[Case 02]
Goldenhawk Guidance Servce
Transforming student experiences into measurable, career-ready competencies
Goldenhawk Guidance Servce
Designing a system that bridges academic learning and real-world experience.
[Project Overview]
The Goldenhawk Guidance Service is a service design initiative focused on improving how university students access and navigate wellness support. The project addresses gaps in communication, transparency and accessibility by creating a structured, end-to-end support system.
The solution combines a detailed service blueprint with low-cost, scalable touchpoints, such as trained student volunteers and social media engagement, to provide students with more immediate, approachable and continuous support throughout their wellness journey.
[Problem Statement]
Mental health challenges are most commonly first identified between the ages of 16–24, making post-secondary students particularly vulnerable. Despite the availability of wellness resources, students often feel unclear about where to go, what services exist, and whether their concerns will be acknowledged.
A fragmented system, combined with a lack of transparency and unclear ownership of services, results in students feeling unheard and hesitant to seek help, especially for concerns they perceive as “too small.”
[Role]
UX/UI Designer
[Focus]
Product Thinking
Systems Design
Student Experience
Goals & Outcomes
Primary Goal
Create a structured system that translates student experiences into clear, credible and career-ready competencies.
[Goals]
Improve clarity and awareness of available wellness resources.
Reduce friction in how students initiate support.
Increase transparency and accountability in how concerns are handled.
Create a scalable, low-cost support system that is accessible across channels.
[Outcomes]
Increased engagement with wellness entry points.
Reduced time to connect students with appropriate resources or support services.
Higher rate of student follow-through after initial contact.
Improved student perception of being heard and supported.
[Process]
[01] Research
Students felt unsure where to access wellness resources, revealing a need for clearer communication and centralized support pathways.
Many students hesitated to seek help because they felt their concerns were too minor, highlighting the importance of low-barrier entry points.
A lack of transparency and follow-through reduced trust in existing wellness services, showing the need for clearer accountability throughout the support journey.
[02] Ideation & Exploration
Explored centralized service pathways to simplify how students discover and access wellness support.
Investigated informal support channels, such as social media and peer volunteers, to reduce hesitation in seeking help.
Mapped the student support journey end-to-end, leading to the development of a service blueprint that defined each stage of interaction.
[03] Design Process
Developed a service blueprint with five stages, awareness, browsing, voicing concerns, support connection and resolution, to create a structured and transparent experience.
Introduced volunteer-supported touchpoints to provide approachable, immediate assistance before escalating students to formal services.
Prioritized transparency and visibility throughout the process to help students feel acknowledged and build trust in the support system.
[04] Testing & Iteration
Feedback showed that students needed faster, simpler ways to access support, leading to a reduction in unnecessary steps within the service flow.
Refined volunteer interactions to provide quicker initial responses while maintaining clear escalation pathways to formal services.
Simplified the journey to improve accessibility and reduce hesitation, particularly for students seeking support for smaller concerns.
[Final Solution]
Centralized platform for capturing, reflecting on, and showcasing student experiences.
Student-controlled visibility and competency-based storytelling beyond traditional resumes.
Scannable, professional interface adopted across post-secondary institutions in North America.
[Impact]
Widespread Adoption
Implemented at multiple universities and colleges across North America.
Enhanced Student Engagement
Guided reflection and public visibility encourage students to actively document experiences
Improved Skill Communication
Students are better able to articulate transferable skills and growth to potential employers
Streamlined Usability
Dashboard improvements reduced friction in logging and managing experiences, improving efficiency
Employer Benefit
The card-based, professional presentation allows employers to quickly understand student competencies and relevant experiences.
[Reflection]
This project strengthened my understanding of service design and reinforced the importance of designing beyond individual interfaces to consider the full user journey.
A key takeaway was recognizing how accessibility and approachability directly impact engagement—especially in sensitive areas like mental health. Introducing low-barrier entry points and reducing friction can significantly influence whether users choose to seek support.
If I were to continue this project, I would focus on developing and testing a digital prototype of the service to validate key interactions and gather direct feedback from students. Incorporating real user input earlier in the process would further strengthen the solution and ensure it aligns closely with student needs.
[Case 02]
Goldenhawk Guidance Service
Transforming student experiences into measurable, career-ready competencies
Goldenhawk Guidance Servce
Designing a system that bridges academic learning and real-world experience.
[Project Overview]
A digital platform that enables students to document, reflect on, and validate their experiences, transforming them into structured, shareable competencies.
Traditional transcripts capture grades.
This system captures capability.
[Problem Statement]
Students graduate with a wide range of valuable experiences, internships, volunteer work, leadership roles, but struggle to clearly communicate what they’ve learned from them.
Traditional transcripts:
Emphasize grades over skills
Lack real-world context
Fail to capture competencies like leadership, collaboration and problem-solving
As a result, students are underrepresented in the job market and employers lack meaningful insight into their capabilities.
[Role]
UX/UI Designer
[Focus]
Product Thinking
Systems Design
Student Experience
Goals & Outcomes
Primary Goal
Create a structured system that translates student experiences into clear, credible and career-ready competencies.
[Goals]
Clarify Student Value → Enable students to confidently articulate what they’ve learned from their experiences.
Increase Skill Visibility → Make competencies more accessible and understandable beyond traditional transcripts.
Establish Credibility → Introduce validation to ensure experiences are trusted and meaningful.
Design a Scalable System → Build a framework that can adapt across programs and institutions.
[Outcomes]
Improved Self-Expression for Students → Students can confidently translate experiences into structured skills.
Stronger Employer Understanding → Employers gain clearer insight into candidate capabilities beyond grades.
Increased Reflection & Engagement → Students become more intentional about documenting and reflecting on experiences.
Bridged Academic and Real-World Learning → Experiential learning becomes more integrated into formal education systems
[Process]
[01] Research
Students felt unsure where to access wellness resources, revealing a need for clearer communication and centralized support pathways.
Many students hesitated to seek help because they felt their concerns were too minor, highlighting the importance of low-barrier entry points.
A lack of transparency and follow-through reduced trust in existing wellness services, showing the need for clearer accountability throughout the support journey.
[02] Ideation & Exploration
Explored centralized service pathways to simplify how students discover and access wellness support.
Investigated informal support channels, such as social media and peer volunteers, to reduce hesitation in seeking help.
Mapped the student support journey end-to-end, leading to the development of a service blueprint that defined each stage of interaction.
[03] Design Process
Developed a service blueprint with five stages, awareness, browsing, voicing concerns, support connection and resolution, to create a structured and transparent experience.
Introduced volunteer-supported touchpoints to provide approachable, immediate assistance before escalating students to formal services.
Prioritized transparency and visibility throughout the process to help students feel acknowledged and build trust in the support system.
[04] Testing & Iteration
Feedback showed that students needed faster, simpler ways to access support, leading to a reduction in unnecessary steps within the service flow.
Refined volunteer interactions to provide quicker initial responses while maintaining clear escalation pathways to formal services.
Simplified the journey to improve accessibility and reduce hesitation, particularly for students seeking support for smaller concerns.
[Final Solution]
Centralized platform for capturing, reflecting on, and showcasing student experiences.
Student-controlled visibility and competency-based storytelling beyond traditional resumes.
Scannable, professional interface adopted across post-secondary institutions in North America.
[Impact]
Widespread Adoption
Implemented at multiple universities and colleges across North America.
Enhanced Student Engagement
Guided reflection and public visibility encourage students to actively document experiences
Improved Skill Communication
Students are better able to articulate transferable skills and growth to potential employers
Streamlined Usability
Dashboard improvements reduced friction in logging and managing experiences, improving efficiency
Employer Benefit
The card-based, professional presentation allows employers to quickly understand student competencies and relevant experiences.
[Reflection]
This project strengthened my understanding of service design and reinforced the importance of designing beyond individual interfaces to consider the full user journey.
A key takeaway was recognizing how accessibility and approachability directly impact engagement—especially in sensitive areas like mental health. Introducing low-barrier entry points and reducing friction can significantly influence whether users choose to seek support.
If I were to continue this project, I would focus on developing and testing a digital prototype of the service to validate key interactions and gather direct feedback from students. Incorporating real user input earlier in the process would further strengthen the solution and ensure it aligns closely with student needs.
[Case 02]
Goldenhawk Guidance Service
Transforming student experiences into measurable, career-ready competencies
Goals & Outcomes
Primary Goal
Create a structured system that translates student experiences into clear, credible and career-ready competencies.
[Goals]
Clarify Student Value → Enable students to confidently articulate what they’ve learned from their experiences.
Increase Skill Visibility → Make competencies more accessible and understandable beyond traditional transcripts.
Establish Credibility → Introduce validation to ensure experiences are trusted and meaningful.
Design a Scalable System → Build a framework that can adapt across programs and institutions.
[Outcomes]
Improved Self-Expression for Students → Students can confidently translate experiences into structured skills.
Stronger Employer Understanding → Employers gain clearer insight into candidate capabilities beyond grades.
Increased Reflection & Engagement → Students become more intentional about documenting and reflecting on experiences.
Bridged Academic and Real-World Learning → Experiential learning becomes more integrated into formal education systems
[Process]
[01] Research
Students felt unsure where to access wellness resources, revealing a need for clearer communication and centralized support pathways.
Many students hesitated to seek help because they felt their concerns were too minor, highlighting the importance of low-barrier entry points.
A lack of transparency and follow-through reduced trust in existing wellness services, showing the need for clearer accountability throughout the support journey.
[02] Ideation & Exploration
Explored centralized service pathways to simplify how students discover and access wellness support.
Investigated informal support channels, such as social media and peer volunteers, to reduce hesitation in seeking help.
Mapped the student support journey end-to-end, leading to the development of a service blueprint that defined each stage of interaction.
[03] Design Process
Developed a service blueprint with five stages, awareness, browsing, voicing concerns, support connection and resolution, to create a structured and transparent experience.
Introduced volunteer-supported touchpoints to provide approachable, immediate assistance before escalating students to formal services.
Prioritized transparency and visibility throughout the process to help students feel acknowledged and build trust in the support system.
[04] Testing & Iteration
Feedback showed that students needed faster, simpler ways to access support, leading to a reduction in unnecessary steps within the service flow.
Refined volunteer interactions to provide quicker initial responses while maintaining clear escalation pathways to formal services.
Simplified the journey to improve accessibility and reduce hesitation, particularly for students seeking support for smaller concerns.
[Final Solution]
Centralized platform for capturing, reflecting on, and showcasing student experiences.
Student-controlled visibility and competency-based storytelling beyond traditional resumes.
Scannable, professional interface adopted across post-secondary institutions in North America.
[Impact]
Widespread Adoption
Implemented at multiple universities and colleges across North America.
Enhanced Student Engagement
Guided reflection and public visibility encourage students to actively document experiences
Improved Skill Communication
Students are better able to articulate transferable skills and growth to potential employers
Streamlined Usability
Dashboard improvements reduced friction in logging and managing experiences, improving efficiency
Employer Benefit
The card-based, professional presentation allows employers to quickly understand student competencies and relevant experiences.
[Reflection]
This project strengthened my understanding of service design and reinforced the importance of designing beyond individual interfaces to consider the full user journey.
A key takeaway was recognizing how accessibility and approachability directly impact engagement—especially in sensitive areas like mental health. Introducing low-barrier entry points and reducing friction can significantly influence whether users choose to seek support.
If I were to continue this project, I would focus on developing and testing a digital prototype of the service to validate key interactions and gather direct feedback from students. Incorporating real user input earlier in the process would further strengthen the solution and ensure it aligns closely with student needs.
Goldenhawk Guidance Servce
Designing a system that bridges academic learning and real-world experience.
[Project Overview]
A digital platform that enables students to document, reflect on, and validate their experiences, transforming them into structured, shareable competencies.
Traditional transcripts capture grades.
This system captures capability.
[Problem Statement]
Students graduate with a wide range of valuable experiences, internships, volunteer work, leadership roles, but struggle to clearly communicate what they’ve learned from them.
Traditional transcripts:
Emphasize grades over skills
Lack real-world context
Fail to capture competencies like leadership, collaboration and problem-solving
As a result, students are underrepresented in the job market and employers lack meaningful insight into their capabilities.
[Role]
UX/UI Designer
[Focus]
Product Thinking
Systems Design
Student Experience