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 Researcher
Pitch Deck Designer
Collaborators @ Harvard University:
Coordinator & Research: Emily Helms
Research & SWE: Holden Schermer
Timeline:
4 weeks, Fall 2025
Academic Project @ Harvard School of Engineering
What I Did:
UI/UX, affinity diagram, hypothesis testing, user testing
5-minute pitch deck structure & visuals
Context
Harvard attracts 8 million visitors annually. But language barriers and scattered information diminish the campus experience of thousands of international visitors, especially retirees.
Problem
International retirees cannot fully experience the Harvard prestige & culture.
To international retirees, Harvard represents academic prestige and a gateway to diverse campus culture. Touring campus fulfills their wish to connect with an institution they never attended, and experience its community culture firsthand. But 3 barriers prevent them from accessing this authentic experience.
Solution
With my team, I designed a 5-step booking platform that turns language barriers into cultural connections, matching international retirees with verified Harvard students for personalized, authentic campus tours.
Harvard students write their bio info, major, interest, and spoken languages on the dashboard. They can adjust tour numbers and pricing.
Outcome
2 user types served: international retirees + multilingual students
6/6 tourist groups said they would use this platform
100% interviewed students expressed interest in participating
If we had more time…
Conduct usability test on guide profile
Test with non-English-speaking users in Harvard Yard
Explore integration with official Harvard visitor services
Adjust UI color (crimson is Harvard’s color, but it may feel alarming and unreadable)
Field Research Insight
10 field interviews in Harvard Yard reveal retirees’ 4 consistent pain points:
Simultaneously, Harvard student interviews show there could be a two-sided opportunity:
How can we help international retirees overcome language barriers during campus visits, while addressing Harvard students' need for heritage connection and flexible income?
design process
Defining the Mobile-First Approach
Although many elderly retirees are not tech savvy, a mobile phone is the most portable, common touchpoint tourists use to search for information and manage trip details.
Crucial criteria: keep UI minimalist and avoid long texts for elderly’s usability
The design’s color palette derives from Harvard's official color palette, establishing the design’s commitment to serve Harvard’s tourists and community.
Ideation: Testing 4 Concepts
Ideating 4 mobile-first prototypes reveals solution to combine the best features of our top 2 favorite ideas based on interview results:
#3 Freelance Tour Platform:
Highest impact on user needs (language + cultural connection)
But initial prototype had poor information architecture and unclear user pathways, creating friction for elderly users.
Design challenge: Simplify booking flow while maintaining necessary information.
#4 AI-Powered Itinerary Creator:
Strong task flow with sequential steps and clear affordances
But low personalization; AI cannot provide the authentic human stories users seek.
Key insight: Adopt the clear step-by-step pattern from #4 to improve #3's usability.
Testing 2 Critical Assumptions
I framed 6 hypotheses — 3 for tourists, 3 for students—and prioritized testing the 2 with highest impact and uncertainty.
Hypothesis 1: High Impact
“If tourists feel cultural & language connection with student guides, then they will have a more valuable campus experience.”
Hypothesis 2: High Uncertainty
“If students are willing to work as guides with flexible scheduling, then the platform can sustain tour supply.”
✅ Validated
5/6 tourist groups said language matching was crucial
Visitors preferred hearing authentic student stories
Cultural background mattered as much as language fluency
⚠️ Partially Validated
High enthusiasm from multilingual students
Quote: "I only speak Korean at home, so I think it would be a good way to keep me fluent."
Concern: Rare languages may have supply gaps