This project was an assessment challenge during the later phases of the hiring process for IBM. The project was so well received by the IBM design teams that the company invited me for two day networking event and in-person interview in Chicago. All expenses (including hotel and flight) were covered by IBM. During the second day, I had two one-on-one interviews, participated in various activities including a Creative UX Workshop, and finally presenting my portfolio to the heads of the IBM US design teams.
The assessment was to design a high fidelity app UI for college alumni. The school in this scenario was CUNY, York College, my alma mater.
Long after the final test are taken and their graduation caps have been tossed in the air, alumni may find themselves drifting apart from friends and acquaintances they made during their education. As new responsibilities and commitments may pull them in different directions, it can be difficult to stay connected and keep in touch with each other. Moreover, they may find themselves wondering if it’s even necessary to do so. It might take a little extra effort to maintain those connections post-graduation, but staying in touch with classmates provides many benefits, both personally and professionally.
“A social media just for us”. Connect, Network, Reminisce
I did extensive research on how mobile applications catered to alumni were typically designed and what features and services they provided. Afterword’s I began to design. I made sure to utilize the brand colors of York College as if Cardinal were a companion app of the actual college website. One thing to note is that the name “Cardinal” is from the school’s mascot. I thought that would be a fitting name for an “app” related to York College’s alumni as it has great meaning to many of it’s students.
Along side the design phase I also conducted research on common statistics found among alumni. Typically this was done with users in the millennial generation concerning their reception towards alumni programs and memberships.
Alumni of York College can simply sign up by submitting their date of birth, the last 4 digits of their social security, and their graduating class year. Cardinal will then search through the York College‘s database to locate the alumni. After which they will have full access to the Cardinal’s features. Cardinal hosts a variety of services for our Alumni such as a job board where they may post recent job openings, upcoming events, a post forum where they may discuss topics amongst each other, the ability to claim their Alumni Card, and the opportunity to enroll into a Mentorship program for current students of York College.
