PRODUCT
UC Davis GSM's Alumni Platform
2023
A “lifelong learning platform” for alumni of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.
INTRODUCTION
Dean Unnava of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, committed to supporting the lifelong professional success of alumni, aimed to extend community and educational access through a centralized platform.
The GSM could offer alumni:
- Professional certificates
- GSM Course content
Before designing any of it, we needed to understand how alumni actually approach learning, support, and staying connected after graduating.
Research
I observed each method and led the synthesis.
Research Methods
Focus Groups
Alumni expectations for career support, content relevance, and community connection.
User Interviews
Upskilling habits, learning formats, and GSM content credibility.
Quantitative Survey
Platforms used, willingness to pay, pricing preferences, and content access.
Core Themes
Synthesis pulled the research into three themes.
Community & Support
Alumni want transparent communication and to feel genuinely engaged after graduating, not just reached out to when it's convenient.
Networking & Mentorship
Alumni want easier ways to connect professionally beyond their existing circles, for mentorship, jobs, and industry ties.
Learning
Alumni want credible, time-efficient content that keeps them competitive and current.
These three became the platform's pillars, and every feature had to earn its place against one of them.
Personas
Research surfaced three core alumni profiles, each with a different reason to come back.
Established Professionals
Confident in their careers, motivated to give back, often as mentors
Mid-Career Professionals
Focused on staying ahead and upskilling with trusted resources
Early-Career Graduates
Navigating life after graduation, seeking guidance and light-touch networking
The Opportunity
Our research revealed that the core need goes beyond learning alone:
Learning alone isn't the core issue
→ How might we design a platform that prioritizes community, professional development, and meaningful alumni connection — not just access to content?
Current alumni support is limited
→ How might we empower alumni to support one another and co-create a stronger, self-sustaining network?
We're not the first lifelong learning platform
→ How might we differentiate by creating a holistic alumni experience that blends high-quality content with real connection and career growth?
THE PROBLEM
How might we create a centralized platform where alumni and students can access high-quality learning content, engage in meaningful professional conversations, and continue to foster a strong, supportive GSM community for lifelong growth?
Scope
The PMs finalized the MVP feature set with the client. I used the priority and effort scores to decide where design effort went — which flows had to be complete enough to test, and which could stay shallow.
Product Requirements
Design
Of all the features, I designed the following frames:
- Login Landing Page
- Onboarding Learning Preference Quiz
- Learning Content
- Saved Learning Content
- Alumni Directory
- Alumni Location Geomap
- Upload Content (Article, Video, & Podcast)
- Alumni-posted Content
My design partner spearheaded the onboarding profile quiz, discussion forum, messaging, and alumni profile.
User Flow
Lo-Fi to Midfi
In the lo-fi stage, I prioritized getting core solutions on the screen, while lightly refining lower-priority elements and layout.
At mid-fi, I added branding, copy, and interaction detail to prep the prototype for alumni testing in Figma, ensuring it was clear and engaging for participants unfamiliar with UX workflows. The goal: focused feedback on key features.
Usability Testing
We tested the mid-fi prototype with alumni and rebuilt the areas that tripped them up. Three of the problems ran deeper than a single screen, and each one turned into a structural decision.
Search had no clear purpose
Was it for people or content? I split it: a focused search on the learning page, and a top nav pointing directly to the directory and forum.
Saved and published content had no home
I added a bookmark icon linking to saved content, and moved uploading onto the learning homepage, grouping every learning action in one place.
The geomap was buried in advanced search
I moved it to a single map-expansion button, front and center.
The pairings below show each screen before testing and the version we shipped, with the reasoning called out.
Learning Content Discovery
Increase visual engagement of learning dashboard
Simplified top navigation
Easier access to saved content
Minimized step to edit learning preferences
Alumni Directory
Simplified alumni directory and filtering
Interactive toggle Geomap
Alumni Generated Content
Dedicated content upload page
Increased visual hierarchy of content form
Final Design
The GSM's Lifelong Learning Platform Pillars
- Community 👫
- Professional Growth 💼
- Learning 📕
Outcome
The project was delivered to Dean Unnava with the full research, designs, and prototype. Development was not part of this engagement — building the platform was left to the Dean's team after handoff.
Reflection
This project stretched my thinking, sharpened my skills, and made me even more excited to grow as a product designer.
What challenged me was prototyping limits in Figma
Creating an advanced filter system pushed Figma to its edge. Without conditionals or multiple actions, I couldn't fully simulate the real interaction, which impacted usability testing.
I learned that PMs are magic
Watching our PMs in action was eye-opening. From organizing roadmaps in Notion to feature scoping and aligning the team, I left this project with a deep respect for cross-functional collaboration.
Accomplishments
- Designed with the 8pt grid for the first time to support dev handoff and keep layouts clean and scalable.
- Pushed Figma further than ever with interactive maps, scroll buttons, radio groups, and smart component swaps.
Gratitude
Shoutout to my incredible team and AggieWorks. This project was the highlight of my final undergrad year. Huge thanks to Dean Unnava and the UC Davis GSM for trusting us with this meaningful work. I'm walking away inspired and proud.