The Road to Agritech Success Platform
A platform empowering underrepresented youth with accessible education and mentorship opportunities in agritech.
The "Road to Agritech Success" is an educational platform designed to address the barriers faced by underrepresented youth, particularly females aged 18–29, in accessing resources and opportunities in the agritech industry. This case study focuses on designing an inclusive, intuitive platform that bridges the gap between users and agritech opportunities.
Problem
Many young people face challenges in accessing agritech education, mentorship, and community support due to limited resources, tech literacy barriers, and lack of outreach.
Solution
A user-friendly platform was created featuring multilingual educational resources, a mentorship program, and community engagement tools. This solution improved access to learning, enhanced usability, and fostered collaboration among users.
Tools
Figma, Canva, Google Form, Notion
Team
UX/UI Designer Team: Nikoo Beyzaei, Jess Do, Sandy Hughes
Directors: Saif Ahmed, Mehnaz Tabassum
Developer: Jaydeep Bhoite
Process
Understanding the Barriers
Research focused on identifying challenges faced by underrepresented youth, particularly females aged 18–29, in accessing agritech education. Competitive analysis of platforms such as MasterClass, Palette Skills, and SpringBoard Bootcamp revealed gaps in educational accessibility, mentorship opportunities, and community engagement.
Defining the Audience
Defined user personas and mapped journeys to understand goals and pain points.
Structuring the Platform
User Flow : Student accessing assignments grading status
User Flow : Completing course
Visualizing the Concepts
One of the biggest challenges involved selecting a sketch to move forward with, as there were three distinct versions created by different designers.
Discussions were held to share perspectives and collaborate online. By combining agreed-upon elements from each design, a final version was produced that satisfied the entire team.
Building the Framework
Testing & Iteration
Study type: In-person usability test
Participants: 4
Length: 45 minutes
85% of participants searched for a back button on every page, so a back button was added to each page.
65% of participants were confused about where to “Apply” for the program, so "Apply" was added as a secondary button in the top bar.
Creating & Testing Hi-Fi Mockups
Study type: Remote usability test
Length: 45-60 minutes
Participants: 6
Result:
95% of participants reported they felt more confident navigating the platform after completing the onboarding process.
65% of participants reported improved clarity of goals and educational tasks after using the AI-generated feedback feature.
80% of participants understood the meaning of the icons.
90% of participants finished the sign-up process easily.
75% of participants liked the ability to resubmit assignments on the feedback screen, preferring the button labeled "Resubmit Assignment."
Participants appreciated hover states on icons.
90% of participants were confused by the homepage's multiple buttons, so the top bar was simplified to prioritize the main goal, with a tertiary button added for the collection.
The stakeholders wanted to see more details about each program on the homepage, so bullet points were added to that screen for each program.
50% of participants were confused by excessive photos, so the design was updated to add testimonials.
20% of users didn’t notice the point feature of assignments, so its visibility was enhanced.
Incorporating AI functionality into the feedback section could enhance the user experience by adding screens that provide instant AI-generated feedback after users upload their assignments.
next moves
Continue to focus on accessibility by incorporating more inclusive design elements and ensuring that all users, regardless of their abilities, can effectively use the platform.
Conduct another round of usability tests to ensure all pain points have been addressed and the platform is user-friendly.
Work on designing a dark mode for the website to provide users with an alternative viewing option that reduces eye strain.
Design additional sections of the site map, such as the mentors' dashboard, admin panel, and other relevant areas, to enhance the platform's functionality and user experience.