Nigerian Youth
Social & Training Platform
Sponsored Course Project
This is an exploratory research and design project. I worked as both UX researcher and UX designer on this project.
The high-level objective is to create a virtual and physical community that promotes shared experiences in trade and vocational occupations by connecting people to training, teams, and mentors while providing earned rewards in the form of communal events to foster positive and productive socialization further.
(The visuals you see on this page are from my final report. It is for showcasing my research reporting ability.)
Research and Design Process
Background and Goals
The sponsor wants to destigmatize vocational jobs and promote a more positive life for the youth in Mushin, Nigeria.​
Project Objectives: Understand the needs, aspirations, and challenges of the youth in Mushin to design a solution that fosters a positive perception of vocational careers.
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Stakeholders: The sponsor, who resides in Mushin, aimed to destigmatize vocational jobs and promote positive outcomes for the local youth.
Background
Generative Research Goals
1. Understand the cultural contexts of Mushin youth, such as their living environment, and social and family relationships.
2. Understand Mushin youth's technology accessibilities (internet, computer, cell phone, etc.).
Research Methods & Results
Research Methods
To achieve these goals, we initiated our research with a literature review to obtain a general understanding of Mushin youth. This approach also facilitated the development of interview and questionnaire questions.
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Due to the limitation of long distances, we also adopted unstructured interviews, video recordings, and questionnaires with 8 target users, including our sponsor and his connections.
Results
Based on our literature review results, we focused our interview and questionnair questions primarily on 3 areas: youth's lifestyles, family relationships, and digital device accessibility. After analyzing the results, we had the following insights:
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1. Youth's Lifestyles:
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A lack of public trust in Nigeria.
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Limited developing resources.
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Unpractical education system.
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Stereotypes about vocational/trade workers.
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Choose touting activities as a survival strategy.
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When opportunity is provided, many youths have the desire to do good.
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2. ​Family Relationships:
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Lack of role models and guidance.
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Feel pressure from families to be in high-esteemed careers (i.e., doctors, lawyers, etc.)
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3. Digital Device Accessibility:​
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Have access to mobile devices (mainly Android).
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Limited access to computers and laptops.
Problem Definition
Problem Statements
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The youth in Mushin face significant barriers in persuing vocational careers due to negative societal perceptions, limited access to educational resources, and socio-economic pressures. These challenges hinder their ability to develop skills and secure sustainable employment, leading to a lack of motivation and opportunities for growth.
Project Objective
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To provide a user-centered solution that creates both a virtual and physical community, connecting the youth of Mushin to vocational training, mentors, and support networks. The goal is to empower them with skills development opportunities and incentivize engagement through communal events, ultimately reshaping perceptions of vocational careers and fostering a more positive, growth-oriented mindset.
Ideation and Concept Development
Ideation Process
Approach: We used brainstorming techniques to generate ideas that could create a supportive ecosystem for vocational learning in Mushin. The main was to destigmatize vocational jobs by emphasizing their value and potential for personal growth.
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Conceptual Focus: Ideas centered on creating a hybrid community model that blends digital platforms with in-person experiences to maximize youth engagement and skill development.
Concept Sketching
Initial Designs: Lo-Fi sketches and wireframes were created to visualize various components, including onboarding, mentorship opportunities, and activities.
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Feedback Integration: Iterated the designs based on feedback from the sponsors, ensuring the concepts remained culturally relevant and focused on empowering the youth.
Prototyping and Iteration
Prototype Development
From Lo-Fi to Hi-Fi, we developed interactive prototypes in Figma, gradually refining them to create an engaging and intuitive user experience that supports vocational training and mentorship.
Interactive Design
We leveraged feedback from the sponsor to iteratively improve the prototypes, focusing on usability, accessibility, and the integration of points systems to incentivize positive behavior among the youth.
MVP Focus
We prioritized features that directly addressed the youth's need for skill-building and community support, creating a minimum viable product that serves as a catalyst for change in their perception of vocational careers.
Final Presentation and Solution
Concept Presentation to Sponsor
Storytelling Approach: We presented the MVP Hi-Fi prototype to the sponsor, emphasizing how our research findings directly influenced the design decisions. We highlighted the potential for vocational careers to transform the youth's future when supported by a robust community.
Sponsor Feedback: The sponsor was highly receptive to the design, validating our approach to create a positive and sustainable impact on the youth of Mushin, and selected our solution to advance into app development.
Project Reflections and Learnings
Challenge Faced
Navigating the remote nature of the research and the geographical distance was a key challenge. We overcame this by maintaining open lines of communication and using asynchronous tools effectively.
Key Learnings
This project underscored the importance of flexibility in research methods and the value of stakeholder involvement in bridging gaps between the research and design team and the target audience.
Impact
This project can potentially change the narrative around vocational careers for the youth in Mushin, promoting a more positive outlook towards trade professions and community engagement.