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Nudge

Improving access to real-time academic support at the University of Georgia

Timeline

Spring 2026

Role

UX Designer

Client

Andrew MacDonald

Team

1 Project Manager
1 Brand Strategist
2 UX Researchers
1 UX Designer

Overview

Nudge is a verified peer network built exclusively for University of Georgia students. As the lead UX designer, I worked closely with a co-designer, researchers, and our client, Andrew MacDonald—to carry out an end-to-end design of a mobile platform that connects UGA students for academic help, campus knowledge, and professional development. I played a leading role in dictating our design process and sprint timeline, including conducting user interviews, competitor analysis, ideation, prototyping, and hand-off.

The problem

Finding peer help on campus is inconsistent and dependent on who you already know.

Students need help in high-pressure moments, but access is inconsistent. Even when help exists, many don’t reach out.

Therefore, they default to familiar sources like friends or AI tools and avoid asking others for help due to uncertainty and social risk.

Why is this important?

Trust

Without clear signals of credibility or shared context, students hesitate to reach out to people they don’t know.

Hesitation

Asking for help feels vulnerable. Fear of judgment and uncertainty make students less likely to initiate, even when help is available.

Thus, we asked ourselves...

GUIDING QUESTION

How might we make it easier for students to ask for help from the right person, at the right time without hesitation?

The Solution

A real-time, peer-to-peer platform that connects students in need of help with those who can offer it.

Research

Desk Research

27%

of students are aware of available academic support services, despite 94% of institutions offering them.

1 in 5

students say they received high-quality career coaching during college.

50%

of students never visit their career center in a given year.

Sources: Tyton Partners; Strada / Inside Higher Ed; NACE (2024–2025)

Outcome

Research showed a clear indication that while academic and career support systems exist, students struggle to access and use them effectively. This gap comes down to awareness, timing, and perceived usefulness.

Surveys and Interviews

84%

of students said they are not consistently able to get help when they need it.

6/10

is the median stress level students reported when trying to get academic or career help.

61%

of students feel comfortable helping a stranger, compared to 26% who feel comfortable asking for help.

From 8 live interviews and 31 survey responses.

Outcome

After conducting user interviews with 8 UGA students across majors and class years, we found that the need for academic and career support is both real and recurring, especially during midterms, finals, and recruiting season. However, students are not consistently able to access help, and more importantly, often hesitate to ask for it. This hesitation is driven by social discomfort, low trust, and perceived risk, making these the biggest barriers to adoption.

User Flows

Rapid Prototyping with Figma Make

We connected our brand variables directly to Figma Make to accelerate early-stage exploration, which reduced prototyping time from several weeks to just 30 minutes. This allowed us to quickly generate and test multiple flows before committing to high-fidelity design. It also helped us validate core interactions and reduce ambiguity much earlier in the process than a traditional screen-by-screen approach.

Heuristic Evaluation

Hick's Law

Nudge reduces cognitive load by guiding users through a structured "request help" flow, rather than overwhelming them with profiles or options.

User Control and Freedom

Nudge allows users to cancel requests or end sessions at any time, giving them full control over their interactions. This reduces the pressure of committing to a session and makes it easier to ask for help without fear of being stuck or uncomfortable.

Final Takeaways

This client project was truly an amazing and valuable experience! Leading the project end-to-end, from planning and UX design to collaborating with my team, pushed me to think beyond visuals and consider how design decisions translate into real-world constraints. I learned that the design process is rarely linear, and that iteration, ambiguity, and revisiting earlier decisions are essential to building a strong product. Regular feedback from our client and faculty mentor reinforced the importance of alignment and ensured we were solving the right problems. Working within a cross-functional team strengthened my ability to think more holistically about design. Collaborating with our project manager, brand strategist, researchers, and our client required balancing user needs with business goals, technical feasibility, and stakeholder expectations. This experience improved my ability to communicate design decisions clearly and adapt to different perspectives, helping me grow into a T-shaped designer who understands both the user experience and the broader system a product operates within.

Key Learnings

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Presentation
Rapid Prototyping with Figma Make & Prompting
Feedback & Iterations
Design Systems