To better understand student needs, I conducted user interviews with UCLA students and documented key quotes and insights. From these, I identified recurring pain points—such as the need for integrated professor/class reviews, live seat availability, and exam date transparency. These findings helped shape early feature priorities for the course planner, including Google Calendar integration, DARS syncing, and UI simplifications.

I created a detailed user persona based on primary research to guide design decisions. Avery Chen represents the core user: a motivated, tech-savvy UCLA senior juggling a heavy course load and extracurriculars. Her pain points—like disjointed platforms, fear of missing requirements, and a stressful UI—helped inform the planner’s key goals: streamlining the scheduling process, minimizing time spent planning, and increasing student confidence in their course selections.

This user flow diagram outlines the information architecture of BruinPlan, illustrating how students navigate across the core pages: course planning, degree progress, course exploration, and profile management. I collaborated with developers and stakeholders to define the sitemap and designed the flow in Figma. This diagram served as a blueprint for development and ensured all key features supported user needs.

For the homepage wireframe, I focused on designing a clean and intuitive interface that highlights core actions like browsing classes, checking enrollment dates, and viewing degree audits. I ensured the layout was user-friendly and prioritized clarity in navigation.

For the scheduler wireframe, I created a dual-pane layout—course selection on the left and a weekly calendar on the right—so students can visually drag and drop classes into their schedules. I incorporated real-time seat availability indicators and color-coded course blocks to help users quickly assess their options.

Throughout both designs, I worked closely with my team to align the wireframes with user needs and feedback. These wireframes served as the foundation for user testing and eventual high-fidelity mockups.

To better understand student needs, I conducted user interviews with UCLA students and documented key quotes and insights. From these, I identified recurring pain points—such as the need for integrated professor/class reviews, live seat availability, and exam date transparency. These findings helped shape early feature priorities for the course planner, including Google Calendar integration, DARS syncing, and UI simplifications.

I created a detailed user persona based on primary research to guide design decisions. Avery Chen represents the core user: a motivated, tech-savvy UCLA senior juggling a heavy course load and extracurriculars. Her pain points—like disjointed platforms, fear of missing requirements, and a stressful UI—helped inform the planner’s key goals: streamlining the scheduling process, minimizing time spent planning, and increasing student confidence in their course selections.

This user flow diagram outlines the information architecture of BruinPlan, illustrating how students navigate across the core pages: course planning, degree progress, course exploration, and profile management. I collaborated with developers and stakeholders to define the sitemap and designed the flow in Figma. This diagram served as a blueprint for development and ensured all key features supported user needs.

For the homepage wireframe, I focused on designing a clean and intuitive interface that highlights core actions like browsing classes, checking enrollment dates, and viewing degree audits. I ensured the layout was user-friendly and prioritized clarity in navigation.

For the scheduler wireframe, I created a dual-pane layout—course selection on the left and a weekly calendar on the right—so students can visually drag and drop classes into their schedules. I incorporated real-time seat availability indicators and color-coded course blocks to help users quickly assess their options.

Throughout both designs, I worked closely with my team to align the wireframes with user needs and feedback. These wireframes served as the foundation for user testing and eventual high-fidelity mockups.