Learn and earn your way to a career in big tech—without needing a traditional 4-year tech degree.
SMASH
Overview 🌟
Smash is an early-stage Seattle-based startup with the mission of helping underrepresented learners with nontraditional educational backgrounds acquire in-demand tech skills, thereby bridging the diversity gap in tech.
My role
Lead UX/UI Designer
Front-end Developer
Duration
December 2022 – January 2024
Jump to: My Process ⏳ || Solution 💭 || Problem Framing 🧩 || User Research 📄 || Design Goal 🎯 || Concept Ideation ✨ || User Personas & User Journey 🗺 || Low-Fidelity📱|| Takeaways ☑️ ||
How might motivate learners with primarily non-traditional educational backgrounds to achieve in-demand technology skills and industry-level experience so that they can find career opportunities and earn professional wages upon program completion?
The solution
Breaking into tech is as easy as 1-2-3!
My Process⏳
I operated 2-week agile sprints. As the UX/UI team lead, I facilitated communication among developers, founders, and team members to meet our MVP deadline in September 2023. My primary responsibility as lead UX designer was to create the learner journey, from sign-up to project registration. Additionally, I developed the design system to ensure consistent and cohesive design across the website.
Understand the problem
Problem Framing 🤔
While tech is a sought-after career path, most major tech companies require applicants to hold a four-year degree in a relevant discipline to be considered competitive. However, barriers such as high tuition costs and career changes make it challenging for many to break into the tech industry.
Understand users’ needed
User Research 🧐
I conducted literature reviews, user surveys, and user interviews to gain a well-rounded understanding of my user’s needs, goals, and pain points. The research helped me create user stories and possible solutions.
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20+
literature review
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50+
Survey responses
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15+
Initial interviews
“It’s hard to find a job at a major company if you’re not from a tech background.”
“I think the video tutorials are very helpful for me to learn.”
“I would consider myself a self-learner but I do well with structure and consistency.”
~82% of people who have used online learning find it beneficial
Interview Insights
Finding the passion for an area in tech through hands-on experience is a strong motivator
Online learning sites give you good foundational knowledge and specific skills
It’s hard to find the time and energy to practice new skills necessary to be good enough to change careers.
School/Classes don't prepare students enough as they lack the emphasis in the transition from academics to industries
Transitioning into tech is hard! Networking is hard and people without tech backgrounds are less desirable.
Surveys Insights
~54% of people are preparing themselves for career goals by self-learning or online learning
~55% believe that projects are the most effective way to learn
Takeaways
About half of recent college grads didn't apply for a job because they felt unqualified
About 1/5 of recent college grads feel college did not provide them with the skills for their first job
Learning paths and metrics help with skill development
Showing learning process is a good way to help students be on track
Understand stakeholders
Understanding the key learners’ funnel
To gain a deeper understanding of the project's requirements, I conducted interviews with four key stakeholders: the CEO, Business Development Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and Chief Financial Officer. The questions were designed to uncover their goals for the website's success and future growth. Additionally, I collaborated with the stakeholders to analyze the user flows, placing particular emphasis on the learner flow, which was my primary area of focus.
Smash’s vision
Takeaways
Learners must complete their 12-month journey equipped with skills for employment.
Static pages should be simple yet engaging, leveraging elements like testimonials and dynamic content to encourage sign-ups.
Retention improves when learners can immediately engage with meaningful actions after logging in.
Companies enter the process by submitting their email to connect with Smash.
Design Goal
My goal is to increase active users by exceeding 10k+ users and establish over 30+ partnerships, creating a vibrant talent pipeline for both learners and companies.
Information Architecture
User Persona Scenarios 🎲
High School Grad
Maya just graduated as a salutatorian in her high school. She enjoys digital drawing and creating animated shorts for her freelance work and in her spare time. She comes from a low-income household, so she is currently searching for a full-time design job in tech. She hopes that working in tech will allow her to support her family.
Rapid Sketching
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Visual Design
Design System
To ensure consistency across 30+ pages, I developed a comprehensive design system encompassing:
Foundations: Colors, typography, grids, icons, logo, and border-radius.
Components: Buttons, checkboxes, text fields, dropdowns, cards, and navigation.
Assets: Sponsor logos, imagery, illustrations, and data visualizations.
I selected shades of blue as the primary and secondary colors to convey intelligence, trust, and innovation—qualities often associated with tech companies. For the logo, we opted for minimalistic type lettering to maintain a clean and unobtrusive design.
Improvements
Usability Testing
I conducted both remote and in-person usability testing, focusing on essential features such as authentication, surveys, static pages, the dashboard, resume, and projects. The testing prompts were designed to assess how effectively users navigate and interact with these features.
Insights & Improvements
Takeaway 1: Authentication is Limited
Issue(s)
Users can only sign up via email or Google, limiting their options.
Improvement(s)
Expand authentication options to include platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and others for more flexibility.
Takeaway 2: Surveys are Irritating and Bothersome
Issue(s)
Surveys are mandatory upon every login and unskipable, making users uncomfortable.
Surveys lack engagement and motivation for completion.
Improvement(s)
Reduce the number of survey questions.
Make surveys optional and allow users to complete them later.
Introduce diverse survey formats (e.g., text fields, multiple-choice) to improve usability and engagement.
Takeaway 3: Text is Long and Confusing
Issue(s)
Text is overly lengthy, uses irrelevant language, and lacks clarity.
Improvement(s)
Summarize long texts and reorganize the design for better readability.
Incorporate compelling graphics or visualizations to capture users' attention.
Takeaway 4: Dashboard Visualizations are Distracting
Issue(s)
Certain sections are unhelpful and cannot be removed by learners.
Visualizations fail to effectively showcase learner progress or growth and lack engagement.
Improvement(s)
Remove unnecessary and confusing visualizations.
Allow learners to personalize their dashboard by editing, collapsing, or deleting unwanted sections.
Takeaway 5: Resume Lacks Functionality
Issue(s)
The resume format is unfamiliar and non-editable.
Learners cannot use their resume to update their LinkedIn profile.
Improvement(s)
Offer a LinkedIn-style resume format that is editable.
Allow learners to link their resume for automatic LinkedIn updates.
Enable resume downloads/uploads in PDF format.
Takeaway 6: Project Page is Unclear
Issue(s)
The project page's filters are confusing, making navigation difficult for new users.
Improvement(s)
Introduce a "My Projects" tab for managing and viewing recommended projects.
Provide clear browsing and filtering options for case studies and company-sponsored projects.
Final Product
❇️ Be Aware of Scope Creep
Startups often face constant changes and high ambitions, making scope creep a common issue. I learned to set boundaries and regularly revisit the scope to maintain focus and resources.
❇️ Establish Clear What-Can-Do Tasks Early On
Defining actionable tasks from the start prevents confusion and keeps the team efficient. Clear objectives build momentum and ensure progress in fast-paced environments.
❇️ It’s Okay to Push Back
I realized the importance of pushing back on impractical or misaligned requests. Constructive feedback leads to better decisions and realistic expectations.
❇️ Ethical Considerations Are Important
Startups can overlook ethics in the pursuit of growth. I ensured my work aligned with ethical standards, reinforcing the importance of responsibility in achieving sustainable success.
Reflection