CSUN REGISTRATION REDESIGN
Improving the Class Registration Experience for
CSUN Students
Project Type
Academic UX Case Study
Team
California State University, Northridge
Role
UX Research & Interaction Design
Tools
Figma, Google Forms, ChatGPT
Timeline
2 weeks
Goal
Improve the online course registration experience for CSUN students through user research and interaction design solutions.
As part of a redesign initiative for the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) website, this project explored the question:
How might we create a more intuitive registration process for CSUN students?
MY ROLE
I led the UX design process from research to early interaction design and UI collaboration.
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Conducted qualitative and quantitative user research
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Created personas, empathy maps, and user journey storyboards
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Designed site map and user flow to inform future wireframes
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Developed hypothesis and problem statement based on user insights
In addition, I developed user research strategies, conducted interviews, and collected data on the current registration experience.
**NOTE** Final UI design and prototyping were completed by other team members.
MY PROCESS
Data Synthesis
Translated research insights into key pain points, user needs, and opportunities.
Journey Mapping & User Flow Design
Visualized user journeys to align the team on solutions and streamline the user experience.
User Flow
Developed a detailed user flow based on research insights to optimize the experience and inform future UI design.
A Research-Driven UX Process
From user insights to journey mapping and user flow design
RESEARCH OVERVIEW
Qualitative Research,
Quantitative Survey Insights, and Key Findings
To redesign the CSUN class registration experience, I conducted both quantitative surveys and qualitative research—including interviews, contextual inquiry, and observation—to identify key pain points and opportunities in the student registration journey.
Qualitative Insights
I observed students performing registration tasks and conducted interviews to gather deeper insights. Many struggled with locating the FAFSA section, finding academic advisors, and remembering the correct steps to enroll in classes.
Students preferred using desktop devices for better visibility and suggested merging related steps (such as “Find Classes” and “Enroll”) to reduce confusion.
Quantitative Insights
A survey completed by 30+ students revealed that navigating FAFSA steps, locating academic advisors, and understanding the CSUN registration interface were the most challenging aspects of the process.
Key Takeaway
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Add a prominent “Registration” entry point in the main navigation.
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Provide videos or visual guides for FAFSA and enrollment steps.
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Create advisor-specific pages with easy appointment scheduling.
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Streamline navigation by combining related registration actions.
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Improve clarity and accessibility of financial aid information.
Research Artifacts
Research Plan
Qualitative Interviews
Quantitative Survey
Translating user insights into journey mapping and user flow design.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Personas and Empathy Map
PERSONAS
To better understand the student experience with CSUN’s registration process, I developed two personas—Sera, a first-year transfer student navigating academic systems for the first time, and Kevin, a returning STEM student seeking efficiency. Both reflect diverse needs and frustrations, including difficulty accessing advisors, navigating FAFSA steps, and the lack of clear, centralized navigation.
EMPATHY MAP
Using empathy tools like a empathy map, I captured user emotions such as anxiety, confusion, and information overload. This research informed my problem statement and hypothesis, focusing on creating a more intuitive, consolidated, and supportive registration flow tailored to students’ real-life struggles.
One key example is Sera, a first-year transfer student navigating unfamiliar digital systems. She says things like “Where do I start?” and “Does CSUN provide mentors?”—reflecting her confusion and need for guidance. She thinks “Why is this so hard?” and “What is best for me?”—indicating growing anxiety. In response, she checks the website or asks friends for help but often feels overwhelmed, anxious, and afraid of making mistakes.
These insights aligned with quantitative data, which showed that over 50% of students struggled with FAFSA steps and CSUN’s navigation. Together, these findings formed the foundation for a clearer, more intuitive registration interface that prioritizes visual guidance, mentorship access, and emotional ease for students at all levels.
KEY INSIGHT
Empathy mapping revealed that confusion around advising, FAFSA information, and unclear website navigation were the primary sources of stress during registration.
THE STORYBOARD
This storyboard visualizes the journey of a new transfer student struggling with CSUN’s registration system. It highlights key pain points like unclear navigation, limited advisor access, and confusion around FAFSA and class selection. The story helped guide design decisions toward a more intuitive, supportive, and centralized registration experience
Storyboard illustrating the transfer student’s registration journey and key pain points.
Recognizing the Problem
Seeking Help
Lack of Support
Searching the Website
Exploring Options
FAFSA Confusion
Registration Frustration
Discovering Mentorship
Initial Guidance
Connecting With Advisor
Successful Outcome
Guided Registration
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Based on insights from the empathy map and storyboard, the following design principles guided the redesign of the CSUN registration experience.
Centralized Support
Provide students with a single access point for advising, DPR information, and registration resources.
Guided Navigation
Structure the registration process as a step-by-step journey to reduce confusion and decision fatigue.
Accessible academic Planning
Make key academic information, such as degree progress and recommended courses, easy to locate and understand.
USER FLOW
This user flow illustrates how a student navigates the redesigned registration system.
The flow highlights three main paths: scheduling an advising appointment, accessing DPR information, and receiving course recommendations.
Each path aims to simplify decision-making and centralize key registration resources.
USER FLOW: Registration Support System
The following diagram maps the key user paths for students navigating advising, academic planning, and course selection during the registration process.
WIREFRAMES
Based on insights from the research and user flow, low-fidelity wireframes were developed to explore how advising support, DPR information, and course selection could be organized into a clearer step-by-step registration experience. These wireframes focus on improving navigation clarity and centralizing key registration resources.
These low-fidelity wireframes explore the structural layout of the redesigned registration system. They focus on improving navigation clarity and guiding students through advising, course planning, and appointment scheduling.
The goal at this stage was to test information hierarchy and interaction flow before developing high-fidelity UI designs.
User Authentication
A simple login interface was designed to minimize friction during system access while maintaining secure authentication through university credentials. By requiring university credentials, the platform protects sensitive academic data while enabling personalized features such as advising appointments, degree progress tracking, and course planning.
Student Dashboard Navigation
To reduce cognitive load and improve navigation clarity, key academic services such as appointment scheduling, advisor messaging, and the degree progress report were grouped into a centralized dashboard. This structure allows students to quickly access essential tools without navigating through multiple pages.
Advisor Communication
The advisor communication interface enables students to contact academic advisors through an integrated messaging system. This feature supports quick questions, academic guidance, and course planning assistance, helping students stay connected and make informed academic decisions.
Step 1-Schedule Appointment
Step 2-Date & Time
Appointment
Schedule Flow
Step 3-Confirmation
The scheduling interface was structured into clear steps—selecting appointment type, choosing date and time, and confirming details—to reduce confusion and guide students through the process efficiently.
Step 4-Appointment Confirmed
ACADEMIC
PLANNING AND DPR
The academic planning feature helps students understand their degree progress and upcoming requirements. By centralizing key academic information, the system supports more informed course planning and smoother registration decisions.
Degree Progress
Dashboard
The DPR interface helps students track their academic progress by displaying completed credits, remaining requirements, and recommended courses. This centralized view simplifies course planning and supports more confident registration decisions.
HIGH-FIDELITY UI
After validating the system structure and user flows through low-fidelity wireframes, the design progressed to high-fidelity UI development. This phase refined visual hierarchy, accessibility, and interaction clarity while preserving the structural logic established during the wireframing stage.
The following screens demonstrate how the final interface translates the wireframe structure into a clear and accessible advising system. The design emphasizes intuitive navigation, consistent visual hierarchy, and streamlined access to key academic services.
Authentication Screen
Student Dashboard Navigation
Advisor Communication-Entry Section
Advisor Communication- Chat Selection
Advisor Communication-Active chat
Appointment Scheduling Flow
The appointment scheduling feature allows students to easily book advising sessions by selecting the appointment type, choosing an available date and time, and confirming their meeting.
Step 1 - Schedule Meeting
Step 2 - Choose Date and Time
Step 3 - Add Notes and Review
Step 4 - Appointment Confirmation
Degree Progress Report (DPR)
The Degree Progress Report enables students to monitor their academic progress and remaining degree requirements. By clearly displaying completed courses, outstanding credits, and program requirements, the interface helps students better plan their academic path and stay on track for graduation.
Step 1 - Viee Degree Progress Overview
Step 2 - Access Degree Progress report
Step 3 - Review Completed and Remaining Requirements
Step 4 - Track Graduation Eligility
KEY DESIGN IMPROVMENTS
The redesigned advising platform introduces several improvements focused on usability, accessibility, and task efficiency, helping students more easily navigate academic advising services.
Clearer Navigation Structure
The redesigned dashboard organizes core advising features — messaging, scheduling, and degree progress — into a clear and consistent navigation structure.
Simplified Appointment Scheduling
The redesigned scheduling flow simplifies the process of booking advising sessions by guiding users through a clear step-by-step interaction, minimizing user confusion and reducing scheduling errors.
Improved Degree Progress Visibility
The Degree Progress Report interface presents completed courses and remaining requirements in a structured and expandable format, helping students quickly understand their academic standing and plan future coursework.
Improved Accessibility and Readability
The interface applies improved visual hierarchy, consistent typography, and higher contrast elements to support readability and accessibility across different screen sizes.
Integrated Advisor Communication
The advising system integrates direct advisor messaging and AI-assisted support, allowing students to quickly ask questions and receive guidance without leaving the platform.
OUTCOME
This project strengthened my understanding of designing complex academic systems that support multiple student tasks within a single interface. Through research, wireframing, and interface design, I explored how clear information architecture and step-by-step interaction flows improve usability in educational platforms. It also reinforced the importance of accessibility and task-focused design when building systems that support student success.