Serving the colleges through student validated design.
The Student Centered Design Lab helps improve students’ experiences with digital tools, communication campaigns, and policy initiatives through the application of human-centered design thinking.
I think it’s great that you’re looking at student input. At the end of the day, it’s the student that will be using it and benefiting from it.
Designing with the student in mind.
The Lab provides the California Community Colleges with design guidance, evaluation, and research.
By gathering actionable student feedback, the Lab team helps its partners keep students at the center of development efforts.
Applying design thinking to improve the student experience
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Implement
Work with the Lab
Interested in providing your feedback to the Lab team about system tools, campaigns, or initiatives, or testing yours with students?
Student participants
Join our student participant pool by completing the online screener. If you match the profile needed for a study’s requirements, you may be contacted by the Lab team to participate in a study.
Project partners
Have a student-facing tool, campaign, or initiative you’d like student feedback about? Please complete the Lab’s project intake form to get started.
Our vision for change puts a sharp focus on students’ goals and needs, designing and making decisions that put students first, having high expectations and high levels of support for all students, including working adults.
Lab services
Lab services are equity-focused and outcome-focused, and they are aligned with the Student Success Metrics.
Lab services include
Insights
Expert review
- Technical evaluation
- Design quality evaluation
- Cognitive walkthrough
- Heuristic evaluation
- Accessibility evaluation
- Persona development
Student feedback
- Visual preference (in-person and remote)
- Usability testing (in-person and remote)
- Field research
Research
Quantitative
- Google Analytics analysis
- Search log analysis
- User surveys
Qualitative
- Card sorting
- Tree tests
- User interviews
- User focus groups
- Diary studies