ADVISING DASHBOARD
Manage student risk levels for dropout rates at Ball State University.
THE PROBLEM
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​Designed a student risk management dashboard to help advisors track and support at-risk students more effectively.
​Advisors often struggle to identify and monitor students who may need additional support due to academic, social, or behavioral challenges. Traditional tools are fragmented, difficult to navigate, and lack clear visualization of risk levels, making it hard to take timely action. The goal of this project was to design a comprehensive, user-friendly dashboard that clearly communicates student risk levels and recommended interventions, improving usability, engagement, and overall student outcomes.
MY ROLE
​Led UX design and iterative testing to improve dashboard clarity, functionality, and advisor engagement.
I conducted iterative testing of the student risk management web application to assess functionality, usability, and compliance with project requirements. I identified gaps in navigation, login flow, and search features and created low-fidelity wireframes for missing components. Additionally, I collaborated with team members to refine dashboard visualizations, ensuring charts, icons, and color-coded indicators clearly communicated risk levels. I also documented findings and recommendations, driving improvements in usability and engagement.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
Researched advisors’ workflows and pain points to design a tool that supports efficient, data-driven decision-making.
The primary users were academic advisors who manage large caseloads and need to quickly identify students at high, medium, or low risk. I gathered insights into their workflow challenges, including difficulty navigating between pages, identifying at-risk students, and understanding risk analytics. Advisors required an interface that allowed them to access student data quickly, interpret risk visualizations effectively, and make informed recommendations without being overwhelmed by information.
MY ROLE
​Led UX design and iterative testing to improve dashboard clarity, functionality, and advisor engagement.
I conducted iterative testing of the student risk management web application to assess functionality, usability, and compliance with project requirements. I identified gaps in navigation, login flow, and search features and created low-fidelity wireframes for missing components. Additionally, I collaborated with team members to refine dashboard visualizations, ensuring charts, icons, and color-coded indicators clearly communicated risk levels. I also documented findings and recommendations, driving improvements in usability and engagement.
BREAKING DOWN THE PROCESS
Translated user insights into actionable design improvements through wireframing, visual refinements, and usability testing.
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User Research & Problem Definition: Mapped advisor workflows and identified usability pain points in navigation, search, and data visualization.
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Wireframing & Visual Design: Created low-fidelity wireframes to address missing features like homepage access, settings, and scroll navigation. Iterated high-fidelity versions for clarity and visual hierarchy.
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Data Visualization Improvements: Refined dashboard charts, icons, and color-coded indicators to make student risk levels easy to interpret and act upon.
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Testing & Iteration: Conducted usability testing to validate navigation flow, functionality, and overall comprehension of analytics, refining layout, button placement, and interaction patterns based on feedback.
DESIGN
TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK
LESSONS LEARNED
​Learned how effective UX design can improve engagement, usability, and data-driven decision-making for advisors.
​This project reinforced the importance of user-centered design in complex, data-heavy applications. I learned that clear visual hierarchy, concise information presentation, and iterative testing are essential to help users process critical information quickly. The experience also emphasized the value of collaboration, as working with developers and stakeholders allowed me to align design solutions with practical functionality, ultimately improving usability, engagement, and the dashboard’s overall impact on student success.