UMSI Career Development Office
UMSI Career Development Office
UMSI Career Development Office
A multi-method evaluation of UMSI's Career Development Office Canvas page to uncover why students weren’t using it, and what we could do to change that.
A multi-method evaluation of UMSI's Career Development Office Canvas page to uncover why students weren’t using it, and what we could do to change that.
A multi-method evaluation of UMSI's Career Development Office Canvas page to uncover why students weren’t using it, and what we could do to change that.
Researched For
Researched For
Researched For
SI 622: Needs Assessment and Usability Evaluation, University of Michigan
SI 622: Needs Assessment and Usability Evaluation, University of Michigan
SI 622: Needs Assessment and Usability Evaluation, University of Michigan
Client
Client
Client
UMSI Career Development Office
UMSI Career Development Office
UMSI Career Development Office
Date
Date
Date
January 2025 - April 2025
January 2025 - April 2025
January 2025 - April 2025
Role and Contribution
Role and Contribution
Role and Contribution
User interviews, survey, usability testing, comparative analysis, heuristic evaluation, design recommendations
User interviews, survey, usability testing, comparative analysis, heuristic evaluation, design recommendations
User interviews, survey, usability testing, comparative analysis, heuristic evaluation, design recommendations
Problem
Problem
Problem
Students didn’t know where to go, or why they should go there
Students didn’t know where to go, or why they should go there
Students didn’t know where to go, or why they should go there
Students didn’t know where to go, or why they should go there
Despite being filled with useful content, the CDO Canvas page was often overlooked or underused by students. As a grad student myself, I had experienced this first hand, digging through buried links or forgetting it even existed.
Stakeholder interviews confirmed it, students didn’t know where to find the Canvas page because it was grouped alongside their academic courses on the main Canvas dashboard. Even when they managed to open it, the experience felt overwhelming and static.
Despite being filled with useful content, the CDO Canvas page was often overlooked or underused by students. As a grad student myself, I had experienced this first hand, digging through buried links or forgetting it even existed.
Stakeholder interviews confirmed it, students didn’t know where to find the Canvas page because it was grouped alongside their academic courses on the main Canvas dashboard. Even when they managed to open it, the experience felt overwhelming and static.
Despite being filled with useful content, the CDO Canvas page was often overlooked or underused by students. As a grad student myself, I had experienced this first hand, digging through buried links or forgetting it even existed.
Stakeholder interviews confirmed it, students didn’t know where to find the Canvas page because it was grouped alongside their academic courses on the main Canvas dashboard. Even when they managed to open it, the experience felt overwhelming and static.
Core challenge
Core challenge
Core challenge
How might we make the CDO Canvas page easy to find, intuitive to navigate, and engaging enough that students return to it regularly?
How might we make the CDO Canvas page easy to find, intuitive to navigate, and engaging enough that students return to it regularly?
How might we make the CDO Canvas page easy to find, intuitive to navigate, and engaging enough that students return to it regularly?
How might we make the CDO Canvas page easy to find, intuitive to navigate, and engaging enough that students return to it regularly?
Methods
Methods
Methods
We used five methods to get the full picture of what wasn’t working
We used five methods to get the full picture of what wasn’t working
We used five methods to get the full picture of what wasn’t working
We used five methods to get the full picture of what wasn’t working
These methods helped us understand not only what wasn't working, but also why.
These methods helped us understand not only what wasn't working, but also why.
5 User Interviews
5 User Interviews
Explored how students searched for resources, what they expected to find, and when they came to CDO.
Explored how students searched for resources, what they expected to find, and when they came to CDO.
Explored how students searched for resources, what they expected to find, and when they came to CDO.
1 Stakeholder Interview
1 Stakeholder Interview
Gathered stakeholder's insights on goals for the Canvas page and barriers to student engagement.
Gathered stakeholder's insights on goals for the Canvas page and barriers to student engagement.
Gathered stakeholder's insights on goals for the Canvas page and barriers to student engagement.
Gathered internal insights on goals for the Canvas page and barriers to student engagement.
Pilot Survey
Collected quantitative data on awareness, frequency of use, and satisfaction with available resources.
Heuristic Evaluation
Heuristic Evaluation
Assessed the interface against Nielsen’s heuristics to identify usability and navigation issues.
Assessed the interface against Nielsen’s heuristics to identify usability and navigation issues.
Assessed the interface against Nielsen’s heuristics to identify usability and navigation issues.
Comparative Analysis
Comparative Analysis
Reviewed 10 platforms to uncover best practices in structure, personalization, and engagement.
Reviewed 10 platforms to uncover best practices in structure, personalization, and engagement.
Reviewed 10 platforms to uncover best practices in structure, personalization, and engagement.
Reviewed 10 platforms to uncover best practices in structure, personalization, and engagement.
5 Usability Testing
Observed students completing key tasks while thinking aloud to surface hidden pain points.
5 Usability Testing
5 Usability Testing
Observed students completing key tasks while thinking aloud to surface hidden pain points.
Observed students completing key tasks while thinking aloud to surface hidden pain points.
Observed students completing key tasks while thinking aloud to surface hidden pain points.
Pilot Survey
Pilot Survey
Collected quantitative data on awareness, frequency of use, and satisfaction with available resources.
Collected quantitative data on awareness, frequency of use, and satisfaction with available resources.
Collected quantitative data on awareness, frequency of use, and satisfaction with available resources.
Insights
Insights
Insights
The current experience felt like a maze, not a roadmap
The current experience felt like a maze, not a roadmap
The current experience felt like a maze, not a roadmap
The current experience felt like a maze, not a roadmap
Users often gave up halfway or jumped to other platforms like Handshake and Resume Worded.
Users often gave up halfway or jumped to other platforms like Handshake and Resume Worded.
Users often gave up halfway or jumped to other platforms like Handshake and Resume Worded.
Low discoverability
Low discoverability
Canvas buried the page among academic courses
Canvas buried the page among academic courses
Poor information architecture
Poor information architecture
Overwhelming scroll, no grouping or hierarchy
Overwhelming scroll, no grouping or hierarchy
No personalization
No personalization
Static resources with no user context or relevance
Static resources with no user context or relevance
Ineffective navigation
Unclear section names and no internal wayfinding tools
Unclear section names and no internal wayfinding tools
Ineffective navigation
Poor information
architecture
Ineffective navigation
Poor
information
architecture
Ineffective navigation
Poor information
architecture
Ineffective navigation
Poor information
architecture
Ineffective navigation
Poor information
architecture
Poor information
architecture
Poor
information
architecture
Poor information
architecture
Poor information
architecture
Poor information
architecture
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Other career platforms offered clarity, personalization, and interaction
Other career platforms offered clarity, personalization, and interaction
Other career platforms offered clarity, personalization, and interaction
Other career platforms offered clarity, personalization, and interaction
We analyzed 10 tools, including LinkedIn Learning, Career Center websites, and AI-powered resume reviewers. We evaluated the tools based on the following criteria:
Personalized dashboards with job matches and skill recommendations
Smart navigation with categorized modules and quick search
Feedback tools like resume graders and chatbots
These experiences felt proactive and user-aware, unlike the current CDO Canvas.
We analyzed 10 tools, including LinkedIn Learning, Career Center websites, and AI-powered resume reviewers. We evaluated the tools based on the following criteria:
Personalized dashboards with job matches and skill recommendations
Smart navigation with categorized modules and quick search
Feedback tools like resume graders and chatbots
These experiences felt proactive and user-aware, unlike the current CDO Canvas.
We analyzed 10 tools, including LinkedIn Learning, Career Center websites, and AI-powered resume reviewers. We evaluated the tools based on the following criteria:
Personalized dashboards with job matches and skill recommendations
Smart navigation with categorized modules and quick search
Feedback tools like resume graders and chatbots
These experiences felt proactive and user-aware, unlike the current CDO Canvas.
We analyzed 10 tools, including LinkedIn Learning, Career Center websites, and AI-powered resume reviewers. We evaluated the tools based on the following criteria:
Personalized dashboards with job matches and skill recommendations
Smart navigation with categorized modules and quick search
Feedback tools like resume graders and chatbots
These experiences felt proactive and user-aware, unlike the current CDO Canvas.
We analyzed 10 tools, including LinkedIn Learning, Career Center websites, and AI-powered resume reviewers. We evaluated the tools based on the following criteria:
Personalized dashboards with job matches and skill recommendations
Smart navigation with categorized modules and quick search
Feedback tools like resume graders and chatbots
These experiences felt proactive and user-aware, unlike the current CDO Canvas.
Direct Competitors
Indirect Competitors
Partial Competitors
Parallel Competitors
Analogous Competitors
Solution
Solution
Solution
Making the Career Journey Obvious, Interactive, and Personal
Making the Career Journey Obvious, Interactive, and Personal
Making the Career Journey Obvious, Interactive, and Personal
Making the Career Journey Obvious, Interactive, and Personal
Based on our findings, we proposed a series of recommendations:
Based on our findings, we proposed a series of recommendations:
Based on our findings, we proposed a series of recommendations:
Reorganize homepage
Reorganize homepage
Add clear calls to action like Find Resume Help and Meet with a Career Coach so students can quickly reach essential resources.
Add clear calls to action like Find Resume Help and Meet with a Career Coach so students can quickly reach essential resources.
Add clear calls to action like Find Resume Help and Meet with a Career Coach so students can quickly reach essential resources.
Embed event highlights
Embed event highlights
Show upcoming workshops, deadlines, and announcements on the homepage to keep content fresh and visible.
Show upcoming workshops, deadlines, and announcements on the homepage to keep content fresh and visible.
Show upcoming workshops, deadlines, and announcements on the homepage to keep content fresh and visible.
Integrate AI chatbot
Integrate AI chatbot
Integrate AI chatbot
Include tools like the Maizey chatbot and a resume scanner to give students quick answers and instant feedback.
Include tools like the Maizey chatbot and a resume scanner to give students quick answers and instant feedback.
Include tools like the Maizey chatbot and a resume scanner to give students quick answers and instant feedback.
Use anchor links or side navigation
Use anchor links or side navigation
Add anchor links or a side menu to let students jump between sections without excessive scrolling.
Add anchor links or a side menu to let students jump between sections without excessive scrolling.
Add anchor links or a side menu to let students jump between sections without excessive scrolling.
Add anchor links or a side menu to let students jump between sections without excessive scrolling.
Tailor sections by user type
Tailor sections by user type
Customize content for groups such as first-year students, international students, and active job seekers to increase relevance.
Customize content for groups such as first-year students, international students, and active job seekers to increase relevance.
Customize content for groups such as first-year students, international students, and active job seekers to increase relevance.
These changes would move the Canvas page from passive storage to an interactive, adaptive tool.
These changes would move the Canvas page from passive storage to an interactive, adaptive tool.
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
What I learned as a researcher, evaluator, and designer
What I learned as a researcher, evaluator, and designer
What I learned as a researcher, evaluator, and designer
What I learned as a researcher, evaluator, and designer
This project sharpened my ability to work across research methods and synthesize findings into actionable insights. I learned how to:
Conduct research with real constraints and timelines
Evaluate multiple data sources for convergence and gaps
Turn vague feedback into concrete redesign ideas
Most importantly, it reaffirmed that content alone isn’t enough: structure, timing, and interaction are what make digital tools truly helpful.
This project sharpened my ability to work across research methods and synthesize findings into actionable insights. I learned how to:
Conduct research with real constraints and timelines
Evaluate multiple data sources for convergence and gaps
Turn vague feedback into concrete redesign ideas
Most importantly, it reaffirmed that content alone isn’t enough: structure, timing, and interaction are what make digital tools truly helpful.
This project sharpened my ability to work across research methods and synthesize findings into actionable insights. I learned how to:
Conduct research with real constraints and timelines
Evaluate multiple data sources for convergence and gaps
Turn vague feedback into concrete redesign ideas
Most importantly, it reaffirmed that content alone isn’t enough: structure, timing, and interaction are what make digital tools truly helpful.
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading!
Thank you for reading!
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