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CAPSTONE
Designing a reading comprehension tool for Gen Z college students
UX Design, Branding, Web Development
PROJECT TYPE
Web App
FOR
Informatics Capstone
TIMEFRAME
Jan - Jun 2026
ROLE
Designer and Developer
TEAM
Project Manger: Melaya LaMadrid
Developers: Kylie Ouffie, Jamison Canonizado
Designers: Joey Lieng
TOOLS
React.js, Figma
THE PROBLEM
100% of college students are assigned readings for their classes, but only around 20% of students fully complete these readings.
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Research shows that Gen Z college students don't value completing their assigned readings. This could be tied to Gen Z having reduced attention spans and preferring short-form content.
INITIAL RESEARCH
Our team conducted comprehensive research across published research, market research, and our own user research. We gathered 50+ survey responses and conducted 5 in-depth interviews with undergraduate college students aged 18-22.
INSIGHT 1
78% of students report almost always or always experiencing difficulty sustaining attention
INSIGHT 2
The majority of students don't finish all their assigned readings
INSIGHT 3
Students agree that understanding assigned reading is tied to better grades
LOW FIDELITY PROTOTYPES
I worked with my teammate Joey Lieng to develop initial wireframes to guide the development of the application.
VISUAL DESIGN AND BRANDING
I worked with Joey to develop a visual identity for Tomo Tube.
TAKEAWAYS
TAKEAWAY 1
Designer to developer communication is pivitol to creating consistent products
TAKEAWAY 2
In-person meetings are important for team collaboration
TAKEAWAY 3
Scoping projects realistically is important
NEXT STEPS
NEXT STEP 1
Refine branding
NEXT STEP 2
Finish developing p1 and p2 features
NEXT STEP 3
Hosting web app and buying domain
Copyleft by Sunny Tian, 2026