For Students, With Students: A User-Centred Approach to Creating the Next Generation of Student Services at U of T

The University of Toronto was faced with a challenge: a key piece of technology was nearing obsolescence, both in terms of its technical maintainability and its ability to meet the expectations of the students using it.... [ view full abstract ]

The University of Toronto was faced with a challenge: a key piece of technology was nearing obsolescence, both in terms of its technical maintainability and its ability to meet the expectations of the students using it. These issues became the motivation for creating ACORN, a new online student service integrating academic, financial and student life content and functionality that sought to be an exemplar of the next generation of services provided by the University of Toronto for its students, staff and faculty.

The purpose of this presentation is to share the principles and methodologies that guided ACORN's formative research, design, testing and change management as the ACORN team worked to improve the overall student experience at U of T via this new online service. This presentation will give an overview of the research (that identified existing points of student confusion and frustration, as well as unmet mobile and accessibility needs), the iterative design process, as well as illustrate the necessity of a broad range of usability and functional testing. Finally, this presentation will stress the importance of an effective change management strategy to ensure the successful adoption of this major enterprise initiative.

Attendees will take away an understanding of how a user-centred methodology may be employed to improve the user experience of products and services in their own communities, and gain insights into how adopting a user-centred perspective focuses attention on essential value and efficient projects.