Design Exercise:
Mentor Connection
I wanted to design an experience where prospective mentors and mentees can be matched, based on similar interests, location, and availability, so I did so over the course of 3 weekends.
MY Responsibilities
Conducted competitive research
Conducted quantitative research
Determined use cases
Mapped out user flows
Wireframes
Designed high-fidelity mockups
What are we solving for?
We know mentoring can be a great way to share knowledge and help someone be successful in their personal or professional life. But many potential mentors are often too busy to commit to regular meetings, or they have a hard time connecting with people seeking help.
I know I wanted to connect mentors and mentees by making meaningful connections with little or no friction. The relationships must be organic and real.
That being said I began to brainstorm all the different problems, common issues, use cases and goals I could think of based on the types of users that would benefit from a mentoring feature:
Research
With this case study, I reviewed how many other mentor apps were existing- and although there were a few, they had clunky UI, we’re only meant for parents, and certainly did not cater to the various users who could possibly be interested in using this product.
Although I had my ideas of what people would want in a mentee or mentor relationship, I knew I couldn’t spend time building a product based on assumptions.
So I ran a quick qualitative survey using google forms and sent it out on various platforms. This would help me gain insight from all types of folks in regards to mentorships.
What we learned…
When asked if folks currently had a mentoring partnership
66% of people had not, but it was of interest for them.
What does that mean: Potential to break barriers!
When asked how much communication availability would you expect in your mentoring partnership?
44% of folks stated 1-3 hours a month
27% stated 1-3 hours a week
Others wanted daily, and sparing communication
What does that mean? Be Flexible in offering meeting times
When asked what people were looking for in qualities of a mentor, patterns in the responses began to formulate:
Honesty / wanting to be heard
Leadership/ wanting to be supported
Expertise and years in field was important
Transparency
Practicality
So Who are our Users?
Based on the feedback I had received, and from general research- I began to form 3 main personas who could benefit most from this product:
Common Problems between all users
Recognizing the problems and asking the “Why” helps to begin the process of breaking down each constraint/ friction point that would cause hesitation around creating a mentorship.
Time and availability ( has to fit my schedule)
Ease of use ( has to be easy for hesitant folks to jump in)
Want of meaningful / deep connections ( want it to be genuine)
Promise of ROI ( why spend time if neither party benefits)
Understanding this gave me a clear vision on what to focus on, and what main feature drivers for this product could be.
Use Cases:
As a user, I would like to find the right mentor/ mentee for me
As a user, I would like to fit mentoring partnerships within my schedule
As a user, I would like to find my partner with little friction
As a mentor/ mentee, I would like to bring value into the partnership
As a mentor/ mentee, I would like to grow in my area of expertise and prove its worth ( ROI )
Goals:
The main goal of this product is to allow prospective mentors and mentees can be matched, based on similar interests, location, and availability and create deep and meaningful connections through:
Helping folks find their right connection
Removing any hesitation/ constraints around making connections
Showcasing positive effects/ progress through partnerships
Sketch Explorations
After digesting all research understanding our users, what was currently existing, and what the main wanted features were from someone who would want to use this product, I began to quickly sketch some possible on-boarding and general screens to bring this product to fruition.
Lo Fidelity Explorations
Once I was able to have a baseline foundation of where I wanted this product to head, I was able to split the experience into three main lanes via the on-boarding process.
All users would begin through a few initial on-boarding questions, however we didn’t want to overwhelm them by asking too much upfront.
They are able to choose between three options: Mentor, Mentee, or Unsure- with the option of knowing that if they wanted to create multiple profiles, or be able to view as an onlooker- they absolutely could!
Mentee On-boarding
With the Mentee selections, mentees are able to fill out their profile, view various mentor candidates, and participate in all group discussions with Mentors/ Mentees. They are always free to go into the settings and create a separate Mentor profile.
Undecided On-boarding
With the undecided selections, these folks are able to fill out their profile, view various mentor/mentee candidates, and participate in all group discussions, learning from the outside looking in. They are always free to go into the settings and create their profile at any time.
Northstar: It’s all in the name
In the process of finding the name for this product, I wrote down various words and phrases that were said in the surveys I ran along with words I associated with finding mentorship. Some words and name phrases had already been done, so it was important to find something that described leadership without actually spelling it out.
“Explorers depend on the North Star when there are no other landmarks in sight. The same relationship exists between you and your right life, the ultimate realization of your potential for happiness.”
Mentor On-boarding
With the Mentor selections, mentors are able to fill out their profile, view various mentee candidates, and participate in all group discussions with Mentors/ Mentees. They are always free to go into the settings and create a separate Mentee profile.
Main Pages & Elements
Onboarding
The experience is split into three main lanes via the on-boarding process.
All users would begin through a few initial easy questions that helps set up their profile without scaring them off due to question overload.
Profile Page
Once users filled out the basic questionnaire of: Name, purpose and photo, they are taken to their profile section where they are prompted to fill out the rest of their profile.
These remaining criteria were some of the highest suggested wants from the initial survey we conducted.
Once this profile is filled, our algorithm begins to suggest matches based on the information provided.
Mentor/Mentee Section
Along with suggesting you mentors/mentees based on your profile selections, we wanted to showcase a section were you are free to browse folks that may not be in your area of expertise as well. This was a “nice to have” for some users to help them widen their range of thinking.
Additionally, having this dedicated section lets you keep track of your connections all in one tidy spot.
Group Section
Going back to our initial research, 66% of folks had not had a mentorship relationship although it was something they were interested in. It seems that folks who have the option to learn from watching are more likely to engage when the time is ready for them.
Having a group section allows for free flowing constructive conversations with the ability to message and make connections at the same time and helps to build a stronger community.
Messaging
Whether you message from a connection you have made, or from a group discussion- it helps users build stronger relationships.
Within this messaging feature, users are able to utilize Google duo for video messaging and Google Calendar to schedule their 1:1 chats.
Hi Fidelity Explorations
Once the initial explorations were done, I used sketch to build out various use cases for each of our three onboarding users. Of course, these designs are iterative, and I build out each use case as it came to light.
Northstar
Through the power of this product, we aim to connect you with some of the deepest and most meaningful connections with the leaders of your field and interests.
Through our powerful algorithms and profile selection specifics, we are certain you will be able to grow towards your goals while being a part of an ever growing community that is rooting for you all the way.
Let us be your guiding light- and through the darkness, you will always be able to look towards the Northstar.
Marvel Prototype: View Prototype