Contact
Let’s
Connect!
Scholarly
An App for Scholarship Search
Scholarly
An App for Scholarship Search
Role
Timeline
Skills
Jan 2023 - Mar 2023
UI/UX Designer
Product design, User Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Design System.
Scholarly
Scholarly is a fictional mobile app concept developed as part of my university UI/UX design course. The app is designed to streamline the scholarship discovery process for students by providing personalized recommendations and a mentorship feature to support them throughout the application journey. This project aimed to reduce the stress and confusion often associated with finding relevant scholarships and to empower students through guided mentorship.
Problem Statement
Students often feel overwhelmed by the scholarship application process due to unclear eligibility, scattered opportunities, and lack of guidance. A personalized, mentor-supported platform is needed to simplify discovery and boost application success.
Understanding Users
I conducted interviews with 10 students to understand their experiences applying for scholarships. This helped uncover key pain points and opportunities to streamline the application process.
Guidance increases confidence
Students need personalized results
Many students expressed a strong desire for mentorship to help navigate eligibility, deadlines, and essay writing.
Generic scholarship listings overwhelm users; they want tailored recommendations based on their academic, financial, and personal profiles.
Tracking progress is essential
Navigation should be intuitive
Users preferred a clean, simple interface with minimal filters and clear categorization to reduce time spent searching.
Users wanted built-in reminders and a dashboard to manage deadlines and track application statuses in one place.
The Users
Insights from interviews informed the creation of a user persona representing typical users’ goals, frustrations, and needs. These personas served as a foundation for guiding design decisions throughout the project.
Goals
Secure financial aid through scholarships to support tuition.
Find opportunities aligned with her background and interests.
Improve her scholarship applications with expert guidance.
Behaviors
Overwhelmed by the volume of irrelevant scholarships online.
Uncertainty about eligibility criteria and deadlines.
Lack of personalized help or mentorship during the process.
"I just wish there was a way to match with the right ones—and maybe talk to someone who’s already been through it."
Pain Points
Daniella
Comfortable using mobile apps for education and productivity.
Frequently uses Google, YouTube, and student forums for research.
Prefers clean, intuitive interfaces with minimal clutter.
Occupation: Student
Age: 18
Location: California
Major: Design
Design Process
Building on research insights, I began by organizing interview feedback surfacing core user needs like personalization, guidance, and simplified navigation. These informed the creation of a clear user flow that mapped the full experience—from onboarding and profile setup to discovering scholarships and connecting with mentors.
I translated the user flow into low-fidelity wireframes in Figma, then developed mid- and high-fidelity prototypes to visualize layout and interaction. Throughout, I prioritized features like a tailored scholarship feed and mentor-matching functionality. Every design decision was aligned with the User insights and user personas to ensure a cohesive, intuitive experience for students navigating the scholarship process.
I conducted multiple rounds of usability testing via Zoom using early-stage prototypes to validate key design decisions. Participants interacted with core features such as profile setup, navigation flow, scholarship recommendations, and the mentor connection process, offering valuable feedback on usability and clarity. Based on this input, I iteratively refined the interface to improve navigation, enhance the accuracy of scholarship matches, and streamline the mentorship feature—ensuring the app became more intuitive and user-friendly with each round of testing.
The Outcome
The final design of Scholarly successfully addressed students' key pain points by offering a streamlined, personalized scholarship discovery experience and meaningful mentorship connections. Usability testing showed improved task completion and strong user satisfaction—students found it easier to locate relevant scholarships, stay organized, and feel supported through the application process. The app’s intuitive interface, personalized recommendations, and mentor feature were particularly well-received, with users expressing increased confidence and reduced stress in navigating scholarship opportunities.
15% improvement in task completion rates
Scholarly
Haru Skincare
