Bootcamp Finder

‍Role: Lead UX Designer

‍Task: Create a tool where students can research the best technical bootcamp* for them and get matched with a school/program.
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‍Team: Lead UX Designer(me), UX Design Intern, Product Marketing Manager, Web Developer, Director of School Partnerships

*technical bootcamp: an intensive training program where people learn specific skills in areas like UI/UX, software development, data science, healthcare, etc.

introduction

Researching Bootcamp Options

I was tasked as the Lead UX Designer for the Bootcamp Finder project, where I used our “Compare Schools” page as a starting point to create a robust resource for people to research bootcamps and learn about their financing options.

Ascent Funding gives out both college and bootcamp loans while serving as a resource for students through blogs, coaching, and interactive resources. The Boootcamp Finder was a project in our bootcamp space that would serve as a resource for users and promote our bootcamp partners and loans.

Goals

01
Help people in their bootcamp research process
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02
Educate users on ways to finance their bootcamp
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03
Promote Ascent’s bootcamp partners and loan products

The Process

Throughout the project, we did 4 rounds of user interviews - where we tested new features, and different designs, and learned more about the user’s research process. We launched a beta version, where we planned to further test with users.

user interviews

Learning about their research journey

We interviewed a mix of people in different stages of their bootcamp journey. They were either researching bootcamps, enrolled in one but didn’t start yet, studying at their bootcamp, or finished with their program. We talked to 10 participants in the first round of interviews and learned that:

50% would like one place with all the Bootcamp information they need for their research
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50% preferred to see general school information while the other 50% preferred to see specific program information
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100% usually start their research process by Google searching bootcamps and clicking multiple links
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100% deemed financing as less important in the early stages of research (they were mostly focused on school information like location, career track, etc.)

The first round of interviews gave us insight into the typical research journey of a user. We learned that as a student loan company, we needed to find a way to remain relevant even though a majority of users don’t focus on financing when they are researching a bootcamp. To address both the user and business needs, I mapped out the user journey and asked the team:

Based on our user interviews and team discussion, we decided that we want to support the user towards the end of their research journey. This means that they have decided on a career track, have narrowed down their bootcamp options, and are starting to consider their financing options. By focusing on this phase of their research journey, we can be more relevant as a student loan company.

the process

Test, iterate, test, iterate

Using the testing plan I collaborated with our intern on, I conducted multiple rounds of user tests for feedback and continued to iterate upon them until we reached the final design.

The Old Bootcamp Card

This was the original bootcamp card design on the Compare Schools page. Information is difficult to scan through and there is not enough emphasis on the financing section.

The New Bootcamp Card

The redesign included a detailed section dedicated to affordability, with the use of icons for a quick understanding of the financing options the bootcamp has to offer. The tooltips provide users with a quick way to gain a better understanding of what the terms mean.

Compare Feature

We learned from user testing that we needed to be a resource for users towards the end of their research journey to be relevant as a business. The best user scenario for our bootcamp finder would be when a user is trying to narrow down their options. We decided to add a Compare Feature, which allows users to select up to 3 programs and compare them side by side.

user testing

Researching on Mobile

In our user interviews, 100% of participants mentioned that they would like to be able to view the bootcamp finder on mobile. Since we were presenting a lot of data on a small screen and many people would open this resource on their phones, we dedicated a round of user testing to mobile card designs.

We focused our tests on presenting 2 different mobile layouts to 4 participants and observed how they navigated the information.

The Final Card Design

We went with the layout of V2 because 75% of users said that it was easier to view the information due to minimal scrolling. After some more feedback and critique sessions, we improved the design by adjusting the layout, adding icons, and improving the language.

the final design

The final product was a robust resource for users to filter and search their bootcamp options. In each card, a user can find specific programs that best suit them, understand their financing options for each bootcamp, and save the program to compare later.

‍When we user-tested the final version with 10 users, we received a lot of positive feedback. 80% of participants said that they would recommend the bootcamp finder to a friend. One participant said:

“Research that usually takes 2 hours would take 20 minutes on this page.”

The Bootcamp Finder can now be found under “Resources” on Ascent Funding or under “Tools” on College Confidential.

Results

Before the launch of the bootcamp finder, the Product Marketing Manager established some goals based on the data from the previous version of the bootcamp finder. The Bootcamp Finder exceeded most goals at the 3-month check-in:

3,042 Unique Page Visits

Target: 2,100 visits

2,652 Filter Usage

Target: 1,050

3:41 Average Time on Page

Increased from 2:44

learnings

🎯 Project goals will need adjustments as you talk to users

User interviews brought up the question of where in the user journey we want to be a resource, so it was important to revisit the project goals and frame them using the new information from interviews.

🗣️ Collaborating with non-design roles

I learned how to improve my collaboration skills with roles in marketing, development, and bootcamp partnerships. Since I was attending weekly meetings with many non-design roles within the project, it was important to plan interactive feedback sessions, present user testing data in summaries rather than stickies, and facilitate discussions that drive design.

🐣 Managing an intern

As the lead UX Designer of the project, I managed the UX Design Intern who was assigned to help out with the project. I made the experience collaboration-based by checking in, giving feedback, and receiving feedback. Rather than simply assigning the intern tasks, I collaborated with her by scheduling weekly meetings where we would critique designs and plan out tasks together.