How to help international students adapt in California? Providing a website so as a friend that introduces them to others and gives them the correct information they need
Chun-Ling Hsu (Vanya), Claremont Graduate University, March 2022
Project Overview
During my UX research course in CGU, I conducted a project using agile approach to identify the main problem of international students in the United States. I then developed a platform for their needs.
Research
Problem Statement and Initial Value Proposition
Today when international students come to America for the first time, they are often left to figure out their new environment on their own and make many mistakes along the way.
Like trying to learn a new programming language without access to any external resources or tools, students are bogged down by feelings of confusion and frustration. This method of adjusting is not ideal, and it often leads to depression if there is no support system available for the student.
We envision a world with a website that has all the information you need based on your background and a place where you can share the same experience as a group. We are bringing this through an encyclopedia website and a communication platform to connect.
Competitive Analysis
I analyzed three direct and three indirect competitors to see what solutions already exist in the market. Direct competitors are companies trying to solve international students' needs. Indirect competitors are companies trying to solve other problems but still benefit our target.
Competitive Analysis Summary
As a result, we could see that some tools focus on school and academia, and some focus on community and networking in a broad market. However, no tools focus on the daily needs of international students.
User Interviews
I conducted exploratory qualitative interviews with potential users' for the provision persona in this project. This interview focused on all aspects of daily life, including food, transportation, insurance, academics, monetary interactions, housing, and more. Participants were international graduate students from Claremont Graduate University. I tried to get more specific insight from my target and refined the value proposition.
Screener
Tell me why you have come to this country and how long have you been here?
Is this your first time moving to a new country? If not, when is the last time?
Question
How did you prepare before you came here?
Did you know anyone here before you came to California?
How did you figure out the information you need?
What was the most challenging part for you about living here?
Did you think it is easy to find out that information? What ways (website or app) did you use to help you?
How long did it take to adjust to the new environment?
Persona
Findings
On average, participants spent more than half a year adjusting to the new environment when they first came to California. They had trouble accomplishing basic daily needs such as groceries or commutes. The most common tool they used was Google search. However, they couldn't ensure information accuracy and spent too much time sifting through Google searches.
Deliverables
Based on the competitive analysis and qualitative interviews, I created a landing page using Figma. The website is called NewWorld.com. This website provides both blogs with accurate information for daily knowledge and a community social platform for students from the same country.
Concept Evaluation
I conducted an exploratory qualitative test to validate the interactive prototype and our value proposition. Participants were unware of the landing page's purpose. Then they were asked to describe what they thought about the website.
Research Question
Would NewWorld.com help the international students in California more easily get information, especially related to daily needs, and reduce the time it takes to adjust to the new environment?
Hypothesis
NewWorld.com was a valuable website for international students in California.
Method
Exploratory interview
“Please take a look at this website and tell me what it is about and how you would use it.”
Result
Users mentioned that it was hard to realize the goal for the community chunk.
-> would modify the website interface and information architecture.
Users also mentioned that adding more commute-related information, such as a shuttle bus from LAX, was essential.
-> trying to understand the problem of commuting and do further research.
Key Findings
Market gaps and problems with existing tools are present.
Future Research
Survey research for more insights about consumer behavior and pain points.
Compare perceived confidence in NewWorld.com vs. google search engine by using the task.
Recommendation
Focusing on international students in a particular country or certain age and researching more of them would be an excellent path of investigation.