ChitChat
An ‘application assistance’ web platform designed for foreign students to simplify the often time consuming and complex process of filling out various applications. It’s an interactive platform where users can ask queries, answer questions, and write posts about all kinds of applications. The platform also enables students to quickly identify and reach out to the right person for help over a call. This right person would be someone who has done a similar task/paperwork not long ago, someone from a trusted community and someone whom the student can get reliable information from and make informed decisions.
Product Experience
Problem Space
Problem Statement
Young foreign students, who have recently moved to a new country, encounter challenges in navigating the paperwork and application processes. The current approach involves doing exhaustive and random digital searches on various forums and communities to understand the process. Unfortunately, there is no dedicated platform that gives comprehensive information about paperwork or facilitates connecting with someone who has knowledge about applications and how to fill them.
Problem Background
For young foreign students, likely to be in their early twenties, it is overwhelming to adjust to a new environment, to overcome language barriers, to navigate systems and rules and to gain general understanding about how to get things done, especially without wasting much time and resources. The degree programs, recruiting and networking activities are demanding. In addition to this, they also have to get various applications/paperwork. This is often a process filled with uncertainty and confusion. Students usually gather information randomly through their network of friends, online forums and communities such as Discord, Facebook groups etc., it’s a wide range of digital platforms where students have to visit and search for how to get things done, many times it leads to incomplete, unreliable or incorrect information. There is no dedicated platform/tool to get information in its entirety, from reliable sources that would make the process free of confusion and frustration.
Research Insights based on Survey
- ~60% of the students felt unsure and under confident about the entire application process.
- 50% of the students had instances of rework/refilling the application due to errors in initial work.
- 100% of students said they did not hire lawyers or professional services such as lawyers but relied on data found on the internet.
- To get help with applications, 46% of students said they would choose ‘Talking to someone who finished the process recently (someone in your social media community)’ while 42% said they would ‘Research the internet/various forums’.
Thus, it can be reasoned that students would appreciate a reliable, interactive knowledge sharing platform dedicated for paperwork, which enables them to connect with the right person, who they can trust and who not long ago went through the application process.
Landing on the Solution
Value features of ChitChat
- Connect with the right person over audio/video call to solve application queries.
- Integration with trusted communities such as Discord/Facebook/College Alumni
- Interactive platform: posts, questions and answers related to various paperwork.
- General information about various paperwork (application guidelines, list of supporting documents, cost, FAQs about application queries, information about most confusing application pieces, Links to official website, others)
User Flows/Mockups
Future Steps
Create MVP and test the adoption among users.
Figure out a way to integrate other social communities.
Strategize the growth of the platform since many users might not be returning users.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Supriya Deshpande
- Hands-on learning about product management
- Made me realise, there are hundreds of solutions available in the market today, no matter what the problem area is. Coming up with a product that is distinct yet successful would require a lot of customer research and targeting the right set of users/customers even if it is small.
- The coursework I did gave me an opportunity to think like a PM and talk to potential customers and understand issues at a deeper level. The experience of surveying made me understand how my perspective about a particular thing could be rare and different from the majority of people around me.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
&
As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
&
As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
&
Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
&
- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
&
All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
&
I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.
Full Team Learning