, user interviews, and user surveys
Phase 1: Competitive analysis, user interviews, and user surveys
Competitive analysis
Competitive analysis
Competitive analysis
Audited ApplyBoard, IDP, Shorelight, NYU, and a few more similar platforms to reference features across navigation, onboarding, content clarity, trust signals, visual hierarchy, and next-step guidance
Audited ApplyBoard, IDP, Shorelight, NYU, and a few more similar platforms to reference features across navigation, onboarding, content clarity, trust signals, visual hierarchy, and next-step guidance
Audited ApplyBoard, IDP, Shorelight, NYU, and a few more similar platforms to reference features across navigation, onboarding, content clarity, trust signals, visual hierarchy, and next-step guidance
User interviews
User interviews
User interviews
In-depth zoom sessions with prospective international students, recorded and transcribed to understand our target audience's pain points.
In-depth zoom sessions with prospective international students, recorded and transcribed to understand our target audience's pain points.
In-depth zoom sessions with prospective international students, recorded and transcribed to understand our target audience's pain points.
Surveys
Surveys
Surveys
37 responses from students across 12 countries, quantifying pain levels, confidence, current tool usage, and support needs
37 responses from students across 12 countries, quantifying pain levels, confidence, current tool usage, and support needs
37 responses from students across 12 countries, quantifying pain levels, confidence, current tool usage, and support needs
Phase 2: Desk research
Phase 2: Desk research
Secondary research on visa processes, admission frameworks, and international education trends, used to get to know the brand and platform's logistics and validate assumptions from the primary research
Secondary research on visa processes, admission frameworks, and international education trends, used to get to know the brand and platform's logistics and validate assumptions from the primary research
Secondary research on visa processes, admission frameworks, and international education trends, used to get to know the brand and platform's logistics and validate assumptions from the primary research
Synthesis
Synthesis
Synthesis
Interview and survey data was affinity-mapped into key insights, then translated into personas, user flows, and the IA hierarchy. This turned scattered research findings into a single, navigable structure for the product.
Interview and survey data was affinity-mapped into key insights, then translated into personas, user flows, and the IA hierarchy. This turned scattered research findings into a single, navigable structure for the product.
Interview and survey data was affinity-mapped into key insights, then translated into personas, user flows, and the IA hierarchy. This turned scattered research findings into a single, navigable structure for the product.
Key Insights
Key Insights
Students need sequence, not more information
Students need sequence, not more information
Students need sequence, not more information
Every participant described the same pattern of too many tabs and no way to know what applied to their situation.
Every participant described the same pattern of too many tabs and no way to know what applied to their situation.
Every participant described the same pattern of too many tabs and no way to know what applied to their situation.
Design implication: DirectPass should behave like a guided roadmap, not a search engine.
Design implication: DirectPass should behave like a guided roadmap, not a search engine.
Design implication: DirectPass should behave like a guided roadmap, not a search engine.
The highest-stakes steps need the clearest guidance
The highest-stakes steps need the clearest guidance
The highest-stakes steps need the clearest guidance
Trust depends on timely, reliable, human dependence
Trust depends on timely, reliable, human dependence
Trust depends on timely, reliable, human dependence
User Flows
User Flows
New user
New user
New user
Research translated directly into the first-time flow structure.
Research translated directly into the first-time flow structure.
Research translated directly into the first-time flow structure.
Returning user
Returning user
Returning user
Each step only asks for what the intended next step needs. Prioritizing destination first, then personal details, and finally preperation.
Each step only asks for what the intended next step needs. Prioritizing destination first, then personal details, and finally preperation.
Each step only asks for what the intended next step needs. Prioritizing destination first, then personal details, and finally preperation.
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
Roadmap, Dashboard, Help center, and About us all sit one click from home, providing a direct response to students tracking progress manually and missing errors until it was too late.
Roadmap, Dashboard, Help center, and About us all sit one click from home, providing a direct response to students tracking progress manually and missing errors until it was too late.
Roadmap, Dashboard, Help center, and About us all sit one click from home, providing a direct response to students tracking progress manually and missing errors until it was too late.
Design Translation
Design Translation
Design Translation
Students said trust, not polish was missing, so the initial focus was getting the actual path right in wireframes before any screen was treated as a final outcome.
Students said trust, not polish was missing, so the initial focus was getting the actual path right in wireframes before any screen was treated as a final outcome.
Students said trust, not polish was missing, so the initial focus was getting the actual path right in wireframes before any screen was treated as a final outcome.
Core screens taken to wireframe: Homepage, Onboarding, Roadmap, Dashboard. All tied together to in a live prototype demo showing the flow end to end.
Core screens taken to wireframe: Homepage, Onboarding, Roadmap, Dashboard. All tied together to in a live prototype demo showing the flow end to end.
Core screens taken to wireframe: Homepage, Onboarding, Roadmap, Dashboard. All tied together to in a live prototype demo showing the flow end to end.
New User Flow
New User Flow
New User Flow
Adaptive quiz sequence (destination → personal context → preparation path) rather than a single long form, which directly answers the "students need sequence, not more information" insight
Country/destination question comes first, before any account-heavy or form-heavy steps, the student gets to a relevant, personalized branch immediately instead of a generic intake
Progress/step indicator visible throughout onboarding addresses the "students track progress alone" finding by giving them a sense of where they are in the process from the first screen
Adaptive quiz sequence (destination → personal context → preparation path) rather than a single long form, which directly answers the "students need sequence, not more information" insight
Country/destination question comes first, before any account-heavy or form-heavy steps, the student gets to a relevant, personalized branch immediately instead of a generic intake
Progress/step indicator visible throughout onboarding addresses the "students track progress alone" finding by giving them a sense of where they are in the process from the first screen
Adaptive quiz sequence (destination → personal context → preparation path) rather than a single long form, which directly answers the "students need sequence, not more information" insight
Country/destination question comes first, before any account-heavy or form-heavy steps, the student gets to a relevant, personalized branch immediately instead of a generic intake
Progress/step indicator visible throughout onboarding addresses the "students track progress alone" finding by giving them a sense of where they are in the process from the first screen
Returning User Flow
Returning User Flow
Returning User Flow
Current phase and progress shown immediately on opening page answers "what do I do next" in one glance, which was the explicit design goal for this flow
Next action surfaced automatically rather than requiring the student to search or guess which directly counters the "silent errors" and "manual tracking" findings, where students were building their own spreadsheets because nothing told them what came next
Unlock Score visible and updating makes progress tangible and reinforces the freemium value prop
Explicit "waiting" state with parallel tasks, instead of a dead-end or blank screen shows the design accounts for the reality that not every step is actionable immediately, and keeps the student productive instead of stuck
Current phase and progress shown immediately on opening page answers "what do I do next" in one glance, which was the explicit design goal for this flow
Next action surfaced automatically rather than requiring the student to search or guess which directly counters the "silent errors" and "manual tracking" findings, where students were building their own spreadsheets because nothing told them what came next
Unlock Score visible and updating makes progress tangible and reinforces the freemium value prop
Explicit "waiting" state with parallel tasks, instead of a dead-end or blank screen shows the design accounts for the reality that not every step is actionable immediately, and keeps the student productive instead of stuck
Current phase and progress shown immediately on opening page answers "what do I do next" in one glance, which was the explicit design goal for this flow
Next action surfaced automatically rather than requiring the student to search or guess which directly counters the "silent errors" and "manual tracking" findings, where students were building their own spreadsheets because nothing told them what came next
Unlock Score visible and updating makes progress tangible and reinforces the freemium value prop
Explicit "waiting" state with parallel tasks, instead of a dead-end or blank screen shows the design accounts for the reality that not every step is actionable immediately, and keeps the student productive instead of stuck
Recommended Next Steps
Recommended Next Steps
Recommended Next Steps
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
One of my biggest takeaways from this project was learning that clarity is often more valuable than providing more information. User research revealed that students weren't looking for longer explanations, they just wanted a straightforward experience that helped them move forward with confidence. I applied this insight when designing the onboarding quiz by keeping each step concise, limiting questions to only what was essential, and reducing cognitive load. This experience reinforced that simplifying an experience can often create greater confidence than adding more content.
One of my biggest takeaways from this project was learning that clarity is often more valuable than providing more information. User research revealed that students weren't looking for longer explanations, they just wanted a straightforward experience that helped them move forward with confidence. I applied this insight when designing the onboarding quiz by keeping each step concise, limiting questions to only what was essential, and reducing cognitive load. This experience reinforced that simplifying an experience can often create greater confidence than adding more content.
One of my biggest takeaways from this project was learning that clarity is often more valuable than providing more information. User research revealed that students weren't looking for longer explanations, they just wanted a straightforward experience that helped them move forward with confidence. I applied this insight when designing the onboarding quiz by keeping each step concise, limiting questions to only what was essential, and reducing cognitive load. This experience reinforced that simplifying an experience can often create greater confidence than adding more content.
Every onboarding screen was intentionally designed to minimize cognitive load while collecting only essential information.
Every onboarding screen was intentionally designed to minimize cognitive load while collecting only essential information.
Every onboarding screen was intentionally designed to minimize cognitive load while collecting only essential information.