The project itself :
Project Overview
I led the redesign of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Program Finder Tool to transform a fragmented search experience into a streamlined, accessible discovery engine for students. The project focused on optimizing complex information architecture and filtering logic to reduce cognitive load while navigating academic programs. My design won a university-wide UX challenge, demonstrating my ability to solve institutional usability gaps with scalable, data-driven solutions.
Problem:
The university’s existing search experience was fragmented and frustrating, leading to high cognitive load for prospective students navigating academic offerings and institutional barriers.
Goal:
Transform the current finder from a basic search tool into an intuitive, accessible discovery engine that streamlines academic decision-making and reduces user friction.
My role:
UX Strategist & Information Architect
I restructured the site's discovery flow and information architecture, transforming complex departmental data in an award-winning search tool that aligned with student mental models and eliminated navigational friction.
Responsibilities:
Performing usability audits on the legacy tool
Restructuring complex information architecture
Designing advanced faceted filtering logic
Creating high-fidelity functional prototypes
Pitching the winning design to institutional stakeholders
All about the user :
User Research
The research phase began with a stakeholder kickoff to define the business problem, which revealed the legacy tool was designed for students who already knew their path—effectively failing prospective and undecided users. I followed this with a competitor audit of other university search tools to identify systemic gaps in information hierarchy and delivery-method clarity. To deepen these insights, I performed deep-dive usability audits and interviewed a diverse cross-section of prospective students, current students, and academic advisors. My research revealed that the existing system was structured around institutional silos rather than student mental models, allowing me to map the specific friction points—such as academic jargon and fragmented information architecture—that were hindering student enrollment and retention.
Pain Points
Dense Catalog Barrier:
The legacy tool functioned as a static list of flyers rather than a guided experience, making it nearly impossible for prospective students to find a logical starting point.
Navigational Friction:
Critical information, such as program delivery methods, was buried or difficult to find, forcing users into a pogo-sticking behavior that resulted in information overload and excessive scrolling.
Structural Mismatch:
The legacy search architecture was built around rigid internal departments, creating an institutional barrier for students who knew their career goals but not the specific college they fell under.
User Persona
This persona was created by conducting user research and identifying common pain points that frustrate and block the user from getting what they need from a product.
User Journey Map
A strategic visualization of Amelia's path through a fragmented search experience, highlighting the friction points that necessitated a comprehensive functional overhaul.
I developed a user journey map of Amelia's experience with the legacy site to pinpoint specific functional gaps. By documenting her path from indecision to a final choice, I identified the need for specialized tools that turn a passive list into an active advisory experience.
Goal
Transform an overwhelming program search into a guided, data-driven discovery process—moving Amelia from a starting point of paralysis to a state of confident decision-making.
The project schematically :
Starting the Design
To transform a complex academic catalog into a streamlined discovery engine, I began by mapping the information architecture to prioritize student mental models over institutional silos. I moved from high-level structural schemes to rapid paper prototyping, ensuring the core filtering logic was sound before moving into digital wireframes.
Sitemap
I restructured the site's structural logic to streamline the navigation of 100+ programs, prioritizing user mental models over internal departmental hierarchies.
I developed a multi-path architecture to account for diverse mental models, ensuring the interface served both high-intent searchers and undecided explorers with equal efficiency. By integrating an undecided student quiz directly into the discovery flow, I created a guided entry point for those still exploring their options. To further empower prospective students, I developed a comparison engine for side-by-side program evaluation and overhauled the filtering logic. These new, user-centered filters prioritize the data points students actually care about, such as program delivery methods (online vs. in-person), rather than forcing them to navigate through rigid university departments.
Paper Wireframes
Early sketches focused on defining a student-centered information architecture, ensuring critical discovery tools—like the undecided quiz and advisor contact—were accessible from the start.
I sketched several iterations to transform the static program list into a guided experience. These wireframes allowed me to rapidly prototype a faceted search system that filters by student interests and delivery methods, addressing the frustrations found in my research. By sketching the "Undecided Student Quiz" and the "Talk to an Advisor" workflows on paper, I was able to refine the logical flow of information before moving into digital design, ensuring the interface remained clean and accessible for prospective students.
Digital Wireframes
Moving from paper to pixels, I established a low-fidelity blueprint that prioritized a clean visual hierarchy, ensuring that critical data points—like program delivery icons and interest-based filtering—remained the primary focal point.
In this stage, I refined the structural layout of the Program Finder to directly combat the navigational friction identified in my research. I prioritized a prominent, three-column filtering system—Search Programs, Filter by Interests, Filter by Options—to allow prospective students to manipulate the 100+ program catalog in real-time without excessive scrolling. By introducing the Undecided Student Quiz as a guided discovery path and utilizing intuitive icons to distinguish between online, campus, and hybrid delivery, I created a framework that empowers users to move from initial paralysis to confident decision-making.
First High-Fidelity Prototype
Transitioning into high-fidelity, I applied the official UCCS brand guidelines to my structural wireframes. This initial prototype focused on translating core functionalities—like the Ask an Advisor feature and interactive filters—into a realistic, testable interface.
With a validated structural blueprint, I developed a high-fidelity prototype utilizing the official UCCS brand identity, including the Roboto typeface and the signature black-and-gold palette. My primary objective was to integrate direct solutions for the main user pain points identified during research. I implemented a floating Ask an Advisor chat to provide immediate support for undecided students, aiming to transform the page from a static catalog into a guided tool. Additionally, I built out the interactive filtering system and refined the program results table, utilizing iconography to communicate delivery methods at a glance. This version served as a realistic model to validate the end-to-end user flow before seeking peer critique.
Collaboration & Feedback
After presenting the first high-fidelity prototype, I conducted a crucial round of design design critique. The feedback was conclusive: while the core functionality was there, the visual density of the table-based UI was overwhelming the user experience.
I utilized peer reviews and unmoderated usability studies to pressure-test the prototype with prospective students. The results revealed that the initial table layout, while comprehensive, created significant cognitive load and scrolling fatigue. Users struggled to quickly distinguish between delivery methods and felt the interface lacked the dynamic and engaging quality requested by the project stakeholders. These insights served as the catalyst for a major pivot toward a modular, card-based system designed for rapid scannability and mobile responsiveness.
The Problems:
The initial radio-button table was visually overwhelming, making it difficult for users like Amelia to compare programs side-by-side without losing their place in the data.
The Strategic Decision:
I performed a structural pivot to address the underlying usability gaps found in testing, moving away from a data-heavy table toward a scannable, component-based layout.
The Redesign Focus:
I rebuilt the interface to prioritize accessibility and scannability, focusing on a hierarchy that guides the eye toward core program outcomes while integrating the Undecided Student Quiz more naturally into the flow.
The clear version :
Refining Design
In this final phase, I performed a strategic pivot to address the cognitive load issues identified in my usability studies. I replaced the rigid radio-button table with a modular program card system that allows for rapid scanning and better mobile responsiveness. By integrating economic indicators—such as average salary and projected job growth—directly into the comparison tool, I transformed the finder from a basic search utility into a robust career-planning resource. This version successfully bridges the gap between complex institutional data and the specific, anxiety-driven needs of prospective students.
Mockups
These high-fidelity designs represent the final, accessible product, utilizing the official UCCS brand identity to create a trustworthy and engaging user experience.
I developed a comprehensive visual framework using the UCCS signature gold-and-black palette and the Roboto typeface to ensure institutional alignment and high-contrast legibility. To humanize the digital experience, I integrated Clyde, the university mascot, into the Undecided Student Quiz—a 5-minute guided pathway designed to reduce choice paralysis. The final mockups showcase a seamless end-to-end flow, from high-level interest filtering to deep-dive program comparisons and direct admissions support via live and offline chat states.
High-fidelity prototype
A high-fidelity walkthrough of the UCCS Program Finder redesign, focused on transforming a fragmented institutional search into a streamline, student-centered discovery engine for prospective and undecided students.
This demonstration showcases the transition from rigid, department-based navigation to an intuitive faceted filtering system. By replacing institutional barriers with filtering options catered to student needs—such as interest-based categories and delivery modes—the tool resolves the choice paralysis that hindered enrollment in the legacy tool.
The project schematically :
Outcome
Following a first-place win in the university-wide UX Design Challenge, my redesign of the Program Finder Tool was adopted by UCCS for official institutional implementation. The project is currently transitioning into live development, with a scheduled phased rollout beginning in April 2026 to modernize the student recruitment and discovery experience.
Takeways
My primary takeaway was that designing for the most uncertain user—the undecided student—creates a better experience for everyone. By moving away from institutional silos and toward a guided discovery path, I was able to transform a static list into a supportive journey that reduces cognitive load and choice paralysis.
Impact:
The redesign successfully bridged long-standing usability gaps, leading to its adoption as the university's new discovery engine. Once fully implemented, the tool will provide prospective students with a streamlined, mobile-responsive interface to compare over 100 programs through real-time faceted filtering and data-driven comparison tools.
What I learned:
I learned the critical value of a structural pivot based on usability data. My initial high-fidelity prototype followed the legacy table format, but testing revealed it was still too dense for rapid scanning. Pivoting to a card-based system improved accessibility and visual hierarchy, proving that a designer must prioritize user needs over their own initial blueprints.
Next Steps
Since successfully transitioning the project to the UCCS internal team, I have focused on reflecting on the design's potential long-term impact and identifying how these interventions could be scaled in future iterations.
Post-Handoff Design Integrity
Following the delivery of the final design system and interaction documentation, I remain interested in seeing how the internal team adapts the program card components and the Undecided Student Quiz to meet the university's technical backend requirements during the 2026 rollout.
Measuring Long-Term Conversion
If given the opportunity for a post-launch retrospective, I would focus on analyzing whether the integrated Comparison Tool and Advisor Chat effectively reduced the bounce rate for undecided students and increased the quality of initial inquiries to the admissions office.