Hello Carolina
From Empathy to Design
The Problem
How might we help international students feel more confident navigating a new environment? Arriving in a new country can be overwhelming — from figuring out transportation to understanding social cues. Many international students at UNC face challenges adjusting to daily life on and off campus.
Product Design
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Hello Carolina is an interactive learning platform designed to support international students in in adapting to life in Chapel Hill.
The platform breaks down common challenges into clear, step-by-step task cards. It enables students to easily revisit procedures after completing a related course, solving the problem of forgetting key steps when facing these tasks in real life.
To support platform’s content, a transportation course is built to supports learners in understanding and using the bus system around Chapel Hill
My Role
Prototype Design (Team-based)
The platform prototype was designed in Figma, with leadership focused on user flow structure, interface interactions, and alignment with the real-world needs of international students. The work was carried out collaboratively with one additional team member.
Course Development(Independent)
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Full-cycle design, including curriculum mapping, visual asset creation, storyline prototyping, and voiceover integration
Process of Prototype Design
Hello Carolina
A Task-Based Learning Platform for International Students
Project Overview
This prototype was developed in the course Design of Emerging Technologies for Education (EDUC761), following a full-cycle design thinking process. The project aims to support international students through a task-based learning platform, combining self-paced modules with real-life checklists.
Tools:
Figma​​
Rise 360
Miro​
Veed.io
Team
​Fuqing Ye
Yingqi Wu
Audience
International Students who are new in the U.S.​
01
Understand & Empathize
To better understand the needs of my users, we talked with several international students who had just arrived in Chapel Hill. We wanted to learn what challenges they faced during their first month in the U.S.
From these interviews, I created a user persona and a jobs-to-be-done map based on their goals and actions.
Some key takeaways:
When facing problems, students often:
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Ask friends, alumni, or WeChat groups for help
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Search online and compare different sources
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Make their own to-do lists and set reminders to stay organized
Their goals include:
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Practical: Finish tasks like opening a bank account, setting up transportation, and handling visa paperwork
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Emotional: Feel less nervous or lost, and more in control
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Social: Adjust to daily life and local culture more smoothly
These insights helped me focus the design on giving clear, step-by-step support for real-life situations.
02
Define
After organizing my findings from the interviews, we started to define the key problems and user needs.
We created a critical item diagram to help me focus on what matters most for international students during their first month in the U.S.
Here’s what I found:
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Students need quick and reliable access to useful information, especially for daily tasks like housing, transportation, and banking.
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Many feel overwhelmed or anxious, so they prefer step-by-step guidance and simple language.
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They want chances to practice real-life scenarios (like how to visit a doctor or get a driver’s license) in a safe, low-stress way.
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Video-based support, visual layouts, and learning-by-doing experiences are more effective than long text.
These insights helped me shape the platform's direction — it should be clear, practical, and emotionally supportive.
03
Ideate
After defining the users’ main needs, we started to brainstorm possible solutions.
We brainstormed and created a large idea map to explore different formats, tools, and features that could support international students.
We focused on areas like:
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Mini video courses with animations and interactive tasks
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Real-life task checklists with step-by-step guidance
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Social features like mentor groups or student events
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Tools for organizing information, including uptating, reminders and notifications
Then, we used a dot voting activity to choose the most useful features based on our user goals. Ideas like “video guidance,” “task manager,” and “information updating” stood out. These became the key parts of prototype.
04
Prototype - Part 1
Wireframe
To visualize the user journey, We first created a low-fidelity wireframe showing the main layout and features of the platform.
The wireframe includes key pages such as:
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Home Page: Displays mini courses and upcoming tasks
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Tasks Page: Shows a checklist of real-life tasks for international students
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Task Detail Page: Offers step-by-step guidance on how to complete each task (e.g., how to take a bus or open a bank account)
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Courses Page: Allows users to explore all available self-paced courses
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Updates Page: Lets users submit updated information and receive announcements
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Course Page: Shows the course content in a simple, scrollable format
In this version, I focused on organizing the information in a clear and friendly way, so users can easily find what they need without feeling overwhelmed.
Homepage&Taskspage
Coursepage&Updates
Courecontentpage
Homepage&Taskspage
04
Prototype - Part 2
High-Fidelity Design & Avatar
👉
After building the wireframe, we developed a high-fidelity interactive prototype in Figma to bring the platform to life.
The interface was designed with clarity and calmness in mind, helping users complete important tasks without feeling overwhelmed. The layout highlights key actions like checking tasks, starting mini-courses, and submitting updated information.
To make the platform more engaging and supportive, I designed an original avatar named Ollie.
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Ollie is inspired by two symbols:
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The Old Well, a landmark of UNC
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An octopus, which represents intelligence, adaptability, and having many “arms” to gather information
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The color palette is based on the official UNC style guide, using friendly pinks and blues to make the visual identity soft, welcoming, and student-centered.
Ollie appears across the platform to guide users, offer encouragement, and explain tasks. By combining clear structure with emotional support, Ollie helps new students feel less alone when facing unfamiliar challenges.
05
Test & Reflection
We tested the core user flows of Hello Carolina, including course navigation, task management, and feedback features. The testing included both qualitative feedback and A/B testing to check overall usability and interface design.
Overall, users were able to complete key tasks smoothly and responded positively to the layout and structure. The test also helped us identify areas for small improvements, such as button placement and wording.
Based on these results, we made updates to improve clarity and plan to continue refining the design in future iterations.
Process of Course Development
Hello Carolina: Transportation Module
A Self-paced Course for New International Students
Project Overview
This module is part of a larger course designed to help international students in Chapel Hill navigate the public transportation system.
Tools:
Storyline 360
Vyond
Adobe Premiere Pro​
Google Cloud
Designer
​Fuqing Ye
Audience
International Students who are new in the U.S.
01
Course Planning & SME Insights
To design this course, I used a backward design approach to align learning goals, assessments, and activities. The module focuses on helping international students build real-world transportation skills, including using apps, navigating routes, and communicating with drivers.
To ground my design in authentic needs, I interviewed a former international student now working in New York. He described early struggles with cultural differences—like tipping and pre-tax pricing—and the emotional stress of adjusting alone in a new country. These insights reminded me that international students need more than just step-by-step instructions; they also need cultural context and emotional support.
This interview directly informed my course planning, helping me create activities that not only teach practical tasks but also reduce confusion and anxiety.
02
Course Draft
Based on the course mapping, I created a detailed draft of the first lesson: Taking the Bus — Riding RTP Like a Local.
This lesson combines short videos, scenario-based questions, cultural comparisons, and real-world tasks to help students build both knowledge and confidence. Each activity is directly tied to a learning objective, covering topics like using transit apps, understanding bus etiquette, and responding to unexpected situations.
The structure is designed to be simple, interactive, and supportive, especially for students who may be navigating a public transportation system for the first time.
03
Final Curriculum Design
👉
The final course was developed and published using Articulate Rise, allowing for an interactive and mobile-friendly learning experience. The content is structured into short, focused sections, combining visuals, videos, real-life examples, and quick assessments.
To support first-time bus users, the course walks students through:
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Basic system knowledge (e.g., number lines, app setup)
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Social and cultural etiquette
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Safety scenarios based on real student experiences
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A practice task encouraging students to try a real or simulated bus ride
The tone is supportive and practical, designed to reduce anxiety and help students feel more prepared to navigate public transportation independently.