IU INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
ROLE
Working as an Senior UX/UI Designer with a cross-functional team for the personalisation topic of the website fernstudium​​
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Research: Created personas and defined user flows to understand user needs and guide the design direction
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UX Concept: Designed the overall concept for the StudyFinder tool to deliver a user-centered experience
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UI Design: Ensured visual design aligned with IU’s brand identity and design guidelines
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Prototyping: Built and iterated interactive prototypes in Figma to visualize the user journey
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Feedback & Iteration: Collected UX and stakeholder feedback (via Miro), clustered insights, and refined the design accordingly
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Animations: Supported the creation of micro-interactions and animations to enhance usability and engagement
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Testing & Evaluation: Conducted usability tests, supported A/B testing setup (via Growthbook), and used insights to optimize the design
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Continuous Improvement: Contributed to ongoing improvements after launch based on user feedback and data
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OVERVIEW
The StudyFinder project aims to create an AI-powered tool that helps prospective students find the right study programs based on their preferences, goals, and interests.
Main Goals:
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Increase student intake by simplifying program discovery and creating personalized experiences.
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Reduce early churn by improving the match between students and study programs.
Key Features:
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User profiling through dynamic, tailored questions.
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Personalized program recommendations based on interests, skills, and career goals.
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Data collection to support future personalization, while ensuring privacy compliance.
Expected Outcomes:
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More confident and engaged prospective students.
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Better fit between students and programs, leading to higher satisfaction and retention.
PROCESS
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PROJECT KICKOFF: I started by reviewing the project briefing and setting up the initial concept in Figma. Early collaboration with stakeholders helped align goals and define the first direction for the UX approach.
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Research: Understanding User Needs: In the early phase, I conducted user research to understand key behaviors, needs, and emotional states during the study decision process.
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UX PROTOTYPING: I created the first interactive prototype in Figma and shared it with the team. Feedback from UX peers and stakeholders was collected in Miro, helping identify key areas for improvement early in the process.
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FEEDBACK & ITERATION: I clustered feedback and refined the concept based on insights from broader stakeholder sessions. This iterative process allowed us to gradually shape a more user-centered solution.
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CONCEPT REFINEMENT: I improved the question flow and UX logic in alignment with the project goals. Together with the team, we worked on refining the UI and user journey for the go-live version.
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INTERACTIONS & ANIMATIONS: I supported the creation of an animation concept to enhance interactivity and worked closely with Pedro and Inka to align visual storytelling with user needs.
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USABILITY & A/B TESTING: I contributed to usability testing and supported the A/B test setup in Growthbook. We analyzed user behavior and shared results internally to inform next steps.
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CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: After launch, I worked on further UX improvements based on feedback and helped define the next steps together with the project team.
Mapping Mindsets – Personas & Decision Paths
Creating distinct personas for each study format — distance learning, myStudium, and dual study — was essential to tailor the experience to real user needs. Each format fits a different lifestyle, learning style, and mindset:
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Distance Learning: Working professionals needing maximum flexibility
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myStudium: Young adults seeking a mix of structure and freedom
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Dual Study: Career-focused users combining work and study
These research-based personas helped the StudyFinder ask smarter questions, offer personalized guidance, and support users in choosing not just a course — but the format that fits their life.
Persona-Driven Journeys
To create a truly personalized study finder, I began with in-depth user research to understand how prospective students navigate the decision-making process. It quickly became clear that users aren’t starting from the same place — they have different goals, levels of knowledge, emotional states, and expectations.
From this research, I defined four key personas, each representing a distinct mindset and stage in the journey:
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One user feels overwhelmed and unsure, needing clear, foundational guidance.
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Another is curious and exploring, looking to validate if a study program fits.
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A third is confident and goal-driven, focused on clarifying practical details.
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And the last is cautiously comparing options, navigating both format and content with care.
These personas became critical in shaping a more tailored, user-centered experience. Rather than a one-size-fits-all solution, the study finder needed to meet users where they are — offering the right guidance, at the right time.
By mapping their individual journeys, I was able to design for clarity, relevance, and emotional alignment. From interactive quizzes for early-stage users to advisor chats and detailed comparisons for advanced ones, each touchpoint became an opportunity to build trust, reduce friction, and move users confidently toward a decision.
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USER FLOW
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​The quiz-based interaction gathers user data through an intuitive and conversational interface.
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Users can jump to results at any point, but additional questions remain available for those who want a deeper or more refined set of recommendations.
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The flow is designed to encourage engagement and self-reflection, helping users feel confident in the relevance of the programs suggested.
Question Customization
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The system dynamically adjusts questions from a predefined list based on user responses. It focuses on relevant options to create a more tailored experience.
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This customization narrows down user preferences and interests, gradually refining their profile, which ensures that only applicable fields of study and program recommendations are presented.
Rapid Concepting with Existing UI Components
To accelerate the ideation phase, I built the initial study finder concept using components from our existing design system. This allowed for quick alignment with stakeholders, ensured visual consistency, and made the user flow — from question stage to selectable options and CTA — instantly clear. The modular approach also set a solid foundation for smooth handoff to development.
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Stakeholder Review for Aligned Direction
​To ensure the study finder was built on a solid foundation, I organized a stakeholder review early in the process. The goal was to gather diverse feedback on core aspects such as:Key featuresUsability and flowDesign and brandingEmotional resonance and toneTechnical feasibility I invited not only stakeholders from product, marketing, and UX, but also developers to align early on technical implications and constraints.We used Miro to run the session and record feedback. The insights were then synthesized and shared with the full team to inform next steps. This collaborative setup helped surface blind spots, align expectations, and validate early assumptions before moving into more detailed design and prototyping. Clustering the Stakeholder ReviewAfter collecting input during the stakeholder review, I analyzed and clustered the feedback to identify recurring themes and prioritize improvements. This step helped turn a large volume of qualitative input into actionable insights.
In refining the concept, I focused on creating an experience that felt intuitive, engaging, and easy to navigate — especially on mobile. To reduce cognitive load, each new question in the study finder changes color, providing a subtle but effective visual cue that progress has been made. This small interaction adds delight while helping users stay oriented.
The entire flow was designed mobile-first, with a clean layout, simple language, and a sticky CTA button to ensure users always have a clear next step — no matter where they are in the journey. These UX choices aim to strike a balance between functionality and joy of use, keeping users engaged and in control throughout the process.
To enhance motivation and flexibility, I added a motivational screen between steps to keep users engaged and reinforce their progress. At the same time, a “See early recommendations” option lets users skip ahead after just a few key questions—offering quick results for those ready to decide, while still allowing others to continue for more tailored guidance. This balances emotional encouragement with user control, creating a smoother, more adaptive experience.
Fine Concept
In early February, I conducted a mobile usability test of the IU Compass study recommendation tool using RapidUserTests with six participants (ages 18–44). The goal was to gather qualitative insights on usability, clarity, and overall user experience.
Users responded positively to the tool’s intuitive design, clear navigation, and engaging question flow. Features like the question countdown and color transitions were well received, and most users felt the number of questions was manageable.
However, the test also revealed areas for improvement:
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Some confusion around the "First Recommendations" button
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Desire for multi-select options in certain questions
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Limited context on the results page
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Minor navigation issues when returning to the Compass
All users completed the process without drop-off and said they would recommend the tool. I clustered the feedback into themes (e.g., question design, results clarity, navigation) and shared insights with the team via Miro to guide next steps and future enhancements.
Usability Test
Key Takeaways & Conclusion
1. Prioritize Early Insights Over Perfection
Launch functional versions early—even if they're not perfect—to collect real-world feedback fast.
→ Result: Accelerates learning, supports rapid iteration, and ensures user-driven improvements.
2. Tighter Developer Integration
Actively involve developers in stakeholder reviews, usability findings, and key UX decisions.
→ Result: Better alignment, fewer misunderstandings, and smoother, higher-quality implementation.
3. Leverage AI to Boost Efficiency & Insight
Use AI to summarize research, generate usability test scripts, interpret findings, and support coding and prototyping tasks.
→ Result: Saves time, reduces manual work, and enhances both productivity and the depth of insights.
4. Smarter Prototyping with Logic & Variables
Incorporate logic and variables into prototypes to simulate realistic user flows and behaviors.
→ Result: Enables more accurate usability testing and stronger validation of design decisions.