Graditude Connect
Led 0 - 1 design for a platform that streamlines mentorship matching for school admins.
Led 0 - 1 design for a platform that streamlines mentorship matching for school admins.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Tools/Skills
Figma, Design Systems
Team
3 Design Partners
Duration
8 weeks, Spring 2025
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
Graditude is a platform dedicated to empowering campus leaders to build tailored mentorship programs between students and alumni. Inspired by this mission, I joined as a Product Design Lead to shape the MVP feature focused on streamlining the matchmaking process for these admins.
Graditude is a platform dedicated to empowering campus leaders to build tailored mentorship programs between students and alumni. Inspired by this mission, I joined as a Product Design Lead to shape the MVP feature focused on streamlining the matchmaking process for these admins.
PROBLEM SPACE
PROBLEM SPACE
The mentorship space is highly fragmented
The mentorship space is highly fragmented
Mentorship programs on college campuses often lack a cohesive, centralized platform, resulting in fragmented and short-term experiences for both mentors and mentees.
Mentorship programs on college campuses often lack a cohesive, centralized platform, resulting in fragmented and short-term experiences for both mentors and mentees.
SNEAK PEEK
SNEAK PEEK
What we did
What we did
We developed a solution specifically tailored for program leaders, including a management dashboard to oversee status and an automated matchmaking algorithm to pair students more easily.
We developed a solution specifically tailored for program leaders, including a management dashboard to oversee status and an automated matchmaking algorithm to pair students more easily.
USER INTERVIEWS
USER INTERVIEWS
Understanding all stakeholders involved
Understanding all stakeholders involved
To inform our solution, we conducted user interviews with students, alumni, and campus leaders to uncover key pain points in existing mentorship programs and structures.
To inform our solution, we conducted user interviews with students, alumni, and campus leaders to uncover key pain points in existing mentorship programs and structures.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Uncovering market gaps
Uncovering market gaps
By comparing features and limitations of existing mentorship platforms, we uncovered opportunities to improve centralized program management and streamline mentor-mentee matching on our platform.
By comparing features and limitations of existing mentorship platforms, we uncovered opportunities to improve centralized program management and streamline mentor-mentee matching on our platform.
AFFINITY MAPPING
AFFINITY MAPPING
Key themes we noticed
Key themes we noticed
Through research, we synthesized our findings into key problems that were preventing effective and long-lasting mentorship programs from happening on campuses.
Through research, we synthesized our findings into key problems that were preventing effective and long-lasting mentorship programs from happening on campuses.
TARGET USER
TARGET USER
Designing for Campus Leaders
Designing for Campus Leaders
Recognizing that mentorship programs often lack formal infrastructure and heavily rely on campus leaders to facilitate meaningful connections, we prioritized supporting them with tools to streamline their roles.
Recognizing that mentorship programs often lack formal infrastructure and heavily rely on campus leaders to facilitate meaningful connections, we prioritized supporting them with tools to streamline their roles.
LOW-FI PROTOTYPING
LOW-FI PROTOTYPING
First attempt at a matchmaking solution
First attempt at a matchmaking solution
Through lo-fi prototyping, we developed and tested initial concepts to streamline the matching process for campus leaders and enhance informational clarity.
Through lo-fi prototyping, we developed and tested initial concepts to streamline the matching process for campus leaders and enhance informational clarity.
OUR VISION
OUR VISION
Expanding the solution for scalability
Expanding the solution for scalability
Feedback for our initial solution highlighted inefficiencies and slow performance for mentorship programs exceeding 50 participants. To address this, we introduced an automated matching flow as well as an overall management system to reduce friction for campus leaders.
Feedback for our initial solution highlighted inefficiencies and slow performance for mentorship programs exceeding 50 participants. To address this, we introduced an automated matching flow as well as an overall management system to reduce friction for campus leaders.
Key iterations
Key iterations
Iterating on the initial solution, our expanded vision allowed us to explore what an automated matching flow would look like in low-fidelity, removing redundancies in the process.
Iterating on the initial solution, our expanded vision allowed us to explore what an automated matching flow would look like in low-fidelity, removing redundancies in the process.
FINAL SOLUTION
FINAL SOLUTION
The ideal user journey
The ideal user journey
SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS
SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS
1. Greater Flexibility
1. Greater Flexibility
To enhance efficiency, Graditude offers campus leaders and administrators the option to automate mentor-mentee matching, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual pairing.
To enhance efficiency, Graditude offers campus leaders and administrators the option to automate mentor-mentee matching, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual pairing.
2. Improved Decision Making
2. Improved Decision Making
Comprehensive member profiles and customizable data fields enable campus leaders to make more informed decisions about mentorship connections.
Comprehensive member profiles and customizable data fields enable campus leaders to make more informed decisions about mentorship connections.
3. Reduced Redundancy
3. Reduced Redundancy
The management dashboard centralizes member tracking and displays each member’s status in real-time, enabling campus leaders to seamlessly rematch mentors and mentees as needed.
The management dashboard centralizes member tracking and displays each member’s status in real-time, enabling campus leaders to seamlessly rematch mentors and mentees as needed.
USER TESTING
USER TESTING
Testing our solution for usability
Testing our solution for usability
To refine our solution, we conducted over 20 usability tests with campus leaders across campuses to ensure a clear and intuitive process. The feedback gathered was critical in shaping our final MVP shown above.
To refine our solution, we conducted over 20 usability tests with campus leaders across campuses to ensure a clear and intuitive process. The feedback gathered was critical in shaping our final MVP shown above.
OUTCOME
OUTCOME
Our impact & vision
Our impact & vision
Over the next year, our solution is rolling out to campuses all over the US and projected to impact over 1500 students, especially empowering campus leaders to build and manage robust mentorship programs. However, there's a lot more we're envisioning for the platform as a whole…
Over the next year, our solution is rolling out to campuses all over the US and projected to impact over 1500 students, especially empowering campus leaders to build and manage robust mentorship programs. However, there's a lot more we're envisioning for the platform as a whole…
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