I interviewed several students who found it challenging to adjust to studying at home. One interesting pattern among participants was that most of them used to study in cafes and libraries. Thinking backwards, why could they get work done in those public spaces?

Behind this phenomenon is what the psychological concept social facilitation refers to, the tendency for the presence of others to improve a person's performance on a task. Applying this I frame the problem reveals a more specific opportunity:

In the next step of user research, I found students have tried to use a variety of tools to get the sensation of studying with others remotely. Some turn to YouTube for study-with-me videos, a type of video in which people study on camera, while other people watch and study as well. And some created study groups on Zoom.

Video sessions are a good way to achieve the presence of others virtually, which can really bring positive influence to those who can’t be disciplined alone. There are limits to the expedient ways on YouTube and Zoom, a better solution should be created that allow people to attend live study sessions anytime easily.

Before COVID-19 socializing is one important source for students to get new information. They talk about their project progress or any methodology they learned in the class naturally when they meet in person. But now social distancing makes this harder. What if there is a space they can easily exchange what they learned with others? Enabling people to share and discuss ideas also makes a more sustainable virtual community.

What if there is a platform that allows people to study together live and share ideas? What the experience will be like?

Based on the user story depicted above, I created an initial information architecture for the product, which includes four sections: sessions, thoughts, inbox and profile.

Then I used low-fidelity wireframing to visualize the ideas and explore layouts fast.

The preview of a session was changed from landscape to portrait view, making it more consistent with the full screen view when entering one session. The green dot was added to indicate the live streaming state.

The selfie adjustment was changed from full-screen to a smaller window, which is more consistent with how users will see themselves after they joining the live study. A smaller selfie view also helps reduces the tension before exposing yourself in public compared to full-screen.

Most users ignored the more button in the floating toolbar when asked to play around in the session. When I showed them the three hidden features, they liked it very much. So I made them visible in the toolbar, and the corresponding icons will change to indicate the status when they play a sound or start a timer.

Several users expressed their desire for a place to share and absorb ideas. But they said they couldn't get much useful information on the current screen. The previous grid layout emphasizes images, but not efficient in conveying messages. So I changed it to the normal vertical list view. Also, I added recommended hashtags based on their past behavior, making it easier for users to find their interested information with a theme or specific content.

We need more tools to assist virtual work. The epidemic suddenly isolate everyone, asking us to do almost everything at home. As designers we need to discover which part of people's life is affected seriously and can be improved through technology.

Design with the user's context in mind: live study sessions and remote meetings both use video communications, but who are using the product and their needs are totally different, which can bring really different designs.

Consider the maintenance of a healthy learning community, e.g. how to prevent unproper behavior in live sessions. Consider integrating a business model into the platform.