For my capstone, I partnered with Monterey Bay Aquarium to design an internal platform for educators to borrow training artifacts. My team followed a full Double Diamond process to research, prototype, and deliver a polished high-fidelity solution. As a group project, I was the Project Manager and led my team by defining scope, timelines, and communication.
Role: Project Manager
Team: 2 Designers, 1 Researcher, 1 Project Manager (me)
Tools: Figma, Google Suite, Maze
Timeline: 6 months
Educators at the aquarium relied on a fragmented request process involving in-person asks, emails, and spreadsheets. There was no central inventory system, which often led unclear item availability and delays in preparing for workshops. Admins lacked visibility into which artifacts were borrowed or returned.
We started with interviews and field observations of educators and admins to understand how requests were currently made and fulfilled. From these insights, we developed user personas for the two key roles (Requesters and Admins), along with journey maps highlighting key breakdowns — like difficulty tracking item status or confirming pickup logistics. We also analyzed online “shopping” patterns as inspiration for how users might browse and filter artifacts. Usability testing was conducted through Maze, which helped us identify confusing interaction points and validate content clarity.
Personas
Our personas were the two main roles found in the requesting and borrowing process, the Admin ("Michael") and the Requester ("Sophia"), with the primary user being Michael.
Storyboards
Several storyboards were developed during the brainstorming phase to picture how a hypothetical solution would function in employees' day-to-day operations.
Wireframes
Low-fidelity wireframes were developed after deciding to move forward with an online-checkout-like user flow. Flows for both the Admin and Requester were developed and then tested with actual MBA employees via on-sites.
User Testing
Our low-fidelity designs were tested with our direct users, and we walked away with specific points of improvement. Due to the timeline of this project, the UX adjustments were made at the same time as our transition into a higher fidelity. One of the more unique points we walked away with requirements to add more specificity in cataloging artifacts (animal kingdom taxonomy), due to the nature of their items.
The final design was an internal borrowing tool that featured a searchable catalog of artifacts with filters and item status indicators (e.g., available, checked out, damaged). Requesters could submit detailed borrow requests through a multi-step form that mimicked a checkout flow. Admins were given a dashboard to track current requests, approve or deny submissions, and mark item statuses. The design emphasized scannability, with grouped information and clear calls to action to support staff with limited tech exposure.
This project taught me how to lead a multidisciplinary team through ambiguity while managing scope, timelines, and communication across stakeholders. As project manager, I kept our team aligned, facilitated cross-functional discussions, and ensured we stayed on track to deliver high-impact work—despite a tight timeline and evolving requirements.
While I wasn’t the primary designer, collaborating on a tool meant for internal use showed me the importance of clarity over flashiness. I also learned how critical it is to validate user flows early—especially when designing for non-technical audiences—through usability testing with real users.
