OVERVIEW

BPP's existing mobile experience was limited in functionality and fell short of supporting students through the day-to-day logistics of university life. The app lacked personalisation, surfaced limited actionable information, and made it difficult for students to quickly access timetables, attendance records, payments, and support.

The goal was to transform the app into an action-driven mobile companion — helping students navigate university life more efficiently, with a clear path to grow through subsequent releases.

THE PROBLEM

Research identified that students primarily used the app to manage the operational side of studying at BPP, rather than for active learning. They wanted a single, reliable place to stay organised.

RESEARCH & DISCOVERY

To ground the redesign in real student behaviours, I contributed to both quantitative and qualitative research across the student lifecycle.

Research Activities

• Designed and distributed a survey to 800+ students

• Proposed an in-app CSAT feedback loop to continuously capture user sentiment

• Conducted student interviews to validate early concepts and gather behavioural insights

• Reviewed support pain points and recurring usability concerns

Key Insights

Students responded positively to the idea of a more capable mobile experience, but wanted more — more functionality, more personalisation, and everything in one place. Navigation and discoverability emerged as increasingly critical as the feature set grew. Students consistently associated active learning with desktop, while mobile was seen as an organisational companion.

OPPORTUNITIES

Product Opportunities

• Improve usability and discoverability across the app

• Surface more timely and relevant information

• Reduce friction around administrative tasks

• Lay foundations for personalisation and self-service

Strategic Opportunities

• Increase daily active usage and long-term retention

• Improve student satisfaction and app sentiment

• Reduce timetable-related support tickets

• Strengthen mobile adoption across the student lifecycle

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

The redesign was guided by four core principles:

Be Timely : Surface important information when users need it most, such as upcoming classes, timetable changes, or urgent actions.

Be Relevant: Prioritise personalised and actionable content over generic information.

Be Reliable: Ensure students can trust the app for accurate schedules, updates, and key details.

Be Usable: Create a simple, intuitive experience that reduces cognitive load and improves task completion.

PHASED DELIVERY

The app was delivered across two MVPs, allowing us to validate core functionality before expanding the feature set.

MVP 1 — Core Experience. Key features included:

• Real-time timetable access with live updates

• Redesigned navigation and information hierarchy

• My Account management for personal details

• Improved QR code check-in with clearer success and failure states

MVP 2 — Extending the Experience With the core in place, the second release added:

• Push and in-app notifications for timetable updates and key events

• AI chatbot integration for instant support outside office hours

MY ROLE

• Led UX and UI design across key areas of the app, including timetable, My Account, and check-in experience

• Collaborated closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and service designers

• Contributed to shaping the overall mobile experience and aligning it with the Scholar design system

• Designed and iterated on features through prototyping, testing, and continuous feedback

• Focused on simplifying complex student journeys into clear, usable interactions

WHAT WE DELIVERED

• Real-time Timetable Access
  Learners can view and manage their schedules with live updates, including class and exam changes

• Redesigned UX & UI
  A cleaner, more intuitive interface that improves navigation across core features

• My Account Management
  Users can easily update personal details, making the app a more self-sufficient tool

• QR Code Check-in Improvements
  Clearer success and failure states, improving usability and reducing confusion

• Instant support via our Ai Chatbot
  Students can quickly find resources and assistance outside office hours

IMPACT & OUTCOMES

Within the first two weeks of launch:

• 88% adoption rate of the new app

• Timetable became the 3rd most engaged feature (post-login, by time spent)

• 50% of users interacting with “Learn” completed a meaningful action

• Early indicators showed a reduction in timetable-related complaints

These metrics validated the focus on usability, clarity, and surfacing the most valuable student information upfront.

FUTURE THINKING

Following launch, the experience continued to evolve through iterative improvements and feature expansion.

Future Enhancements Included

• Push and in-app notifications for timetable updates

• AI chatbot integration for instant support access

• Ongoing performance improvements and bug fixes

• Exploration of personalised content and recommendations

• Attendance visibility and learning progress tracking

• Role-based experiences for students, tutors, and staff

LOOKING AHEAD

Following launch, we continued to iterate on the experience, including:

• Introducing push and in-app notifications for timetable updates

• Introduced a chat bot feature for instant access to help & support

• Ongoing performance improvements and bug fixes

• Exploring future enhancements, including personalisation

REFLECTION

This project became a key part of BPP's wider digital transformation and demonstrated the value of research-led, user-centred product design at scale.

It reinforced three things I care deeply about:

• Designing around real user behaviours rather than assumptions

• Balancing business goals with user needs

• Building mobile experiences that genuinely support people's everyday lives — not just their aspirations.a