Content
Santa Monica College Case Study
This UX research project explored how design could create a stronger sense of community at Santa Monica College. Through interviews, research, and participatory design methods, the project identified challenges students face when engaging with campus spaces, events, and resources.
My Role
UX Researcher
Duration
2 months
Tools
Figma, FigJam, Tableau, Typeform
Overview
/Challenge
Many Santa Monica College students struggle to feel connected to campus due to scattered information, limited visibility into events and clubs, and difficulty interacting with other students outside of class. Research shows that students often feel disconnected from the campus community, especially students that commute and online students who may not spend extended time on campus. Existing systems make it difficult to discover resources, participate in activities, or communicate with peers in a centralized and accessible way. The challenge was to create a solution that improved engagement and helped students build stronger connections within the SMC community.
/Solution
The approach focused on understanding the problem before proposing any design direction. Student interviews were conducted across different majors and class levels at Santa Monica College to gather insight into how students currently build community, where breakdowns occur, and what barriers exist to engagement on campus.
In addition to interviews, observational research and netnography were used to analyze how students interact in informal digital spaces such as group chats, social media communities, and unofficial forums. This helped reveal how much of the student experience and community-building happens outside of official school systems.
After consolidating the findings, key patterns emerged, including difficulty discovering events, fragmented information across platforms, and limited visibility into clubs and peer groups. Rather than moving toward a single final solution, the research informed multiple concept directions aimed at improving access to information and strengthening student connection across campus communities.
