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Product Design | User Research | Visual Design
Creating an engaging solution for educators that informs and encourages critical thinking regarding student privacy laws.
Sector
Nonprofit, Law & Policy, Student Advocacy, Education
My role
Product Designer | User Researcher | Visual Designer
Project timeline
July 19, 2021 — September 17, 2021
01/
Background
Student data laws are ambiguous and complex, making the value and importance difficult to communicate
Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), a non-profit organization that promotes privacy leadership and scholarship, approached our UX design team with a project. The project’s aim was to find an engaging and accessible solution to communicate the value and importance of student privacy regulations and laws. The solution needed to empower educators and stakeholders to make informed decisions and decrease misinformation regarding student privacy laws.
02/
Problem
Decoding privacy laws is a job in itself
The existing student data laws are ambiguous and complex, making it difficult to understand their importance and value. Educators and stakeholders directly engaged with student data need a solid foundation about what currently exists to advocate for themselves and students better. However, decoding privacy laws is a job in itself, and the laws in place are challenging to understand, especially for those working outside policy or law.
03/
Ideation
Ideating and testing a wide range of concepts to find a solution that would truly resonate with educators
We conducted extensive research and user interviews to understand the challenges faced by educators and stakeholders in understanding privacy laws. We then ideated and tested several concepts, including an augmented reality experience, an independent microsite, a guided social microsite, a tool-kit for an in-person workshop, and a role-playing game. We collaborated with FPF policy lawyers and experts to unify project expectations and identify the primary audience of focus. We used user interviews to validate and gain feedback on concepts during later rounds of iteration.
04/
Results & Takeaways
Educating and encouraging critical thinking about privacy laws with real-life scenarios
We created a microsite/app that educates and encourages critical thinking about privacy laws in real-life scenarios. Users can review and educate themselves on student privacy laws on their own time or complete modules set up as a role-playing game. We learned that educators want the information to be condensed and easily accessible, especially for new educators who need to know about privacy laws before making mistakes. Additionally, users want a static resource that they can return to, and they want to understand the context of the privacy laws, not just memorize terms.
As designers, we also realized that our onboarding to the project can be insightful. We experienced the same challenges in understanding privacy laws as the stakeholders, and that helped us empathize with them better. Overall, the project helped us understand the importance of communication in privacy policy education and how to create an engaging and accessible solution for stakeholders.
