Pathway to Professional Fulfillment:

Mentra

A comprehensive mentorship platform designed to connect employees with suitable mentors within their organizations

Intro

Project Overview

In response to the significant career regrets expressed by older millennials, I created Mentra, a platform designed to connect employees with mentors within their organization. Mentra streamlines the mentorship process, facilitating meaningful connections that empower millennials to navigate their career paths with confidence and fulfillment.

The Design Process

For the design process, I used a non-linear design-thinking methodology to prioritize the user’s perspective in my application. This approach facilitated in addressing complex challenges of the project by making the process strategic and allowing room for creative solutions tailored to user needs.

Project Length: 10 Weeks

My Role: UX/UI Designer

Tools Used: Figma, Otter.ai, Canva

Platform: Android

Empathize

Problem Space

A significant portion of older millennials in America express regret over their career choices, denoting a pervasive sense of disillusionment. As millennials are set to become the majority of the workforce by 2025, addressing their career disillusionment becomes increasingly crucial.

Secondary Research

Given these findings, it's important to develop strategies that encourage career fulfillment and motivation among older millennials.

To tackle this issue, I propose the following design challenge:

Design Challenge

How might we help older millennials, who regret their past professional decisions, find satisfaction and fulfillment in their current career path?

Assumptions

Older millennials …

  • are dissatisfied with their current career paths and seek fulfillment

  • regret past professional decisions, often due to a mismatch with their current career paths,  impacting their satisfaction

  • consider it’s important to feel satisfied and fulfilled in their careers

  • are open to solutions for finding satisfaction and fulfillment

  • may lack clarity about their career goals and the available resources or support networks for career advancement

Hypothesis

  • I believe that older millennials who regret their past professional decisions can achieve satisfaction and fulfillment in their current career paths by identifying their key motivations, aspirations, and addressing any skills or competencies they feel are lacking

  • I will know my hypothesis is true if 2 out of the 3 participants express a desire to address their career regrets and are open to exploring strategies to enhance their current career satisfaction and fulfillment

Interviews (Highlights)

To gain deeper insights into the problem space and establish a connection with my target audience, I conducted interviews with three older millennials who have expressed regret over their past professional decisions.

Click the image to enlarge

Through one-on-one conversations, I delved into their motivations, behaviors, and pain points, mapping out key insights to inform the design process

Interviewee 1

“how to approach the problem how to tackle the problem, and how to interact with others and get ideas or feedback. That's the thing I've most enjoyed with it.”

— Vishnu

Interviewee 2

“I'm always exploring ways to enhance our processes, not settling for the status quo. Bringing fresh perspectives back to the team is energizing for me.”

— Prateek

Interviewee 3

“Doing what I love is something that would certainly give me satisfaction and happiness.”

— Amit

Key Themes & Insights

Based on the in-depth interviews conducted, 8 key themes and insights emerged that informed the design process:

After reviewing the key themes that emerged from the user interviews, I decided to focus my ideation efforts on the theme of "Professional Fulfillment." This theme centered around the participants' desire to find greater satisfaction, meaning, and purpose in their work through a sense of accomplishment, personal growth, and alignment with their professional endeavors.

Validating the Hypothesis

The interview data provided valuable insights to support the focus:

  • Despite regretting past career choices, the participants were able to find satisfaction in their current work through problem-solving, contributing to meaningful projects, and effectively utilizing their skills - even if they felt limited in certain aspects of their roles

  • Participants emphasized the importance of aligning their work with personal values and seeking opportunities for creativity and growth in order to experience job satisfaction and fulfillment

  • One participant actively sought out additional projects to enhance their sense of fulfillment, demonstrating a willingness to take steps towards greater career satisfaction

Based on these findings, 2 out of the 3 participants directly expressed a desire to address their career regrets and were open to exploring strategies to enhance their current career satisfaction and fulfillment. Thus, my initial hypothesis was validated. This validation provided a strong foundation for the next phases of the design process.

Thus, I revised my design challenge by flipping the narrative from “regret” to “empowerment focused” to better address the core needs of the millennials

Revised Design Challenge

How might we empower older millennials to achieve personal fulfillment and satisfaction in their current career paths, aligning their work with their values and aspirations?

Define

Persona

Based on my findings, I developed the persona of Vivek Sharma to ensure the needs and goals of my target users remained at the forefront of the design process. Vivek's story and characteristics reflect the key insights gathered from interviews

Meet Vivek, a 34-year-old software engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area who is seeking greater purpose and fulfillment in his career!

Experience Mapping

The next phase in my design process was to create an experience map. The experience map allowed me to visualize the vivek's journey and identify pain points, opportunities, and areas for improvement

Ideate

User Stories chosen

Focusing on maintaining employee engagement and satisfaction during the "Perform" phase, as outlined in Vivek's Experience Map, can help extend this phase and prevent the onset of "Disillusionment" among employees. By keeping staff inspired and motivated, organizations can nurture long-term commitment from their employees, which in turn contributes to the overall success of the organization.

The epics and user stories within this context are developed to support this key objective, ensuring that the employee experience is enriched and sustained throughout their journey within the organization.

A total of 30 user stories were developed, that were divided into 5 epics

See all the user stories

The majority of epics and user stories heavily rely on employee action, expecting them to drive their professional journeys. While this is a reasonable expectation, it raises an essential question: is the journey leading to professional fulfillment for the employee? This, in turn, prompts other critical questions: how can employees ensure they are on the right path? What can support their progress, allow for adjustments if necessary, or act as a catalyst when needed?

One potential solution to address these inquiries is Internal Mentorship. This concept inspired the adaptation and selection of the primary epic for the prototype and further expansion of the user stories as follows:

User Task Flow

With the 3 user stories selected above, I proceeded to define the task that’d be accomplished with the prototype:

Task: Match an employee with a suitable mentor in the mentorship portal to enhance employee's professional growth within the company

To better inform the work, I have drafted the below user task flow:

UI Inspiration Board

With the user stories and task flow defined, the next step was to explore existing digital solutions and design elements that could inform the user interface for my product. I compiled a UI Inspiration Board to guide the visual and interactive direction.

I began by researching a range of existing products and services that addressed the core task and functionality of my digital solution. This allowed me to identify design patterns, components, and interactions that were working well, as well as areas that could be improved upon.

By compiling this comprehensive UI Inspiration Board, I was able to establish a strong visual and interactive foundation for my product design.

Sketches

With the UI Inspiration Board as a foundation, I moved into the concept sketching and ideation phase to begin translating the user stories and task flows into low-fidelity, pen-and-paper designs.

I started sketching out the initial layout and interface for the core epic that would address the key features and functionality expected by my target user, Vivek Sharma. These early sketches allowed me to explore different approaches and quickly iterate on ideas.

Exploratory Sketches (click the image to zoom in)

Throughout the sketching process, I made sure to document my exploration, questions, and rationale. I annotated the sketches to ensure that anyone reviewing them would be able to clearly understand my thought process and the design decisions being made.

Solution Sketches (click the image to zoom)

Prototype

Wireframes

Using the solution sketches as a foundation, I began the process of translating my sketches into grayscale wireframes and an interactive prototype on Figma.

Low-Fi Wireframes (click the image to zoom in)

After establishing the initial grayscale wireframes, I took the next step of transforming those layouts into high-fidelity mockups. This allowed me to refine the information architecture, and set the stage for the final visual design.

HiFi Design - Initial Prototype (click the image to zoom)

However, at this stage, I intentionally held off on finalizing the color palette and typography. My focus was on refining the information architecture, interaction flows, and overall usability of the product before introducing those additional visual design elements.

Test

User Testing and Iterations

With the high-fidelity mockups in place, I conducted two rounds of usability testing, gathering feedback from a total of ten participants to refine the interactive prototype.

Crafting the Test Script

For each round, I developed a user test script following the frameworks of Steve Krug and Google Ventures. This included a realistic scenario and a series of design-appropriate tasks that would allow me to observe how participants interacted with the prototype.

Documenting User Insights

During the testing sessions, I carefully noted the participants' reactions, behaviors, and feedback. 

Synthesizing Findings

After the two rounds of usability testing, I consolidated the key insights and feedback into a comprehensive user testing report. This document served as a centralized resource for understanding the learnings from the testing sessions.

Test Results - Iteration 1

Test Results - Iteration 2

Prioritizing Design Changes

To ensure I addressed the user needs, I created a design prioritization matrix. This allowed me to evaluate each proposed change based on factors like:

  • User Impact: The potential benefit the change would provide to the user experience.

  • Feasibility: The level of effort and resources required for implementation.

Iteration 1 - Design Prioritization Matrix (click the image to zoom in)

Iteration 2 - Design Prioritization Matrix (click the image to zoom in)

By using this prioritization matrix, I was able to identify the most impactful and feasible updates to focus on for the next iteration of the design. Given the severity and priority of the items, I have dealt with all the 14 improvement items identified in the testing exercise.

HiFi Design - Iteration #1 (click the image to zoom)

HiFi Design - Iteration #2 (click the image to zoom)

Branding: Brand Identity / Visual Identity Process

Mood board 

I created a mood board to capture the visual identity and overall feel I wanted to convey for the digital product. The mood board served as a guiding reference throughout the design process, ensuring consistency and alignment across all design elements.

I started by brainstorming a list of adjectives and keywords that I felt best represented the desired brand personality. This helped me identify the core moods and emotions I wanted to evoke.

Brand Colors

Based on the keywords, I have curated a moodboard, a collection of visual images to evoke a particular mood or feeling for the product. After the initial gathering of images, I reviewed the mood board and removed any elements that felt visually distracting or didn't strongly support the core brand attributes.

  • Extracted color palette from mood board images to establish cohesive brand colors.

  • Selected "enchanted meadows" theme with orange as main brand color for its energetic and warm qualities.

  • Employed a "one pop, two neutrals" color scheme (white dominant, with 30% orange and 10% black) for balance and readability.

  • Ensured color palette met accessibility standards to enhance usability and inclusivity.

Wordmark

  • Step 1: Sketched possible Wordmark options and picked the one that resembled the nexus between a mentor and a mentee

  • Step 2: Vectorized the sketches to better represent the nexus with a “victory” sign

  • Step 3: Developed the alternate versions - fully colorized, back-on-white, and white-on-black

  • Step 4: Developed app icons that are consistent with branding - picked Android for the MVP as the prototype is also within Android milieu

UI Library 

To ensure a comprehensive design system for the digital product, I developed a robust UI Library. This involved cataloging user interface components, organizing them into a structured hierarchy from foundational Atoms to full Pages. I documented the specifications, properties, and contextual details for each element, ensuring consistency and maintainability. The UI Library also incorporated the brand's typographic assets, color palette, and other visual identity components, serving as a repository of design elements to support the project's development and scalability.

Prototype

With the UI Library in place, I then focused on bringing the mentorship app to life through a high-fidelity prototype. 

Through iterations, color exploration, and further brand development, I developed the prototype to a polished high-fidelity experience. The result is a seamless mentorship platform that empowers users to navigate their career paths with confidence and support.

Marketing Site Preview

To support the launch and growth of the Mentra mentorship platform, a comprehensive marketing website was created, which would serve as the digital storefront for the app. This would play a crucial role in making a strong first impression on potential customers, providing them with detailed information about the app's features and benefits.

What have I learned and what’s next?

Key Learnings

    • Not including women in my interviews could have introduced bias and limited the diversity of perspectives I was gathering.

    • Learning: It's important to ensure that my research includes a diverse range of participants to capture a more comprehensive understanding of the problem space and to avoid potential blind spots in the design process.

  • Throughout the design process, the needs and preferences of the end users were prioritized, aiming to create a platform that addresses their challenges and empowers them to achieve their career goals. This user-centric approach has been instrumental in shaping the features and functionalities of the Mentra app.

  • I iterated on the app prototype based on user feedback and usability testing results. This allowed me to refine the app's interface, improve usability, and enhance the overall user experience.

  • Valuing the input of users, I actively sought feedback throughout the development process and used it to guide the design decisions. Through this, I was able to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to meet user needs 

  • Building Mentra has been a journey of continuous learning and growth. From mastering new design tools and techniques to gaining insights into user behavior and preferences, I have expanded my skill set and deepened my understanding of UX/UI design principles.

Next Steps

    • Conduct in-depth user research to deeply understand the needs and pain points of both mentors and mentees when it comes to building long-term relationships.

    • Implement mechanisms for users to easily stay connected, follow up, and continue their mentorship journeys beyond individual sessions.

    • Establish clear metrics and KPIs to track the success of the marketing website in driving user acquisition, engagement, and long-term retention.

    • Continuously gather user feedback, analyze data, and iterate on the website design and functionality to optimize the user experience.

  • Ensure seamless collaboration and information sharing between the marketing, sales, and product teams to inform ongoing improvements to the go-to-market strategy.

    • Enhance the AI matching algorithms to provide even more accurate mentor-mentee pairings based on factors like career goals, personality traits, and learning preferences.

    • Develop personalized learning plans for mentees based on their career aspirations and skill gaps. 

    • Improve the app's communication tools to facilitate seamless interaction between mentors and mentees. This could include video conferencing, chat functionalities, and shared workspace features for collaborative projects.

    • Implement features that enable users to provide feedback on mentorship sessions and track their progress over time. This could include performance metrics, goal-setting tools, and regular check-ins to ensure users are achieving their objectives.

  • Foster a sense of community within the app by introducing discussion forums, Q&A sessions, or mentor-led workshops. This would encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration, and peer support among users.

Alternative Device of Choice: Surface 8

In envisioning the future of professional development with Mentra, I embarked on the Multi-Platform Challenge, aimed at reimagining the app's interface and functionality for diverse user scenarios. Focusing on our persona, Vivek Sharma, whose overarching goal is to find professional fulfillment, I delved into crafting an immersive experience tailored to his needs.

By storyboarding multiple scenarios of Vivek's interactions with Mentra on different devices, I sought to explore alternate physical modes of interaction and expand the app's reach beyond traditional platforms. Opting for the Surface Pro tablet as our chosen device, I envisioned a seamless and intuitive user experience that empowers Vivek to take charge of his career journey anytime, anywhere.

One such scenario brought to life through this process is Vivek's transformative experience on his daily commute. Feeling dejected and uncertain about his career path, Vivek turns to Mentra on his Surface Pro tablet for guidance. With a few simple taps, he discovers a leadership course that resonates with his aspirations and signs up, instantly feeling empowered and optimistic about his future.

This scenario not only showcases the versatility of Mentra's interface across different devices but also highlights its potential to positively impact Vivek's professional journey. By embracing innovation and user-centric design, Mentra is poised to redefine the landscape of professional development, empowering individuals like Vivek to thrive in their careers and achieve their fullest potential.

Outro: Envisioning the Future Impact of Mentra

As I reflect on the journey of developing Mentra, I can't help but envision the profound impact it could have on professional ecosystems worldwide. As the app continues to gain traction and reaches mass adoption, I see a future where mentorship becomes ingrained in the fabric of workplaces, fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and empowerment. With millions of users interconnected through mentorship relationships, Mentra has the potential to reshape career trajectories, enhance networking opportunities, and cultivate a more supportive and engaged workforce.

At scale, I foresee Mentra catalyzing a shift in workplace dynamics, with mentorship becoming a normalized practice across industries and organizational levels. This shift would not only benefit individuals seeking guidance and support in their careers but also contribute to the overall success and innovation of companies. As more professionals leverage Mentra to navigate their career paths, I anticipate a ripple effect of positive change, leading to increased career mobility, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

Looking ahead, I am excited about the transformative role Mentra can play in shaping the future of work. By empowering individuals to seek mentorship and share their expertise, Mentra has the potential to unlock untapped potential, bridge knowledge gaps, and foster a more inclusive and supportive professional community. As I continue to refine and evolve the Mentra platform, I am committed to realizing this vision and creating a brighter future for professionals worldwide.

In a nutshell, I am excited about the prospect of transforming the experience of many Viveks in their respective workplaces to something in the below lines with Mentra’s intervention -