Exploring career options through mentorship for high school students.
Dream-Match
Individual ProjectTools Figma Live surface Photoshop
Duration10 Weeks
According to Inside Higher Ed, 42% of highschool graduates are unsure about their chosen career paths. Of that percentage, 72% reported minimal exposure to diverse career options. There is a disconnect between high school students expectation of a career and what the reality of the careers day-to-day is.
The Challenge
A solution that focuses on assisting students broaden their perspectives on careers, while also helping them focus on a career best fit for their personality and the environment in which they thrive. Through categorising careers with traits rather than subjects, we are able to personify jobs and help students discover what might be a good fit for them.
The Opportunity
Introducing, Dream-Match.
THE SOLUTION
Dream-Match is a platform that helps high school students explore potential career paths by connecting them with mentors of their choice. The database of careers are all categorised by traits, and ranked by working professional mentors. This assists students to recognise which environments best fit their personality and preferences.
Problem Discovery
Growing up, I dreamt of becoming an astrophysicist, inspired by astronauts like Kalpana Chawla.
Reflecting on my journey as a designer today, I can't help but trace back to my childhood aspirations. Back then, I dreamt of becoming an astrophysicist, inspired by heroes like astronaut Kalpana Chawla. But somewhere along the way, that dream faded. Instead, I opted for the familiar path of computer science—a choice driven by practicality rather than passion. This shift made me question why so many of us abandon our childhood dreams when it comes to choosing a career.
Why is there a disconnect between our childhood dream jobs, and what our careers become professionally?
User Interviews
In talking to current professionals, I learned that many workers reflect deeply upon their own career journey.
“My job is nothing like I expected it to be, although I thought I knew what I wanted, I never understood it fully until I finished my undergrad and started working. I don’t 100% regret it, but my personality doesn’t fit in at my job and I do think that plays a large role in my stress.”
- Software Engineer, 26 years old
“I do think that if I knew more about the creative industry, or more people, I might have tried it. I only knew what I saw, and everyone in my family was a doctor.”
- Intern Resident, 27 years old
“I went to a technical high school so I was able to pick up skills earlier than my college classmates. Knowing those tools, and knowing I enjoyed working with them reaffirmed my passion.”
- Architectural Designer, 23 years old
Takeaways
Mentorship
Seeing a variety of professionals in various careers expands the students knowledge of the career spectrum.
Building Skills Early
Learning a professionals skillset and tools earlier, can assist students understand if they might enjoy day-to-day tasks.
Work Environment
Understanding various professions work and environment culture is insightful to know if your personality and character traits match it.
Listening to the stories of the initial three young professionals I talked to, they all had expressed they wish they knew more in high school.
All my interview participants expressed they felt clueless in high school, and wish they knew more back then about their current jobs. This meant my design ideas were to center around high school students, rather than focusing on current professionals.
Rethinking Careers as Characteristics
After understanding my problem better, I went back and spoke to eight different professionals in varying fields. During the conversation we spoke about the different in, “what do we want,” and “what do we do.” This inspired a new narrative of how we could speak about careers.
Rather than thinking of careers in subjects, we should think of them as a spectrum of characteristics.
Opportunity Statement
We need a solution that focuses on assisting students broaden their perspectives on careers, while also helping them focus on a career best fit for their personality and the environment in which they thrive. Through categorising careers with traits rather than subjects, we are able to personify jobs and help students discover what might be a good fit for them.
Prototyping Design Solutions
Dream-Match started as mentor-mentee communication platform. NYC Public Schools would be able to contact Dream-Match, who would provide an in-person survey asking students about what environment they envision themselves in. Dream-Match would then be in charge of matching each student to a mentor.
1
In the next iteration, the design focuses on assisting high schoolers to discover careers fitting to the environment they thrive in & the type of people they want to be around. They can then choose their own mentors from all types of backgrounds.
2
Following feedback from the second iteration, the UI felt very outdated. I found a new style palette which has energizing colours, and a contemporary modern font. Using the same wireframe sketches, I made low-fi wireframes before going into Hi-fi prototypes.
3
FINAL OUTCOME
Student Onboarding
1
Any student is able to create an account with their DOE email. A specific email given to every New York City public school student when they are enrolled in school. Using this email verifies student status. Mentors go through an application process which includes a security background check as well.
Searching Careers
2
Through the search feature, students can explore careers through the keyword tag system, or they can look by field. This allows for students to choose whether they already had a specific field in mind or want to freely take a look. The keywords are arranged in trending order, to show popular tags. Once students choose their keywords, they are able to adjust the scale of their traits. This allows them to customise their searches even further.
The search result will list wide range of careers which fit these traits from all fields, unless filtered. Each career comes with a description, and a scale of its traits. Students can also watch short workday vlogs, and message available Dream-Match mentors.
Pain Points Addressed: Mentorship, Exposure to Careers
Dream-Matching
3
Dream-Matching is a quiz available to all new users. The quiz goes through a series of characteristic questions, asking the student to best describe their personality or what environment they enjoy. This allows for a starting point in researching the wide array of careers available.
Pain Points Addressed: Mentorship, Exposure to Careers
Beyond the App
4
Dream-Match extends beyond the app in multiple forms. While it started as a workshop idea, Dream-Match also partners with Universities and companies to host tours and workshops. This allows students to see workspaces, and allows offices and universities to find potential new talent. As part of the experience, Dream-Match also gifts branded school items at these events.
Pain Points Addressed: Learning new skills, understanding different work environments
Dream-Labs
5
Dream-Labs is an extension of Dream-Match which hosts workshops, leads research in learning techniques, and has a library of online courses led by the mentors of Dream-Match.
Pain Points Addressed: Learning new skills, Mentorship
With more time and resources, I would…
Initial participant interviews were done with current professionals, speaking in retrospect. Speaking to current highschool seniors or juniors will provide more insights to inform design decisions.
Talk to students
Testing the most current version of the app prototype will provide better feedback on which features are useful and which aren’t. Testing with the target demographic will also inform graphic decisions, and user flows.
2. Test Prototype
3. Initiate Partnerships
The strategy design component relies heavily on partnerships. If we can speak with New York Public School admins, it will give a better understanding of how these partnerships might work, and if there is any interest at all.