GROW-SMART
OVERVIEW

A reflection tool for career development of the teachers at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), projected to improve clarity around career progression, particularly in research, by 55%.

TIMELINE

5 Months

ROLE

UX Design

UX Research

About the project

For years, research-related professional development of teachers at the universities of applied sciences has been a challenge. This issue has even led to some teachers resigning.
Our initial mission was to design a tool or concept that supports teachers of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam in determining their next steps in research-related paths and staying engaged and interested in it.

Let's see what is already there for teachers

I kicked off the research by reviewing all the relevant documentation to better understand the problem and explore the current structure for career development, along with the areas of teachers’ responsibilities.

Next, I did a usability sweep of the research-related platforms such as HvA Academie and HvA Onderzoek to ascertain the depth and type of information available.

Here are the key findings:

  • Only 44% of teachers think the HvA offers enough possibilities to develop themselves in the field of research
  • Lack of clarity on research career paths for teachers at HvA
  • Misaligned communication (about development opportunities) with teachers' proficiency levels in research
  • Limited university capacity for vertical career growth

Talking with teachers

We then had in-depth conversations with 8 teachers, exploring their research experience, co-creation activities, and evaluation processes. The goal was to uncover what drives them and where they stumble when it comes to research-related tasks.

Here’s what surfaced as their top pain points:

  • The eternal struggle: time constraints

  • A preference for teaching over research

  • Unequal access to information across different faculties

  • A blind spot for horizontal career opportunities

The research phase helped to find where things could improve. Our idea was to redesign the HvA Academie website to tackle issues like unclear career progression paths and limited access to resources. The plan included creating tailored communities of practice and revamping the platform’s usability.

A twist in the project direction..

The biggest challenge in this project came when the goal expanded mid-way.
The project partner requested that, in addition to supporting research tasks, the tool should also help teachers explore various career paths and other professional development opportunities to advance in their chosen direction.

With limited time ahead, our team ran several co-creation sessions with the stakeholders to brainstorm a design solution that met the partner's goals while still addressing the needs we uncovered in our research, using the data we’d gathered along the way.

The final idea? A physical concept, which got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the stakeholders.

Prototype

Our design solution is initially inspired by the Research Career Wheel of the university.
The first prototype of the tool contains two components:

  1. Growth Placemat (as the visual aid for mapping roles), and

  2. Reflection Cards (as the conversational guide)

And, the purpose is to facilitate communications between teachers and their managers in:

  • Reflecting on teachers' careers,

  • Identifying areas for professional growth,

  • Identifying areas for collaboration between teachers, and

  • Conducting research and taking on research-related tasks to enhance their practice.

We had 2 rounds of iterations on the initial prototype to refine it and offer a seamless experience.
We conducted the first round of usability testing with 4 stakeholders which led to a usability score of 65%. We received feedback on the tool’s usability, visual appeal, the content of cards, the tool’s name, and the marketing pitch.

Based on the feedback, we developed a manual and improved the structure and design of the cards to increase usability.

We tested the 2nd version of the prototype in a group setting with 5 teachers of different experience and faculties. We also had a mock 1-on-1 meeting scenario with them. The goal was to see how the teachers find the tool effective and find the design gaps. Improving the design increased the usability score to 78%.

Results

Our design solution is projected to improve clarity around career progression, particularly in research, by 55%.
The design has already been handed over to an instrument team of the university for the development of a digital version, expected to launch next year.

Given more time, I would recommend the following steps for further development:

  • Expanding the tool to address other areas of teachers' duties, including Organizing, Study, and Society.

  • Adapting the tool for use by other university staff who are not teachers but seek to enhance their research skills and apply them in their respective fields.

Learning

  1. The critical role of clear communication in shaping outcomes:
    Although we initially believed we were aligned with the business owner on the problem and objectives, we later discovered that another university department was already working on a similar solution—information that hadn’t been shared with us.
    Despite a shift in the project's goal, to realign expectations, we held several meetings with the business owner, which ultimately helped us adjust our design to better meet the actual needs of teachers and stakeholders, ensuring it was both practical and innovative.

  2. Flexibility and adaptability in problem-solving:
    The shift in the project goal also highlighted the importance of embracing uncertainty and staying open to the evolving needs

Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!
GROW-SMART
OVERVIEW

A reflection tool for career development of the teachers at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), projected to improve clarity around career progression, particularly in research, by 55%.

TIMELINE

5 Months

ROLE

UX Design

UX Research

About the project

For years, research-related professional development of teachers at the universities of applied sciences has been a challenge. This issue has even led to some teachers resigning.
Our initial mission was to design a tool or concept that supports teachers of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam in determining their next steps in research-related paths and staying engaged and interested in it.

Let's see what is already there for teachers

I kicked off the research by reviewing all the relevant documentation to better understand the problem and explore the current structure for career development, along with the areas of teachers’ responsibilities.

Next, I did a usability sweep of the research-related platforms such as HvA Academie and HvA Onderzoek to ascertain the depth and type of information available.

Here are the key findings:

  • Only 44% of teachers think the HvA offers enough possibilities to develop themselves in the field of research
  • Lack of clarity on research career paths for teachers at HvA
  • Misaligned communication (about development opportunities) with teachers' proficiency levels in research
  • Limited university capacity for vertical career growth

Talking with teachers

We then had in-depth conversations with 8 teachers, exploring their research experience, co-creation activities, and evaluation processes. The goal was to uncover what drives them and where they stumble when it comes to research-related tasks.

Here’s what surfaced as their top pain points:

  • The eternal struggle: time constraints

  • A preference for teaching over research

  • Unequal access to information across different faculties

  • A blind spot for horizontal career opportunities

The research phase helped to find where things could improve. Our idea was to redesign the HvA Academie website to tackle issues like unclear career progression paths and limited access to resources. The plan included creating tailored communities of practice and revamping the platform’s usability.

A twist in the project direction..

The biggest challenge in this project came when the goal expanded mid-way.
The project partner requested that, in addition to supporting research tasks, the tool should also help teachers explore various career paths and other professional development opportunities to advance in their chosen direction.

With limited time ahead, our team ran several co-creation sessions with the stakeholders to brainstorm a design solution that met the partner's goals while still addressing the needs we uncovered in our research, using the data we’d gathered along the way.

The final idea? A physical concept, which got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the stakeholders.

Prototype

Our design solution is initially inspired by the Research Career Wheel of the university.
The first prototype of the tool contains two components:

  1. Growth Placemat (as the visual aid for mapping roles), and

  2. Reflection Cards (as the conversational guide)

And, the purpose is to facilitate communications between teachers and their managers in:

  • Reflecting on teachers' careers,

  • Identifying areas for professional growth,

  • Identifying areas for collaboration between teachers, and

  • Conducting research and taking on research-related tasks to enhance their practice.

We had 2 rounds of iterations on the initial prototype to refine it and offer a seamless experience.
We conducted the first round of usability testing with 4 stakeholders which led to a usability score of 65%. We received feedback on the tool’s usability, visual appeal, the content of cards, the tool’s name, and the marketing pitch.

Based on the feedback, we developed a manual and improved the structure and design of the cards to increase usability.

We tested the 2nd version of the prototype in a group setting with 5 teachers of different experience and faculties. We also had a mock 1-on-1 meeting scenario with them. The goal was to see how the teachers find the tool effective and find the design gaps. Improving the design increased the usability score to 78%.

Results

Our design solution is projected to improve clarity around career progression, particularly in research, by 55%.
The design has already been handed over to an instrument team of the university for the development of a digital version, expected to launch next year.

Given more time, I would recommend the following steps for further development:

  • Expanding the tool to address other areas of teachers' duties, including Organizing, Study, and Society.

  • Adapting the tool for use by other university staff who are not teachers but seek to enhance their research skills and apply them in their respective fields.

Learning

  1. The critical role of clear communication in shaping outcomes:
    Although we initially believed we were aligned with the business owner on the problem and objectives, we later discovered that another university department was already working on a similar solution—information that hadn’t been shared with us.
    Despite a shift in the project's goal, to realign expectations, we held several meetings with the business owner, which ultimately helped us adjust our design to better meet the actual needs of teachers and stakeholders, ensuring it was both practical and innovative.

  2. Flexibility and adaptability in problem-solving:
    The shift in the project goal also highlighted the importance of embracing uncertainty and staying open to the evolving needs

Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!
GROW-SMART
OVERVIEW

A reflection tool for career development of the teachers at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA), projected to improve clarity around career progression, particularly in research, by 55%.

TIMELINE

5 Months

ROLE

UX Design

UX Research

About the project

For years, research-related professional development of teachers at the universities of applied sciences has been a challenge. This issue has even led to some teachers resigning.
Our initial mission was to design a tool or concept that supports teachers of the Hogeschool van Amsterdam in determining their next steps in research-related paths and staying engaged and interested in it.

Let's see what is already there for teachers

I kicked off the research by reviewing all the relevant documentation to better understand the problem and explore the current structure for career development, along with the areas of teachers’ responsibilities.

Next, I did a usability sweep of the research-related platforms such as HvA Academie and HvA Onderzoek to ascertain the depth and type of information available.

Here are the key findings:

  • Only 44% of teachers think the HvA offers enough possibilities to develop themselves in the field of research
  • Lack of clarity on research career paths for teachers at HvA
  • Misaligned communication (about development opportunities) with teachers' proficiency levels in research
  • Limited university capacity for vertical career growth

Talking with teachers

We then had in-depth conversations with 8 teachers, exploring their research experience, co-creation activities, and evaluation processes. The goal was to uncover what drives them and where they stumble when it comes to research-related tasks.

Here’s what surfaced as their top pain points:

  • The eternal struggle: time constraints

  • A preference for teaching over research

  • Unequal access to information across different faculties

  • A blind spot for horizontal career opportunities

The research phase helped to find where things could improve. Our idea was to redesign the HvA Academie website to tackle issues like unclear career progression paths and limited access to resources. The plan included creating tailored communities of practice and revamping the platform’s usability.

A twist in the project direction..

The biggest challenge in this project came when the goal expanded mid-way.
The project partner requested that, in addition to supporting research tasks, the tool should also help teachers explore various career paths and other professional development opportunities to advance in their chosen direction.

With limited time ahead, our team ran several co-creation sessions with the stakeholders to brainstorm a design solution that met the partner's goals while still addressing the needs we uncovered in our research, using the data we’d gathered along the way.

The final idea? A physical concept, which got an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the stakeholders.

Prototype

Our design solution is initially inspired by the Research Career Wheel of the university.
The first prototype of the tool contains two components:

  1. Growth Placemat (as the visual aid for mapping roles), and

  2. Reflection Cards (as the conversational guide)

And, the purpose is to facilitate communications between teachers and their managers in:

  • Reflecting on teachers' careers,

  • Identifying areas for professional growth,

  • Identifying areas for collaboration between teachers, and

  • Conducting research and taking on research-related tasks to enhance their practice.

We had 2 rounds of iterations on the initial prototype to refine it and offer a seamless experience.
We conducted the first round of usability testing with 4 stakeholders which led to a usability score of 65%. We received feedback on the tool’s usability, visual appeal, the content of cards, the tool’s name, and the marketing pitch.

Based on the feedback, we developed a manual and improved the structure and design of the cards to increase usability.

We tested the 2nd version of the prototype in a group setting with 5 teachers of different experience and faculties. We also had a mock 1-on-1 meeting scenario with them. The goal was to see how the teachers find the tool effective and find the design gaps. Improving the design increased the usability score to 78%.

Results

Our design solution is projected to improve clarity around career progression, particularly in research, by 55%.
The design has already been handed over to an instrument team of the university for the development of a digital version, expected to launch next year.

Given more time, I would recommend the following steps for further development:

  • Expanding the tool to address other areas of teachers' duties, including Organizing, Study, and Society.

  • Adapting the tool for use by other university staff who are not teachers but seek to enhance their research skills and apply them in their respective fields.

Learning

  1. The critical role of clear communication in shaping outcomes:
    Although we initially believed we were aligned with the business owner on the problem and objectives, we later discovered that another university department was already working on a similar solution—information that hadn’t been shared with us.
    Despite a shift in the project's goal, to realign expectations, we held several meetings with the business owner, which ultimately helped us adjust our design to better meet the actual needs of teachers and stakeholders, ensuring it was both practical and innovative.

  2. Flexibility and adaptability in problem-solving:
    The shift in the project goal also highlighted the importance of embracing uncertainty and staying open to the evolving needs

Smooth Scroll
This will hide itself!