E-Connect AAUA Mobile App
Enhancing Information Sharing and Social Interaction Among Students
The mobile application is designed to facilitate the dissemination of information from the school to the students of AAUA, while also providing a platform for social interaction among its users
Objective
The objective of designing the mobile application “E-Connect AAUA” was to create an efficient platform for school authorities to disseminate information and updates to the entire student population at AAUA (Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba). Additionally, the app aimed to foster social interaction among users and provide a space for business owners to advertise their products and services.
User Personas
Sarah – The Engaged Student.
- Background: Sarah is a 20-year-old undergraduate student at AAUA. She is highly involved in various extracurricular activities on campus and is always seeking ways to stay connected with the latest happenings.
- Goals: Sarah wants to stay updated on academic information, campus events, and administrative announcements. She also enjoys socializing with her peers and discovering new opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Pain Points: Sarah finds it challenging to keep track of important information spread across multiple platforms. She wishes for a centralized app that consolidates all relevant updates and offers interactive features for engaging with her fellow students and campus businesses.
David – The Fresh Graduate
- Background: David recently graduated from AAUA and is preparing for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program. He is focused on completing necessary paperwork and staying informed about his upcoming teaching practice.
- Goals: David needs a reliable source to check the Senate List for NYSC preparation and to access teaching practice postings. He also wants a platform where he can interact with other fresh graduates and seek guidance regarding the NYSC program.
- Pain Points: David currently relies on manual processes and outdated information sources, making it time-consuming and frustrating to find the necessary details for his NYSC preparations. He desires a user-friendly app that simplifies these tasks and provides accurate and up-to-date information.
Emma – The Business Owner
- Background: Emma owns a small business located near AAUA’s campus. She aims to target the student population with her products and services, but struggles to effectively reach them due to limited marketing channels.
- Goals: Emma wants a platform to advertise her business directly to AAUA students, offering exclusive discounts and promotions. She also desires a means to receive feedback and engage in direct communication with potential customers.
- Pain Points: Emma finds it difficult to connect with the student community and lacks an efficient way to promote her business. She needs an app that enables her to reach a wider audience, engage with students, and increase her brand visibility.
Key Findings
- Information Accessibility: Students expressed the need for a centralized platform where they could easily access important updates, such as academic information, campus events, and administrative announcements.
- Social Interaction: Users emphasized the desire for a chat feature to connect with peers, as well as the opportunity to engage with businesses on campus.
- Convenience and Efficiency: Students sought features like result checking, map integration, teaching practice postings, Senate List access for NYSC preparation, FAQs, and a poll for interactive engagement.
Design and Iteration
User Flows and Information Architecture
Based on the research findings, significant improvements were made to the ordering process by streamlining it and eliminating unnecessary steps, resulting in a more efficient and user-friendly flow. The aim was to ensure a seamless experience for users, enabling them to place orders quickly and effortlessly. Additionally, the information architecture was restructured to enhance accessibility and enable users to easily locate relevant test details and instructions. The new structure was designed with user-centricity in mind, allowing users to navigate the app intuitively and find the desired information without any confusion. Overall, these enhancements aimed to create an imaginative and accessible experience for users, ensuring that they can interact with the application effortlessly and accomplish their tasks with ease.
Result
- Streamlined Information Sharing: E-Connect AAUA successfully addressed the challenge of efficient information dissemination, enabling school authorities to conveniently share updates with students through a dedicated admin section.
- Socializing Features: The inclusion of a user-to-user chat function and business owner interaction created an engaging social environment within the app, fostering connections and networking opportunities.
- Enhanced User Experience: The intuitive user interface, coupled with features like result checking, map integration, teaching practice postings, Senate List access, FAQs, and polls, significantly improved the overall user experience, making the app a one-stop solution for students’ information needs.
Testing
The application underwent rigorous testing throughout the development process. Usability tests were conducted with a group of representative users to evaluate the app’s navigation, functionality, and overall user satisfaction. Iterative improvements were implemented based on the feedback received, resulting in a refined and user-friendly interface.
Overall, E-Connect AAUA successfully fulfilled its objective of facilitating efficient information sharing among students while promoting social interaction and providing valuable features for enhanced user experience. The app has the potential to become a vital tool for the AAUA community, empowering students with convenient access to information and fostering a vibrant campus environment.