Enhancing the Student Digital Experience

The Challenge

Students at Victoria University interact with numerous digital services throughout their journey—from enrolment through to graduation. Each touchpoint presents an opportunity to either support or frustrate them. The challenge was understanding where the pain points were and how to create a more cohesive experience.

Understanding the Student Journey

I started by mapping the entire student lifecycle, identifying every digital interaction from prospective student through to alumni. Through interviews and workshops, we uncovered moments that mattered most to students and where services were falling short.

Key pain points emerged around transitions—starting university, changing courses, and preparing for graduation. These pivotal moments often involved multiple systems and unclear processes.

Research Approach

• Student interviews across different years and study areas
• Journey mapping workshops with students and staff
• Service blueprinting to understand backend processes
• Analysis of support requests and pain point data

Key Insights

Students didn't necessarily need more services—they needed clearer pathways through existing ones. Many issues stemmed from information being spread across multiple systems with no clear entry point for specific situations.

We also found that students' needs varied significantly depending on their stage. First-years needed orientation and basics; final-years needed career preparation and transition support. A one-size-fits-all approach wasn't working.

Design Principles

Based on the research, we established principles for improving digital services:

• Meet students where they are—integrate with their existing workflows
• Provide context-aware information based on their stage and situation
• Make processes visible and progress trackable
• Design for the moments that matter most

Impact and Outcomes

The journey mapping and research revealed opportunities for immediate improvements and longer-term strategic initiatives. By focusing on critical touchpoints and transitions, we're working to create a more supportive digital experience that evolves with students throughout their time at university.

What I Learned

Working in a large organization taught me the importance of bringing stakeholders along on the journey. Service design isn't just about the end users—it's about helping everyone involved understand the whole system and their role in improving it.