February 2025 - June 2025
My Role
UI/UX Design Intern: Redesign, Information Architecture, Heuristic Evaluation
Result
Handed off for Implementation
Timeline
5 Months
Introduction
In the beginning of 2025, I had the wonderful opportunity to work for Michigan State University's Advising Department as a UI/UX Design Intern.
I collaborated closely and worked under the Director of University Advising and Educational Developer for Academic Advising to reimagine the advising's website.
I led the redesign to bring clarity and connection back to the experience in order to create a unified system that serves both students and advisors with ease and confidence.
What's the purpose of the advising website?
The site exists to help 50,000+ undergraduate students make informed academic decisions and to empower advisors with the tools they need to guide them, creating a community built on student success and belonging.
Prospective students: Looking to understand the academic opportunities at MSU.
Current Students: Whether they’re exploring new majors, preparing for orientation, or seeking help within their college.
Advisors: Accessing onboarding materials, training, and professional development resources.
Streamlining Information — Clarity Over Complexity
Students and advisors struggled to find the resources they needed, and so the fragmented, text-heavy website left confusion.
By unifying every college under one modular framework, the redesign reduced cognitive load and helped both groups find what they needed faster, with clear, consistent navigation.
Mapping the Maze — High Level Audit
I audited over 70 pages to uncover how advising information was scattered across the site, revealing the pain points where students and advisors struggled to find what they needed.
Pain Points
Inconsistent Interactions
Buttons and links behaved differently across pages, leaving users unsure of what actions were possible or what would happen when they clicked.
Repetitive and Overwhelming Content
Text-heavy pages often repeated the same information in different formats, making the experience cognitively tiring and inefficient to navigate.
A Lack of Human Connection
Without photos or bios, made advising staff feel a bit faceless, reducing trust and credibility for students seeking guidance or contact.
Site Layout Research
I reviewed 15+ different college sites across Michigan State, which it allowed me to see the differences in how each college communicated resources. It gave me ideas on how to improve advising's website.
From Research to Redesigning
I transformed key research takeaways into 15+ low to high-fidelity wireframes. Every redesigned page was designed in the mind of the users experience and audience.
For example, Advising by College page now shows visual hierarchy, consistent patterns, and clear calls to action could transform how students find resources.
Ready for Implementation
Getting to work for Michigan State Advising taught me how to translate research into real impact. It was my first time getting to see my insights evolve from discovery to a redesign ready for implementation.
Understanding how Pain Points turn into Responses for Solutions
Every pain point found became an opportunity to simplify, unify, and create a clearer experience for students and advisors. This reminded me that every design decision begins with keeping information clarity in the mind for the user.
Designing for People
Even though I already focus on human centered design, this internship taught me how to redesigning a large system isn’t about replacing everything, but creating a structure that evolves with the community it serves.
