University Course Planner & Handbook Redesign
Redesigned the University of Melbourne’s Course Planner and Handbook to improve usability, accessibility, and discoverability while preserving the familiarity students valued in the existing platform.
ROLE SNAPSHOT
Conducted usability evaluations and student research to identify key pain points
Redesigned core flows to improve navigation, clarity, and discoverability
Delivered iterative wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes within existing constraints
Client
The University of Melbourne
Timeline
~2 months
Focus Areas
UX/UI Design · Usability Evaluation · Interaction Design
CONTEXT
The University of Melbourne’s Course Planner and Handbook are essential tools used by tens of thousands of students to explore subjects, plan degrees, and make enrolment decisions. While widely used, the platform had accumulated usability issues over time, making it difficult for students to efficiently find, compare, and organise course information.
Rather than a full visual overhaul, the project focused on incremental, user-validated improvements that respected existing mental models while addressing critical usability and accessibility gaps.
PROBLEM
Students struggled to find and compare relevant subjects efficiently
Important information was buried under dense layouts and unclear hierarchy
The platform lacked lightweight tools to support planning and decision-making
APPROACH
Conducted heuristic evaluations using Jakob Nielsen’s usability principles
Gathered insights through student surveys and usage feedback
Benchmarked comparable university course planning platforms
Iteratively redesigned key interactions while preserving familiar structures
KEY DESIGN DECISIONS
#1 Improving discoverability without disrupting familiarity
Instead of restructuring the entire platform, improvements focused on making existing content easier to find and scan.
Design focus:
Clearer information hierarchy
More scannable layouts without changing core navigation patterns
Redesigned subject and course pages with improved spacing, headings, and visual grouping.
#2 Introducing subject favouriting to support planning
Students often explored multiple subjects before deciding, but had no easy way to keep track of options.
Design focus:
Lightweight favouriting mechanism
Reduced reliance on external notes or screenshots
Subject favouriting interactions integrated into existing subject views.
#3 Enhancing search and filtering for faster decision-making
Search was a primary entry point, but results were difficult to refine or compare.
Design focus:
Clearer search results hierarchy
Improved filtering to narrow down relevant subjects quickly
Iterated wireframes showing enhanced search and filtering behaviour.
#4 Designing within accessibility and system constraints
The redesign prioritised accessibility and consistency within an established institutional system.
Design focus:
WCAG-aligned contrast, spacing, and readability
Reusable components that aligned with existing UI patterns
High-fidelity prototypes demonstrating accessible typography, colour usage, and consistent components.
OUTCOME
Improved discoverability of subjects and course information
Reduced cognitive load during course exploration and planning
Introduced subtle features that meaningfully supported student decision-making
Demonstrated the impact of iterative UX improvements without a full redesign
REFLECTION
This project reinforced the value of designing within constraints. Rather than relying on visual reinvention, I learned to create impact through careful hierarchy, interaction design, and user-validated changes. It strengthened my ability to balance accessibility, continuity, and usability in large, established products.
Check out some of my recent projects.
University Course Planner & Handbook Redesign
Redesigned the University of Melbourne’s Course Planner and Handbook to improve usability, accessibility, and discoverability while preserving the familiarity students valued in the existing platform.
ROLE SNAPSHOT
Conducted usability evaluations and student research to identify key pain points
Redesigned core flows to improve navigation, clarity, and discoverability
Delivered iterative wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes within existing constraints
Client
The University of Melbourne
Timeline
~2 months
Focus Areas
UX/UI Design · Usability Evaluation · Interaction Design
CONTEXT
The University of Melbourne’s Course Planner and Handbook are essential tools used by tens of thousands of students to explore subjects, plan degrees, and make enrolment decisions. While widely used, the platform had accumulated usability issues over time, making it difficult for students to efficiently find, compare, and organise course information.
Rather than a full visual overhaul, the project focused on incremental, user-validated improvements that respected existing mental models while addressing critical usability and accessibility gaps.
PROBLEM
Students struggled to find and compare relevant subjects efficiently
Important information was buried under dense layouts and unclear hierarchy
The platform lacked lightweight tools to support planning and decision-making
APPROACH
Conducted heuristic evaluations using Jakob Nielsen’s usability principles
Gathered insights through student surveys and usage feedback
Benchmarked comparable university course planning platforms
Iteratively redesigned key interactions while preserving familiar structures
KEY DESIGN DECISIONS
#1 Improving discoverability without disrupting familiarity
Instead of restructuring the entire platform, improvements focused on making existing content easier to find and scan.
Design focus:
Clearer information hierarchy
More scannable layouts without changing core navigation patterns
Redesigned subject and course pages with improved spacing, headings, and visual grouping.
#2 Introducing subject favouriting to support planning
Students often explored multiple subjects before deciding, but had no easy way to keep track of options.
Design focus:
Lightweight favouriting mechanism
Reduced reliance on external notes or screenshots
Subject favouriting interactions integrated into existing subject views.
#3 Enhancing search and filtering for faster decision-making
Search was a primary entry point, but results were difficult to refine or compare.
Design focus:
Clearer search results hierarchy
Improved filtering to narrow down relevant subjects quickly
Iterated wireframes showing enhanced search and filtering behaviour.
#4 Designing within accessibility and system constraints
The redesign prioritised accessibility and consistency within an established institutional system.
Design focus:
WCAG-aligned contrast, spacing, and readability
Reusable components that aligned with existing UI patterns
High-fidelity prototypes demonstrating accessible typography, colour usage, and consistent components.
OUTCOME
Improved discoverability of subjects and course information
Reduced cognitive load during course exploration and planning
Introduced subtle features that meaningfully supported student decision-making
Demonstrated the impact of iterative UX improvements without a full redesign
REFLECTION
This project reinforced the value of designing within constraints. Rather than relying on visual reinvention, I learned to create impact through careful hierarchy, interaction design, and user-validated changes. It strengthened my ability to balance accessibility, continuity, and usability in large, established products.
Check out some of my recent projects.
University Course Planner & Handbook Redesign
Redesigned the University of Melbourne’s Course Planner and Handbook to improve usability, accessibility, and discoverability while preserving the familiarity students valued in the existing platform.
ROLE SNAPSHOT
Conducted usability evaluations and student research to identify key pain points
Redesigned core flows to improve navigation, clarity, and discoverability
Delivered iterative wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes within existing constraints
Client
The University of Melbourne
Timeline
~2 months
Focus Areas
UX/UI Design · Usability Evaluation · Interaction Design
CONTEXT
The University of Melbourne’s Course Planner and Handbook are essential tools used by tens of thousands of students to explore subjects, plan degrees, and make enrolment decisions. While widely used, the platform had accumulated usability issues over time, making it difficult for students to efficiently find, compare, and organise course information.
Rather than a full visual overhaul, the project focused on incremental, user-validated improvements that respected existing mental models while addressing critical usability and accessibility gaps.
PROBLEM
Students struggled to find and compare relevant subjects efficiently
Important information was buried under dense layouts and unclear hierarchy
The platform lacked lightweight tools to support planning and decision-making
APPROACH
Conducted heuristic evaluations using Jakob Nielsen’s usability principles
Gathered insights through student surveys and usage feedback
Benchmarked comparable university course planning platforms
Iteratively redesigned key interactions while preserving familiar structures
KEY DESIGN DECISIONS
#1 Improving discoverability without disrupting familiarity
Instead of restructuring the entire platform, improvements focused on making existing content easier to find and scan.
Design focus:
Clearer information hierarchy
More scannable layouts without changing core navigation patterns
Redesigned subject and course pages with improved spacing, headings, and visual grouping.
#2 Introducing subject favouriting to support planning
Students often explored multiple subjects before deciding, but had no easy way to keep track of options.
Design focus:
Lightweight favouriting mechanism
Reduced reliance on external notes or screenshots
Subject favouriting interactions integrated into existing subject views.
#3 Enhancing search and filtering for faster decision-making
Search was a primary entry point, but results were difficult to refine or compare.
Design focus:
Clearer search results hierarchy
Improved filtering to narrow down relevant subjects quickly
Iterated wireframes showing enhanced search and filtering behaviour.
#4 Designing within accessibility and system constraints
The redesign prioritised accessibility and consistency within an established institutional system.
Design focus:
WCAG-aligned contrast, spacing, and readability
Reusable components that aligned with existing UI patterns
High-fidelity prototypes demonstrating accessible typography, colour usage, and consistent components.
OUTCOME
Improved discoverability of subjects and course information
Reduced cognitive load during course exploration and planning
Introduced subtle features that meaningfully supported student decision-making
Demonstrated the impact of iterative UX improvements without a full redesign
REFLECTION
This project reinforced the value of designing within constraints. Rather than relying on visual reinvention, I learned to create impact through careful hierarchy, interaction design, and user-validated changes. It strengthened my ability to balance accessibility, continuity, and usability in large, established products.