International Hawks
Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) International Hawks is the answer to bring community and support to international students living and doing school abroad. Designed in partnership with Unless Design Partners, International Hawks enhances support and community to make them feel like they have a home away from home.
Project Type
Capstone - Mobile Application
Tags
UI Design, User Research, Wireframing & Prototyping, Animation
Designers
Reuben James Soriano, Saahil Ebrahim, Junhao Jiang, Karo Rastegari, Zhentong Liu, Sarah McCutcheon
Project Duration
Feb. - May 22’
With the increasing rise in mental health challenges among university students, current resources often fall short, offering only a "one size fits all" approach that lacks the personalized support and attention many students need. This gap in care is particularly pronounced for international students, who face unique struggles far from home.
Recognizing this, Unless Design Partners approached our team with the task of creating a solution tailored to the mental health challenges of university students. We decided to take it a step further by honing in on the specific needs of international students—a cause that resonates deeply with our group, as many of us are experiencing these challenges firsthand.
Our research began with a thorough internal analysis of the current mental wellness system at WLU, including WLU’s International Support services. We also conducted an external review of other online platforms that aim to support students' mental health, focusing on the gaps and challenges specific to international students.
To gain deeper insights, we interviewed several international students from diverse regions, including the Middle East, China, India, and parts of Africa. Their experiences provided valuable perspectives on the unique struggles faced by international students, helping us shape a more targeted and culturally sensitive approach to mental health support. Through this research, we were able to identify five key pain points international students face:
Lack of Awareness: Many students are unaware of available resources or how to access them.
Communication Issues: Language barriers, unclear messaging, and ineffective outreach.
Cultural Challenges: Cultural differences, varying levels of awareness about mental health in their home countries, and the need for support that is sensitive to diverse cultural backgrounds.
Resource Effectiveness: Available resources may not be meeting the unique needs of international students.
Increased Demand: A growing international student population demands more robust and targeted support systems.
Chat function using voice memos & translator feature
To address these, the following five features were implemented into International Hawks:
We developed a peer-to-peer support mentoring program that connects international students with trained student ambassadors, offering academic, social, and cultural support to foster community and ease the transition to university life. Peers can be found using keywords through our Topic Search function to find common ground before being matched.
We featured an improved messaging system allowing users to voice themselves in their native language through voice and translate function to overcome language barriers and ensure clearer, more effective communication with international students.
Granting users the ability to be anonymous prior to being matched ensures a safe and comfortable environment, allowing them to engage without the pressure of revealing personal details too soon. This feature promotes honest and open communication, reduces anxiety, and encourages users to focus on building meaningful connections based on shared interests or needs before disclosing their identity.
One issue faced by both the university and international students was a lack of awareness about events. To address this, we plan to feature targeted content on the homepage, including virtual and in-person events, webinars, and workshops. Additionally, we'll provide an online platform with tailored resources to tackle common challenges such as language barriers, culture shock, and homesickness, ensuring accessibility for all students
To enhance user experience, we will implement a bookmark feature that allows users to save and easily access their favorite resources or important information. This feature will help users efficiently manage and revisit content relevant to their needs, improving navigation and engagement within the platform.
We are really proud of the quality of work we were able to accomplish over a short period of time of a few months. Our hard work secured us second place in the class, rewarding us with $300 from Scotiabank’s design challenge.
For a complete breakdown of the project including our user persona, low-high fidelity prototype designs, usability testing results and more, make sure to read our full case study.