Overview
I designed a mobile-first booking platform connecting international retirees with verified Harvard student guides, breaking language barriers for campus visits.
My Role:
UX Designer & Researcher
Pitch Deck Designer
Collaborators @ Harvard University:
PM: Emily Helms
SWE: Holden Schermer
Timeline:
4 weeks, Fall 2025
Academic Project @ Harvard School of Engineering
What I Did:
UI/UX, Hypothesis Testing, Prototyping, User Testing
5-minute pitch deck structure & visuals
Context
Source:
2025 tourist report from the Harvard Crimson Magazine
Initial Assumption & Field Research
Harvard University attracts 8 million visitors annually. But language barriers and scattered information diminish the campus experience of thousands of international visitors, especially retirees. Official guides are only in English, and translated materials are not accessible. We chose this demographic because they are currently very underserved.
My team first brainstormed and researched 3 common barriers that trouble Harvard visitors from getting a meaningful experience.
Solution
Visitors: Book in 5 short steps
A concise, quick booking flow with visible progress bar at the top, designed for clarity and usage ease.
Customize for language comfort and personal interests.
Customization allows visitors to see guide options, compare pricing, and pick places you want to visit the most.
Students: Manage profile in guide portal
Website > App
Remove users’ burden to download an app they won't use again after 1 visit.
“Retired international visitors are frustrated by Harvard’s inadequate visitor resources in their native language”
To help retired international visitors overcome language barriers and form meaningful connections with Harvard culture, I designed Crimson Guide Connect. (Lovable prototype here)
Harvard students write bio, spoken languages on guide dashboard. They can adjust tour numbers and pricing.
Outcome
Showcased to 70-person class as top-4 project
Takeaways
Mobile First
Tourist Impact
6/6 visitor groups (100%) confirmed booking intent.
Supply Validation
100% of interviewed multilingual Harvard students are interested
Identified 50+ potential guides across 12 languages
Students willing to charge $30-50/hour (viable pricing)
Projected Market Opportunity
8M annual Harvard visitors × 3% retirees = 240K potential users
If 5% convert: 12K bookings/year
At $30/tour: $360K annual marketplace value
Uncover the “why,” not just the “what”
Our initial assumption about our users’ needs was challenged, proving that design must begin with data-supported research.
Foster human connection, not replace it
We leveraged human elements for genuine connection rather than relying on AI, which is convenient but generic and distant in this design scenario.
Optimize usability, not sacrifice function
We strategically combined design concepts for efficiency and clarity in the final workflow.
Source:
10 retired international tourists in Harvard Yard
Insight
Design Goal & Criteria
But when we conducted field interviews with 10 international retirees, their top 3 pain points differed from our initial assumption:
“What disappoints retired international visitors the most is the lack of authentic, meaningful connections with Harvard students & campus”
Simplistic & Intuitive
A convenient booking flow and clear UI benefit non- tech-savvy elderly users.
How might we facilitate direct, meaningful, in-person connections between elderly international visitors and the Harvard community, to transform campus experience from dry facts to shared stories?
I further developed design criteria to help the team ideate:
Visitors most likely travel with mobile phones, not laptops. Mobile-first ensures convenience
design process
Design Decision 1: Solution Approach
Solution
Design Decision 1: Outcome
Source:
6 Harvard students (undergraduate and graduate) + 6 new retired international visitors in Harvard Yard.
A new round of field research with both Harvard students and international visitors validated strong demand for the prototype’s 2-sided marketplace
Design Decision 2: Information Architecture Order
Solution
Color Guide
Based on Harvard Engineering’s official color guide, top colors are extracted to show our platform’s Harvard association.
I didn’t choose bright red to not alarm users. Salmon helps differentiate from “Harvard Crimson“ while not appearing as alarming or dangerous.
Challenge: How to create meaningful human connections while providing clear guidance for elderly users?
Combine Concepts 3 & 4:
Marketplace of student tour guides (3) with sequential booking flow (4) for elderly-friendly usability
Challenge: Should visitors select guides first or visit dates first?
Select visit time first, then student guide
Elderly users have fixed travel schedules. Showing unavailable guides would create friction and confusion.
Design Decision 2: Outcome
8/10 test users preferred date-first flow when shown both options
