CASE STUDY

Addressing a Frustrating, High-Stakes Process

Class registration has always been a high-stress experience for students. As a designer focused on usability and accessibility, I wanted to understand why - beyond just server crashes and slow load times.

Research revealed students were making critical decisions with incomplete information:

• No way to gauge their chances of getting into classes
• No easy way to compare sections
• No system to resolve scheduling conflicts in real time

This lack of transparency turned a straightforward process into a stressful gamble.

Challenging My Assumptions

User research revealed more nuanced pain points than expected:

• Confidence Over Speed — Students wanted certainty in their decisions, not just quick registration.
• Probability Not Binary Status — Registration odds were more valuable than "open" or "full" labels.
• Cumbersome Comparisons — Students manually switched between pages to compare sections.
• Hidden Conflicts — Scheduling issues weren't obvious until too late.

These insights reframed my approach from making registration faster to making it predictable.

Exploring Solutions

I focused on data visualization to surface key information at critical moments:

• Percentage-based indicators for registration chances

• Block-based schedule views that made conflicts visually obvious

• Inline section comparisons

• Phased registration waves for better load management

Cutting Through the Noise

Early prototypes included extensive metrics like GPA distributions and pass rates, but user testing revealed students simply wanted to know, "Can I get into this class?" This insight led me to simplify the UI around the most actionable data.

Before Testing

After

Prototyping

Key changes to server load management:

Old Version

There weren’t many indicators of system change which caused confusion for some users.

New Version

Inform users of system changes by specifying the scheduled timing and current phase, reinforced by components like this class status visualizer (right).

Changes to scheduling:

Old Version

Block-based visualization to help students easily understand their weekly schedule and potential conflicts.

New Version

Usability testing showed participants struggled with identifying scheduling conflicts and swapping waitlisted sections. Clearer conflict indicators and in-line section swaps resolved these issues.

Changes to student-visible data:

Old Version

Course cards display a percentage to help users gauge their registration chances at a glance.

New Version

Since users found GPA distribution and pass rate data less useful, I focused on registration chance as the key metric and enhanced its visibility with color.

Learnings

This project reinforced one of my core design beliefs: the best solutions don’t just remove friction—they create clarity. By providing the right information at the right time, I transformed registration from a stressful experience into a predictable, student-centered process.