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Skool Buddy - A Conceptual App

Shaping the Future of Student Life

Starting university is exciting, but it often leaves students navigating unfamiliar systems and feeling disconnected. Skool Buddy was my concept for an iOS platform that turns those first uncertain steps into opportunities to connect, share, and belong.

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View Prototype

Challenge

To Empower students

Students often wrestle with scattered resources and weak peer networks, especially when they’re new to campus life. This project sets out to build a solution that closes this gap, eases campus integration and fosters a sense of community before day one.

Approach

Human centred design

I utilised a structured, iterative HCD process aligned with ISO 9241 standards, ensuring every design decision was informed by real student needs and contexts, to create a solution that truly resonates with them and effectively addresses their challenges.

Role

UX/UI & Visual designer

(Solo Course Work)

UX/UI & Visual designer

(Solo Course Work)

As the sole designer, I wore many hats: leading user research and interviews, mapping requirements, sketching and wire framing, building interactive prototypes, running usability studies, and crafting the visual identity. From problem framing to polished prototype, I steered the project end to end.

Timeline

September 2022 ( one month)

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Understand:- Specify context of use

Gather Requirements

Design / Build

Evaluate designs

Final design development

Initial Problem

A Gap in Student Support Systems

University life presents unique challenges, especially for new and international students adapting to unfamiliar cultures and campuses. Existing orientation programs often fall short in providing continuous support. There’s a clear need for a way students can connect, access resources, and foster a sense of belonging even before arriving on campus, one that continuously supports students, enhances social ties, and promotes an inclusive campus experience.

The Solution

A Student First Platform for Connection

Onboarding

Home

School

Community

Messages

Settings

School

This section welcomes users with a splash screen and brief onboarding, highlighting key app features like messaging, community forums, events, and academic resources. It also offers a quick snapshot of frequently used functions, so students can jump into their most relevant tasks right away, reinforcing the app’s ease of use and centralizing everything they need in a single, convenient place.

Specify Context of Use

Outcome Assumptions Hypothesis Stage

Understanding Students in Transition

To ground the project, I explored the real challenges of university life through semi-structured interviews and desk research. Conversations with students, (particularly internationals) revealed struggles around cultural adjustment, scattered communication tools, and the difficulty of finding community. These insights shaped the foundation of the design journey and the broader context in which they interact with university life.

Navigate the Process

Understand

Finding What Was Broken

Understand

Finding What Was Broken

III

Creating a MVP

Bringing the Prototype to Life

III

Creating a MVP

III

Creating a MVP

Bringing the Prototype to Life

Reasearch & Learning

Learning from Users and Experts

Reasearch & Learning

Learning from Users and Experts

Understanding how today’s platforms serve (and fail) students was key to identifying the gaps Skool Buddy needed to address.

Competitive Analysis

Exploring the existing Landscape

Understanding how current platforms address student needs sheds light on gaps and opportunities. By evaluating each competitor across seven UX factors, it becomes clearer where improvements are needed and how a new solution can stand out.

Platform

Facebook

University Forums

Useful

Useable

Findable

Credible

Desirable

Accessible

Valuable

UX factors

Reviewing platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, university forums, and orientation programs revealed common shortcomings: limited ongoing support, a poor balance between social and academic features, scattered resources, and weak privacy controls.

User Interview

Meeting with students

Interviews with five university students in Brighton showed the different roles social media plays in; staying in touch with friends, academic collaboration, and networking. However, they also revealed gaps in cultural adaptation, time management, and consistent access to campus resources.

I don’t want to juggle multiple apps for academic groups and social interactions

😖 😖 😖

I don’t want to juggle multiple apps for academic groups and social interactions

😖 😖 😖

I don’t want to juggle multiple apps for academic groups and social interactions

😖 😖 😖

Highlighting the gaps identified

User interviews and competitive reviews, recurring pain points emerged that hinder students ability to navigate university life effectively. Each gap reflects a deeper need for continuous support, streamlined resources, and a sense of community tailored to the campus environment.

Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.
Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.
Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.
Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.

Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.
Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.
Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.
Ongoing Support & Engagement
Many students struggle to find sustained guidance beyond the initial weeks of the semester. Existing resources—like campus orientation programs or public social platforms—tend to be short-lived or cluttered, making it difficult to stay updated on academic requirements, social events, and campus news.
Why it maters: Reduces isolation, especially for those new to university or studying abroad.
Balancing Academic & Social Needs
Students want a dedicated space that accommodates both professional and casual interactions. Certain platforms excel at creating fun social environments but lack academic credibility, while others focus on professional networking without delivering a sense of community.
Why it maters: Simplifies users’ digital footprint so they don’t have to toggle between multiple tools.
Ease of Use & Familiar Interactions
Students are comfortable with technology but have little patience for clunky interfaces. Modern, intuitive design patterns (group chats, notifications, clear navigation) are now baseline expectations, with minimal tolerance for steep learning curves.
Why It Matters - Maintains engagement through user-friendly features students already know and love.
International Student Considerations
Adapting to a new academic environment can be stressful, especially with cultural differences and language barriers. Any platform aiming to support these students must address their unique challenges—like locating relevant campus resources or connecting with peers who share similar experiences.
Why It Matters - Reduces drop-out risk by offering essential help at crucial moments of adjustment.
Privacy & Safe Spaces
The need for a forum where students feel comfortable sharing experiences—academic, personal, or cultural—is critical. Privacy controls or anonymous posting options allow students to seek help or connect without fear of judgment or oversharing.
Why it maters: Particularly beneficial for international students or those with personal concerns.
Centralized Resources & Information
Information about campus events, academic deadlines, and social opportunities is often fragmented. Students have to navigate multiple channels—such as school websites, forums, social groups—leading to missed deadlines or events.
Why it maters: Fosters a sense of preparedness and involvement, improving overall campus life.

These insights highlight the need for a platform that offers continual engagement (beyond orientation), balances formal and informal interactions, respects users privacy, centralises critical resources, and remains intuitive. Addressing these core areas can transform the student experience into one where learning, socialising, and personal growth thrive side by side.

Users in focus

Understanding Who We’re Designing For

To turn insight into design, I distilled research into three representative personas that reveal priorities, pain points, and the opportunities Skool Buddy must address.

details

Emily Williams

Undergraduate Student

I’ll help you get your project out of paper and design a unique solution for your company's website from scratch, with no templates and bolder outcomes! The final design is yours, from desktop to mobile so you can do whatever you want with it.

details

Emily Williams

Undergraduate Student

details

Emily Williams

Undergraduate Student

details

James Pearson

Part- Time / Masters Student

details

James Pearson

Part- Time / Masters Student

details

James Pearson

Part- Time / Masters Student

details

Aisha Patel

International student

details

Aisha Patel

International student

details

Aisha Patel

International student

Problem Statement

For students, especially newcomers, campus life should be a place to connect, learn, and belong. Instead, they face scattered resources, short-lived support, and few reliable ways to form meaningful peer networks. The result is frustration, missed opportunities, and a harder path to truly feeling part of university life.

Specify Requirements

Outcome Assumptions Hypothesis Stage

Defining What Students Really Need

With the context clear, the next step was translating insights into concrete requirements. I outlined what the platform must deliver to support students academically and socially — from enabling quick access to resources, to creating safe spaces for peer connection, to reducing the noise of scattered tools. These requirements set the foundation for task scenarios, card sorting, and the information architecture that guided the design.

Navigate the Process

Understand

Finding What Was Broken

Understand

Finding What Was Broken

III

Creating a MVP

Bringing the Prototype to Life

III

Creating a MVP

III

Creating a MVP

Bringing the Prototype to Life

Reasearch & Learning

Learning from Users and Experts

Reasearch & Learning

Learning from Users and Experts

Task Scenario

Envisioning real life use cases

To ground the design in everyday reality, I mapped scenarios that show how students might pursue their goals before any solution existed. Each story traces steps, contexts, and decisions. Revealing pain points, workflow preferences, and opportunities where design could make their journey smoother.

Context for all scenarios

Each scenario is anchored in the shared challenges students face when adapting to university life.

Physical Enviroment

Students frequently access the platform on the go (campus, dorms, coffee shops) with occasional library or home use.

Frequency of Task

Most tasks occur weekly or monthly, timed around academic needs and social events.

Time Constraint

Students often juggle course deadlines, part-time jobs, and personal obligations, leaving limited windows to plan and socialise.

Concurrency of Task

They may simultaneously manage multiple responsibilities—e.g., checking schedules, chatting with peers, and accessing campus resources.

Prioritisation & Scheduling

Tasks are slotted around top priorities (exams, job shifts), requiring efficient reminders or notifications.

Resource Conflicts

Internet reliability, device battery life, and personal bandwidth can all impact app usage.

Activity Type

Interactions can be solo (browsing events) or group-based (coordinating a study group).

Known Problems

Students might overlook notifications, encounter schedule clashes, or feel unsure about verifying event info and group credibility.

Scenario 1:

Discovering & Attending University Events

For Emily

Scenario 1:

Discovering & Attending University Events

For Emily

Scenario 1:

Discovering & Attending University Events

For Emily

Scenario 2

Joining & Engaging in a Study Group

For James

Scenario 2

Joining & Engaging in a Study Group

For James

Scenario 2

Joining & Engaging in a Study Group

For James

Scenario 3

Engaging with Community and Sharing Experiences

For Aisha

Scenario 3

Engaging with Community and Sharing Experiences

For Aisha

Scenario 3

Engaging with Community and Sharing Experiences

For Aisha

Scenario 1

Engaging with Community and Sharing Experiences

Finding a supportive network and sharing insights/experiences with fellow students.

Practical Goal

Users situation

Aisha wants to connect with fellow students and find a sense of community. She has just completed her second week on campus and feels overwhelmed by cultural differences and unfamiliar campus routines.