Overview
Research
Strategy
Ideation
Testing
Prototype
Reflection

SETU

SETU

Portfolio Development & Mentorship for College Prep

SETU

Portfolio Development & Mentorship for College Prep

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

Setu is a website designed to help aspiring art and design students effectively create portfolios while managing multiple college requirements by their deadlines. This project aims to consolidate student resources in one location while maintaining access to professionals.

Setu is a website designed to help aspiring art and design students effectively create portfolios while managing multiple college requirements by their deadlines. This project aims to consolidate student resources in one location while maintaining access to professionals.

PROBLEM

Many aspiring design and art students struggle with portfolio creation due to a lack of guidance and structured support, leaving them feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and unprepared to meet college expectations.

Many aspiring design and art students struggle with portfolio creation due to a lack of guidance and structured support, leaving them feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and unprepared to meet college expectations.

OBJECTIVES

How might we design a structured yet flexible system that empowers students to confidently build competitive portfolios by...

How might we design a structured yet flexible system that empowers students to confidently build competitive portfolios by...

  • Staying organized

  • Understanding university requirements

  • Receiving seamless guidance and feedback from mentors

DURATION

10 Weeks

10 Weeks

TOOLS

Figma, Maze & Procreate

Figma, Maze & Procreate

ROLE

Research, Prototyping & Interaction Design

Research, Prototyping & Interaction Design

TEAM

Myself & Siya Jain

RESEARCH

COMPETITORS

We reviewed primary, secondary, and tertiary competitors according to the key features essential for a portfolio development site. Across platforms, a consistent focus on guidance, personalization, and engagement emerges, with gamification, mentorship, and scheduling helping users stay organized and progress toward their goals.


Additionally, we explored popular portfolio platforms and university admissions websites to see how they visually communicate portfolio requirements to students.

LEARNING PLATFORMS

We analyzed platforms like Duolingo, Skillshare, and MasterClass, which emphasize gamified, practical learning experiences supported by adaptive, personalized paths. They also foster community-driven collaboration and leverage polished, visually engaging design to sustain user motivation and engagement.

LEARNING PLATFORMS

We analyzed platforms like Duolingo, Skillshare, and MasterClass, which emphasize gamified, practical learning experiences supported by adaptive, personalized paths. They also foster community-driven collaboration and leverage polished, visually engaging design to sustain user motivation and engagement.

MENTORSHIP PLATFORMS

Platforms like Clarity and TaskRabbit enable accessible, on-demand mentorship through direct connections and community-driven interactions such as Q&A sessions. They also leverage AI-driven matching and instant feedback to connect users with relevant expertise based on their goals, skills, and specific needs.

MENTORSHIP PLATFORMS

Platforms like Clarity and TaskRabbit enable accessible, on-demand mentorship through direct connections and community-driven interactions such as Q&A sessions. They also leverage AI-driven matching and instant feedback to connect users with relevant expertise based on their goals, skills, and specific needs.

TIME & TASK MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Tools like Trello and Uber Eats highlight task-based workflows that emphasize organization, deadline tracking, and clear progress visualization. They also demonstrate the value of smart prioritization, integrated information management, and streamlined experiences that help users stay focused and efficient.

TIME & TASK MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Tools like Trello and Uber Eats highlight task-based workflows that emphasize organization, deadline tracking, and clear progress visualization. They also demonstrate the value of smart prioritization, integrated information management, and streamlined experiences that help users stay focused and efficient.

CROWDSOURCING PLATFORMS

Kickstarter and Upwork highlight how structured matching systems can connect users based on specific goals, skills, and project needs. They also emphasize flexible feedback models, both public and private, alongside engagement-driven incentives that encourage active participation and contribution.

CROWDSOURCING PLATFORMS

Kickstarter and Upwork highlight how structured matching systems can connect users based on specific goals, skills, and project needs. They also emphasize flexible feedback models, both public and private, alongside engagement-driven incentives that encourage active participation and contribution.

INTERVIEWS & SURVEYS

30+ survey responses collected and 11 current and aspiring art and design students interviewed.

UNCERTAINTY

63%

of students feel overwhelmed choosing from many artworks

READINESS

70%

felt rushed and unprepared when submitting their portfolio

MENTORSHIP

80%

expressed a need for tailored guidance and mentorship

INSIGHTS

Main Takeaway: The portfolio process reveals challenges on both ends. Students lack guidance, structure, and support, while universities and reviewers encounter unclear, misaligned, and poorly presented submissions.

"

Creating a portfolio should be an enjoyable process that reflects an artist’s personality. However, with various requirements and applications, this experience is often overshadowed.

KHUSHNAM MIRZA

Assistant Director of International Admission at SCAD

STRATEGY

HOW MIGHT WE

01.

Empower students to build strong, competitive portfolios through increasing their confidence in university requirements and expectations

02.

Enable mentors to seamlessly communicate, provide feedback, and guide students through their portfolio journey

03.

Design a structured yet flexible system that helps students stay organized, track portfolio deadlines, and manage tasks effectively to meet university submission requirements

PERSONAS

USER JOURNEYS

IDEATION

INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

Panel 1 of 3

USER INTERFACE

SETU [ say-too ] [ सेतु ]

"Setu" is a Sanskrit word meaning "bridge." It symbolizes a connection or link that connects two different realms.

TESTING & ITERATION

USABILITY TESTING

11 participants were given a scenario and a series of tasks to complete. Follow-up questions explored their navigation choices, expectations, and reactions to the interface and interactions throughout the experience.

We tested…

  1. Landing / Onboarding

  2. Dashboard

  3. College Search

  4. Mentor Search

  5. Portfolio

  6. Calendar/Tasklist

AFFINITY MAP

ITERATIONS

1) ONBOARDING

Prioritize and justify what questions and answers were truly relevant for onboarding

Prioritize and justify what questions and answers were truly relevant for onboarding

2) DASHBOARD

Create clear divisions for each section and re-evaluate what sections are actually important

3) MENTOR & ARTIST PAGE

Include more information about the artist and mentor; show personality

4) TASKLIST PAGE

Give users more options to customize their tasks

HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE

Uncover your options

EXPLORE UNIVERSITIES

Explore a university you've been considering, or uncover new options that align with your personal and academic goals.

Explore a university you've been considering, or uncover new options that align with your personal and academic goals.

Receive guidance

LINK WITH A MENTOR

Take advantage of individualized mentorship tailored to your specific needs from professionals in the industry.

Take advantage of individualized mentorship tailored to your specific needs from professionals in the industry.

Stay organized

COMPILE PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS

Automatically compile your selected schools’ portfolio requirements into one organized location. No more multiple tabs.

Automatically compile your selected schools’ portfolio requirements into one organized location. No more multiple tabs.

Be inspired

VIEW ACCEPTED PORTFOLIOS

Explore a diverse gallery showcasing accepted portfolios from current students and alumni to inspire you to create.

Explore a diverse gallery showcasing accepted portfolios from current students and alumni to inspire you to create.

REFLECTION

CHALLENGES

Balance aesthetics with functionality

In trying to differentiate Setu from traditional college portfolio platforms, we sometimes prioritized uniqueness over standard UI patterns. This aligns with Jakob's Law, where users prefer interfaces that behave similarly to products they're familiar with. Spending more time validating functional decisions alongside aesthetics would have strengthened the experience.

Establish team strengths earlier

  • Understanding each team member’s strengths and weaknesses earlier in the process could have streamlined task distribution instead of frequently comparing different approaches. Although we eventually developed a strong workflow together, identifying those dynamics sooner would have made the process more efficient from the start.

Prioritize accessibility and refine the project scope

  • Spending more time simplifying the scope and improving accessibility details, such as layout hierarchy, font sizing, and color contrast, would have resulted in a more polished and inclusive interface.

NEXT STEPS

If I had 10 more weeks, I would...

  • Conduct usability testing with actual high school students to better understand their real schedules and decision-making processes.

  • Explore how the platform could function as a real-world business by developing a sustainable revenue model and considering partnerships with high schools and universities.