STEM Quest
Understanding How Students Explore STEM Careers
Many high school students are encouraged to pursue STEM, but struggle to connect abstract career paths with their own interests and experiences. This project investigates how students explore, engage with, and make sense of STEM opportunities, using interactive learning experiences to uncover barriers, motivations, and patterns in early career exploration.
Role:
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Defined research objectives and study approach
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Conducted user interviews and observation sessions
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Synthesized findings into actionable insights for design
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Created UX flows, wireframes, and prototypes
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Tested interactive learning experiences for engagement and comprehension
This project demonstrates my ability to translate qualitative research into practical, high-impact product decisions.
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User Research
Case Study
The Challenge
High school students often struggle to connect classroom STEM learning with real-world applications and career paths. This disconnect is not just about content; it’s about perception, motivation, and opportunity. Traditional curricula are abstract, which can lead to disengagement, limited awareness of STEM careers, and missed chances to explore interests in a meaningful way. Understanding why and where students lose connection is key to designing experiences that spark curiosity, confidence, and agency in STEM exploration.
Case Study
Understanding the Problem
High school students often struggle to connect classroom STEM learning with real-world applications and career paths. Traditional curricula can be abstract, leading to disengagement and a lack of awareness about STEM opportunities.
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Research & Discovery
User Research
To understand the needs of students and educators, I conducted:
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User Interviews: Spoke with Educators and students to identify their interests and challenges in STEM education.
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Educator Surveys: Gathered insights on curriculum gaps and teaching challenges.
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Competitive Analysis: Reviewed existing STEM programs to identify gaps and unique value propositions.
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Students desired interactive, real-world applications of STEM concepts.
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Educators needed flexible resources that align with existing curricula.​
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There was a lack of platforms offering both engagement and educational depth.
User Persona
Jamie, 34 - Wedding Photographer
Freelance photographer who struggles to keep receipts organized while traveling for client work.
Core Needs:
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Capture receipts quickly on the go.
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Automatically categorize and organize expenses.
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Reduce stress and errors during tax season.
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Get a clear monthly overview of spending.
Product Solution & Core Features
To spark curiosity and build real-world connections in STEM, STEMQuest was designed as a multi-modal digital experience that combines hands-on projects, career exploration, modular learning, and game-based engagement. The goal: give students the tools to explore STEM on their own terms, while making it easy for educators to support them.
Project-based learning experiences guide students through solving real-world problems—like designing an energy-efficient home or building a simple sensor—mirroring the work of STEM professionals.
Hands-On STEM Projects
Interactive profiles introduce students to diverse STEM careers, highlighting what professionals do day-to-day, what skills they use, and how students can follow similar paths.
Career Profile
Bite-sized, curriculum-aligned modules help students build foundational knowledge. These modules support the hands-on projects and include visuals, self-check quizzes, and simplified concepts that scaffold learning.
Learning Modules
Gamified Challenges
Easily send receipts or reports to accounting software.
The Design Process: Post Resarch
User Journey Mapping
Mapped out the student experience from initial engagement to course completion, identifying touchpoints for motivation and potential drop-offs
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Wireframing & Prototyping
Developed low-fidelity wireframes to outline key features:
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Interactive Modules: Hands-on activities simulating real-world STEM challenges.
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Career Pathways: Information on various STEM careers linked to module content.
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Progress Tracking: Visual indicators of student progress and achievements.
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High Fidelity Prototype
Created a visually engaging interface incorporating:
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Responsive Design: Ensuring accessibility across devices.
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Gamification Elements: Badges and leaderboards to motivate students.
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Educator Dashboard: Tools for teachers to monitor and support student progress.
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Testing & Iteration
Conducted usability testing sessions with students and educators, leading to:
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Enhanced Navigation: Simplified user flows based on feedback.
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Content Adjustments: Refined module content for clarity and engagement.
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Feature Additions: Integrated forums for peer-to-peer interaction.
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Manual receipt capture and simple categorization.
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Focused on mobile-first UX with a central “Upload receipt” button.
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Users could review and edit categories manually.
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Key Insights That Shaped the Product
Testing with freelancers and consultants revealed that:
Manual entry and categorization were time-consuming and error-prone.
Users wanted automatic extraction of receipt details and found it more useful for business expenses.
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Email receipts require consolidation.​
Additional needs included monthly summaries, alerts for missing receipts, and reminder for tax season.
Validation & Iteration
Based on feedback, we decided to introduce automated OCR scanning and AI categorization to reduce cognitive load. This iteration directly addressed pain points, scaling the app from a simple personal tool to a solution for freelancers and small businesses.
Smart Categorization:
Predicts expense type; users can confirm or adjust.
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OCR Receipt Capture:
Automatically extracts vendor, date, and amount.
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Automated Insights & Summaries:
Generates monthly reports, highlights missing receipts.
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Impact & Measurable Results
A reduction in the average time spent managing receipts has decreased the monthly administrative burden for freelancers from 5 hours to 30 minutes per month, meaning users can focus on billable work instead of admin — a 90% time savings, allowing satisfied businesspeople to focus on what truly matters.
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Users can now capture receipts on the go without losing data.
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Business owners can manage multi-client expenses digitally with minimal effort.
Current State: Research & Prototype
I translated early concepts into an interactive prototype, using gamification and exploratory learning to create a motivating environment for students exploring STEM careers. Inspired by platforms like Duolingo, the prototype emphasizes bite-sized challenges, visual progress, and exploratory pathways, allowing students to engage with STEM content in a hands-on, feedback-driven way.
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While still in an early stage, the prototype serves as a testable representation of the experience, validating core learning mechanics and engagement patterns. Early testing suggests significant potential for enhanced personalization, mentorship connections, and deeper exposure to real-world STEM careers, guiding the next phase of design and research.
While automation reduced manual effort, users needed clear confirmation states to trust that the system was working correctly. This highlighted the importance of transparency in AI-driven experiences. Adding scan confirmations and editable fields helped balance automation with user control. In future designs, I would continue to surface system feedback to reinforce trust without increasing cognitive load
Users consistently prioritized speed over advanced categorization, which reinforced the decision to keep the scanning flow minimal. In future iterations, I’d explore progressive disclosure for advanced features without slowing the core task
Conducting usability testing early in the process helped identify friction points before visual polish or feature expansion. This prevented unnecessary complexity and allowed design decisions to stay focused on real user needs rather than assumptions. Moving forward, I would continue prioritizing early validation to reduce rework and keep solutions lean and effective.