Visualisation – Student Journey

Mahtab Esmaeili

The Challenge

My challenge was to create a Customer Experience training at my workplace (a university). The  university’s ultimate customers are students; therefore, my challenge was to enable understanding  of the student experience at the university and encourage continuous improvement.

Selection

I decided to use visualisation to understand and depict the student journey from the point of  awareness (how they become aware of different universities) to joining the alumni. As highlighted  by Meyer in the week 1 video, visualisation is a great tool for understanding ‘different contexts’ and  ‘our customers’. Furthermore, visualisation can give a snapshot of a process while allowing for  further exploration.

Application

I used visualisation as a tool to map the student experience from the point of student awareness to  joining alumni. I used stick figures to draw the students in the different journey points and arrows  that connected each journey point to the next. For example:

I then invited selected stakeholders from across the different sections of the university to fill the  gaps while also contributing their own visual clues to the student journey. For this activity I  separated/cut each student journey point and stuck it in sequence on the walls of the room. I  divided the stakeholders into different groups so they could move easily from one journey point to  the next and gave them Post-it notes so they could draw their contributions and stick them under  each journey point or in between journey points. Finally I looked for patterns (similar to mind  mapping) and we discussed and agreed on a final version of the student journey. The activity took  around 30 minutes to complete with nine distinct journey points identified.

The next stage involved using data from the QS International and Domestic student surveys 2019 to  understand the expectations of domestic and international students at the different journey points. I  used graphs to show student preferences and needs at each journey point. For the final design I  used Storyboard 360 to depict the student journey; making it more visually appealing and

interactive. Storyboard 360 allowed course participants to click on each journey point to find out  about student preferences at each point.

The student journey forms the backbone for two modules within the Customer Experience course  where participants are asked to: 1. compare student needs at particular journey points with what  the university is currently offering/doing.  2. highlight the gap 3. use the customer experience  principles espoused by the university to come-up with solutions to close the gap between the  current student journey and what students need or expect.

Participant feedback has been very positive, and some comments indicate that participant  understanding of the student journey at the university has been enhanced and they are keen to  implement some of the suggestions from the group discussions.

Insight

I found using visualisation in developing the student journey map had several benefits:

1. In the initial consultation with stakeholders it worked similar to an icebreaker. People had to

get out of their seats and interacted with each-other sometimes commenting on each- other’s suggestions or their own stick figures, triggering laughter.

2. Use of stick-figures in the initial consultation created an inclusive platform – everyone could

draw a stick figure and make fun of their own stick figure.

3. The initial visualisation consultation created a sense of ownership of the process and created

a universal view of the student journey. Some of the comments included “I didn’t know the  reason for ‘x’ till now” or “now I know where I fit in the student journey”.

4. The visualisation (student journey) created the ‘what is’ in design thinking enabling the

participants to understand what the university’s current processes are at each journey point,  what students prefer and what is the gap.

5. Discussion question ‘3’ created a space for ‘what if’ in design thinking; ‘Use the customer

experience principles espoused by the university to come-up with solutions to close the gap  between the current student journey and what students need or expect.’

Approach

I found visualisation to be well suited for what I intended to achieve; understand the customer  journey in the university. In the future I will incorporate visualisation activities in other areas of my  work. I will consider ways in which I can use visualisation to explore ‘what wows’ in the student  journey; ‘The Wow Zone’ where: ‘customers want it’, ‘we can do it’ and ‘the economics can sustain  it’. I will ask the participants to consider the economics and attainability of their idea when  considering question ‘3’ and depict it visually on the student journey.

