Context
MyCourses is the primary learning management system (LMS) used by Aalto University.
User tasks
I talked to a few classmates about how they use MyCourses. Their day-to-day tasks in the dashboard were accessing course pages, checking deadlines and course events, and viewing other information such as grades and credits obtained.
Problem
The user interface of the dashboard have problems of poor visual hierarchy, inconsistent styling, and usability issues. These problems interfere with user tasks and lead to a negative user experience.
Goal
The goal of the redesign is to help users complete their tasks easier and create a more consistent, pleasing look for the dashboard.
Process
I analyzed the current dashboard for issues that affected users’ tasks. Furthermore, I used a list of design heuristics and visual design guide to help me spot additional problems.
After discovering the problems, I went to Figma to create a new design.
Current design
Redesign
Styling
I make more consistent the color scheme, button, and header stylings.
Information
- Courses and timeline are used frequently, so I put them at the top of the pages.
- Credits and grades are hidden in other pages. I show them in the dashboard directly.
Usability issues
- Many drop-down lists have no indication that they are drop-down. Therefore, I added a downward arrow to drop-down elements.
- In the assignment section, filter and sort buttons are just icons, making it difficult to understand their function. They don’t show their current value either. I changed the buttons to be labeled and also show the selected value.
Visual hierarchy
In the old design, the announcements are boldened and pull the most attention. However, these information are rarely useful.
In the new design, I made sure the course names and assignments titled stand out and are quickly scannable.
Layout
I use a grid system to create the layout. Each chunk of the dashboard is separated by whitespace to minimize cluttering and allow for easy navigation.
Final design (Desktop + Mobile)
Redesigned desktop UI
Redesigned mobile UI
