A clearer path through academic petitions.

Students faced 72 hyperlinks, 20 dropdowns, and dozens of forms while trying to submit an academic petition. Students struggled to find where to start and which documents they needed.

After submitting, students could wait up to six weeks without clear status updates. Choosing the wrong form or submitting incomplete information could lead to delays and misrouted petitions.

I analyzed existing petition processes to identify adaptable approaches.

I examined petition processes at other universities and organizations to identify approaches we could adapt within Laurier’s existing systems.

Status trackers helped address uncertainty. Many petition pages still emphasized lengthy information rather than clear actions, leaving an opportunity for a more guided experience.

We used a two-pronged research approach: usability testing with students who had never submitted a petition, and interviews with students who had.

Across 11 usability-test participants, the original study recorded 32 failed tasks and 6 passed tasks. Students struggled with navigation, unclear dropdown labels, and finding the appropriate form.

Interviews revealed frustration with long waits and missing updates. Some students believed they had submitted correctly before discovering errors, and others were unsure whether to submit to their home faculty or the faculty responsible for the course.

• Make the starting point and form choices clear.
• Use language students understand.
• Explain what happens after submission.

I redesigned the information architecture and guided starting point.

I restructured the page into a guided process with clearer information architecture. A ‘Find my petition’ action helps students identify the right form, and consistent context across the questionnaire and dropdowns reduces confusion around unfamiliar terms.

I designed the questionnaire that guides students to an appropriate form.

A short survey guides students to the correct petition form based on their situation, to help students avoid choosing the wrong form or sending their request to the wrong place.

I designed clearer confirmation and status-update concepts.

An improved submission email and automated email status tracking give students clearer feedback about their petition’s progress.

The working prototype was designed around the client’s existing systems so the proposed experience could be implemented without additional platform costs.

The usability results and interviews both pointed to confusing navigation and too little communication after submission. The design responds with a clearer sequence, guided form selection, and status information after submission.

The prototype was designed around existing university systems to avoid introducing a new platform. I still need to test task success after the redesign and follow the process after launch to learn whether it reduces errors and uncertainty.