What is Paper Cup?
Project Overview
In today's dynamic and interconnected world, the college experience goes beyond the confines of classrooms and textbooks. Recognizing this shift, we proudly present 'Paper Cup,' a groundbreaking platform meticulously crafted to enhance college students' lives in unimaginable ways. At its core, Paper Cup is more than just an app; it's a holistic ecosystem tailored exclusively for college students. Designed with an unwavering commitment to facilitating meaningful academic and social interactions, Paper Cup redefines the traditional college journey.
Identifying problem
The predominant concern encountered by college students revolves around the absence of a reliable and centralized platform tailored to address their distinct academic and social requisites. While extant social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram exist, their suitability for college students remains compromised by the lack of a dedicated academic enclave or by their waning popularity.
The widely used platform "Rate My Professors" has, in addition, become antiquated and ineffectual in its capacity to assist students in identifying optimal classes and professors. Consequently, there exists a necessity for a novel platform that rectifies these concerns by establishing a centralized nexus for both academic and social engagements, offering an exhaustive repository of courses and professors, and furnishing dedicated channels tailored to each individual college or university.
User Research
To validate whether our experiences were similar to those of others, we conducted a series of quantitative user studies involving college students. This allowed us to develop a more detailed comprehension and confirm our observations regarding common issues.
Key Insights
Drawing upon the grievances outlined by a cohort of 57 students, our research team has discerned a spectrum of challenges encountered by college students. Consequently, we have identified a requisite for the implementation of distinct college-centric channels, the customization of content to individual preferences, and the establishment of an all-encompassing repository of course evaluations.
IDEATION & INSPIRATION
To understand the community standards and familiar UX processes in communication apps, we studied platforms such as Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, and many other applications. After analyzing each different applications, we optimized the UX system and refined it for the improved user experience.
User flow
To ensure a seamless user experience, we have developed three distinct user flows that play a significant role in the utilization of our application.
Wireframe
In our commitment to delivering the most effortless and seamless user experience through our application, we've meticulously crafted numerous wireframes. Here's an example involving the user's process of creating a post. As there are 4 different inputs that users must add, we've gone through multiple variations to find the best solution.
A/B Testing
We have also conducted multiple rounds of A/B testing across various sections to ensure that we deliver the best user experience. Here is an example of an A/B test we conducted related to the login flow.
What did I learn?
User Experience (UX) encompasses more than mere frame design; it extends to devising seamless user interactions and streamlining processes for efficient goal attainment. This entails conducting research and comprehending typical behaviors exhibited by the specific user demographic. Such insights are essential for crafting an optimal user journey.
