COPLUS
Thesis Project 2022
For more information please contact bding2@sva.edu
OVERVIEW
Coplus is a learning platform that connects female developers, who aim to pursue and succeed in the computer science industry, with the role models in the community and helps them achieve self-career goals through pair programming.
RESEARCH
"I feel I am missing the link between the male-dominated
the tech world and all the potential female entrepreneurs out there."
2.Flowchart
IDEATION
Who
Women and girls who aim to pursue and succeed in the computer science industry
USER
What
Can connect with established AI engineer role models and industry resources
Can learn fundamental skills and access to more opportunities
ENABLEMENT
How
Easy access to knowledge of tools, role models and resources for them to be successful in the computer science industry
VALUE
# Value
Users will feel comfortable doing pair development and studying together online.
# Way-finding
Users want to find a community of women in the industry who can learn together.
# Comprehension
Users understand what pair development means
# Recognition over the recollection
Users will understand how to do pair development online.
Validate
Assumptions
& Mitigate Biases
Are users open to doing pair development online?
Would users feel the value of this platform?
Would new users get familiar with how the platform works in a short time?
Understand
Users
Task
Commitment
The task to create a learning room
What made it easy to accomplish that activity?
What part of the prototype makes it frustrating to accomplish the activity?
Concept Validation
Describe the purpose of this solution.
What problem does it solve or make easier?
Describe how you might benefit from using this. What will help you do?
Descirbe the biggest improvement you would make to this prototype and why.
Context
Scenario
Concept Explanation
“Being a female in the tech industry definitely comes with this disadvantage that platform described in the beginning. I am thinking this is kind of thinking a couple of steps ahead.
Therefore, this is very valuable for me personally. ”
—Contributor Juju88
“It is very intuitive to follow the structure.”
—Contributor Tshepiso
Intuitive Interaction: The best interactions are invisible. They appear so natural to the context of our needs, that we don't need instruction to engage. For this project, I had the opportunity to consider users' contextual settings while they interact with the design.
Use data as a form of story-telling: Data visualization has the potential to help people make relevant, meaningful, and informed decisions. Use data to tell a convincing story.
What did I learn by doing this project?
USABILITY TEST
3. Wireframe
4. Synthesis& Improvement
1. Assumption
2. Learning Objective
3. Research Plan
Opportunity Statement
There is a persistent structural gender gap among computer science professionals, with well-differentiated career trajectories taken by men and women in today's labor market.
Women and girls may struggle to find role models around them and lack the self-awareness of their strengths in computing.
Most students, especially girls, are not taught the foundational computing skills required to guide them to the new tech opportunities.
Solving this is a viable product and/or service because:
2. Comparison of Functionality within Competitors
"Computing’s too important to be left to men."
Karen Spärk-Jones, Computer scientist
of AI professionals globally are female,
compared to 78% who are male.
22%
1. User Interview
3. User Journey Map
# Need improvement
Be more explicit about the difference between pair development and standard study room.
Show confirmation for users if they create the room successfully.
Make it easy for new users to start their journey.
The rewarding system within the platform needs to be improved.
# Went well
The navigation bar is easy to use.
It is easy to follow the structure to create a study room step by step.
Get positive feedback about the idea to pair development with other female developers.
empower women who want to pursue careers in the computer science industry, and create more gender diversity?
How Might We
1. Service Blueprint
FINAL DESIGN
I made minor changes and then went to the UI phase.
Role Models.
Modeling STEM.
In every single part of girls’ lives.
