IMPORTANT:

• This project is still in progress.

• The navigable prototype is located at the end of the case.

PROJECT SUMMARY

This project is part of the SouJunior volunteer initiative, aimed at creating an online learning platform for junior technology professionals. The platform will offer a personalized, practical learning journey, addressing users' needs to organize studies, develop skills, and stay updated on industry trends. After the discovery phase and stakeholder validation, we secured engineering team support to initiate MVP development.

CONTEXT

SouJunior is an open-source volunteer and mentorship community dedicated to placing junior professionals in real work projects and experiences. With over 280 volunteer professionals from various technology fields, the project aims to facilitate career transitions and skill development, fostering leadership in mentors and participants.

PROBLEM

Junior volunteers face specific challenges in their learning and career development journeys:

• Difficulty in planning and organizing a study schedule tailored to their fields;

• Lack of clarity on essential content and market trends;

• Challenges in building a portfolio that reflects practical, relevant skills;

• Feeling overwhelmed by the vast amount of available content and limited time for continuous learning.

GOALS

To develop a tech-focused e-learning platform that offers a personalized journey with content in various formats (videos, summaries, supplementary materials). The platform will help juniors develop practical skills and organize their studies according to market demands, with a focus on:

• Structuring content in interactive modules;

• Providing a hands-on learning experience adapted to the user's profile;

• Offering personalized recommendations based on the user's areas of interest.

  
  

RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

To guide our approach, we created a CSD Matrix (Certainties, Suppositions, and Doubts), serving as a framework for our discovery process.

CSD Matrix

Market Analysis

During the discovery phase, our research uncovered important insights about the e-learning market and junior professionals’ needs:

• The Latin American e-learning market is expected to reach $16 billion by 2026, reflecting the growing demand for online education (PagSeguro).

• From 2011 to 2021, online courses in Brazil grew by 474%, showing the popularity of flexible, accessible education models.

• Brazil leads the EdTech sector in Latin America, with 70% of startups and 80% of investments concentrated in the country, presenting a favorable environment for innovation and growth.

  
  

User Interviews

To validate assumptions and understand junior professionals' pain points, we interviewed 17 SouJunior community members. These conversations helped us map out challenges and content preferences:

• 8 interviewees reported feeling lost with the abundance of content, unsure where to start;

• 7 interviewees said they learn best through practical activities that reinforce theory;

• 6 interviewees mentioned lack of time as a primary barrier to continuous learning;

• Most participants use platforms like YouTube and podcasts but desire a structured, intuitive, and progressive content flow.

  
  

Personas Development

These insights enabled us to develop personas representing the primary users, such as Carla, Fabrício, Marcela, and Gabriel, each at different career stages with varying needs regarding time, content clarity, and study practices.

Personas

User Journey Mapping

Mapping the user journey revealed engagement opportunities at specific times, like suggesting content aligned with their interests. This helped identify where our platform could add value, whether by offering practical content for study hours or providing notifications on updates and trends.

User Journey Map

Ideation, Flows, Wireframes and Prototype

Based on research insights, we sketched initial solutions in low-fidelity wireframes, prioritizing a simple, intuitive user flow. We refined the design and developed a mid-fidelity prototype, integrating essential visual and functional elements for the platform’s MVP.

Epics

Flows

Sketches

Medium fidelity prototype

USABILITY TESTING

To validate the prototype, we conducted usability testing with 15 volunteers, focusing on natural interactions and potential navigation issues.

• 10 participants praised the design and ease of navigation;

• 8 appreciated the platform’s personalization;

• 10 liked the preference-based recommendation menu.

  
  

Additionally, we gathered valuable suggestions for future improvements, including:

• Zoom function when hovering over images of recommended books;

• Adding questions at the end of each lesson to reinforce learning;

• Progress bars for courses and modules;

• Implementation of dark mode.

SUCCESS METRICS

To measure the platform's impact and effectiveness, we defined the following metrics:

• Course Completion Rate: Percentage of users who finish courses or learning paths;

• User Engagement: Average time spent, modules accessed, and forum participation;

• User Base Growth: Tracking new registrations, retention, and engagement over time;

• User Satisfaction: Monitoring Net Promoter Score (NPS) and satisfaction surveys.

RESULTS AND NEXT STEPS

We completed the initial discovery phase with a validated prototype and solid insights for the MVP. With the engineering team integrated, the next steps include:

• Developing high-fidelity prototypes and defining technical architecture (database, Git versioning, cloud storage, etc.);

• Implementing a CI/CD pipeline for automation and continuous deployment management;

• Writing user stories and mapping navigation flows for phased releases in development, testing, and production.

LEARNINGS

• Value of in-depth research: Interviews and usability testing highlighted the impact of understanding user motivations on precise design decisions.

• Purposeful iteration: We’re adjusting the design based on continuous feedback, ensuring each change improves the actual user experience.

• Need for scope adaptation: We adjusted the project scope to prioritize essential features, keeping the project viable and on schedule.

• Cross-team communication: Close collaboration with the product team and stakeholders helped align expectations, making development more agile and effective.