Bridging Campus Information Gaps with a Smart Chatbot &
Community Hub
Redefining Campus Navigation, Information Access & Student Engagement at Indiana University Indianapolis
ABOUT
Navigating a university campus is more than just finding buildings, it's about accessing the right information at the right time. Students often face fragmented digital resources, hesitation in large social groups, and confusion about campus services like lost-and-found.Our project, a Conversational AI Chatbot integrated with a Student Community Platform, tackles these gaps by centralizing campus information, providing quick and reliable answers, and fostering a peer-driven support system.
User Experience Designer
MY ROLE
Research, Strategy & IA, CUI Design, Usability Testing
RESPONSIBILITIES
Figma, FigJam, Sheets, LucidChart, Google Forms, Voiceflow
TOOLS
Sept’ 24 - Present
DURATION
Geetika P, Saksham R, Sharanya P, Shreya (me)
TEAM
Conversational AI Chatbot, Student Engagement
CATEGORY
CONTEXT
We initially set out to map campus resources like study spaces, printers, and microwaves, aiming to make them easier to find. However, through extensive user research, we discovered a larger issue-
Difficult to Find Campus Resources
Students struggle to locate study spaces, printers, and microwaves when they need them.
Scattered Information
Important campus details are spread across multiple IU websites, making it difficult to get quick answers.
No Clear Processes
No defined steps for common issues like reporting a lost ATM card or requesting building maintenance.
Hesitation to Ask for Help
Students avoid asking simple questions in community groups, worried about judgment.
Research & insights
We initially set out to map campus resources like study spaces, printers, and microwaves, aiming to make them easier to find. However, through To uncover pain points we conducted surveys (32 participants) and semi-structured interviews (14 participants) to understand pain points. Key findings from our study include: user research, we discovered a larger issue-
Survey Results
65%
of students spent over 10 minutes searching for a resource online.
55%
relied on peers or social media for event updates because campus websites were hard to navigate.
53%
had been late to class due to poor way finding their first time around.
From Sticky Notes to Strategy : Turning student voices into structured design moves.
Understanding Our Users
Our research revealed that students face different types of challenges depending on their campus lifestyle and engagement level. To ensure our solution addressed a diverse range of student needs, we identified two key user types:
Maya
The Commuter Student
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Needs: A quick way to find study spaces & campus resources
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Pain Points: Feels out of the loop, hard to find study spaces
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Goal: Stay informed, find resources efficiently, & feel more connected
Alex
The Resident Student
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Needs: A better way to promote events & reach students
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Pain Points: Low event turnout, scattered information
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Goal: Ensure better event visibility, improve student engagement
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How might we create a seamless, student-friendly platform that helps students quickly access campus resources and navigate their environment without feeling lost or disconnected?
ideation & design evolution
Our research revealed that students face different types of challenges depending on their campus lifestyle and engagement level. To ensure our solution addressed a diverse range of student needs, we identified two key user types:
Iteration 1
Chatbot-Only Approach
Our initial chatbot provided quick answers to FAQs like “Where is the nearest printer?” but lacked depth:
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Useful but impersonal – No support for peer-driven discussions
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Limited scope – Couldn’t address lost & found, student networking, or event discovery
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Static experience – Automated responses didn’t adapt to student needs
Iteration 2
Chatbot + Community Hub
To make the experience more engaging and useful, we expanded the chatbot into a student-driven platform:
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Chatbot as a Smart Gateway – Routes students to verified info or peer responses
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Student Q&A Community – A space to ask, answer, and upvote questions
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Lost & Found + Maintenance Support – Direct connections to campus services for real-time help
Current work
We are currently focusing on IA, CUI strategy, conversational flows, bot personality, logics, and prototype validation to ensure a seamless user experience. Post which we plan to refine chat interactions and conduct usability heuristics to enhance engagement and interaction quality.
Ideation & Brainstorming
From Frustration to Flow
We kicked things off with messy whiteboards, sticky notes, and sharp questions.
What do students really need, and why isn’t it working today?
Information Architecture
Turning Chaos into Clarity
Defined a clear structure for the chatbot and community hub, organizing features like navigation, discussions, events, and support. From campus navigation to lost-and-found, nothing gets lost in the system.
High-Fidelity Preview
A Glimpse Into What’s Coming
Our early hi-fi screens bring the concept to life, showcasing how students can get instant help, discover events, and connect with the campus community, all in one place.
conclusion
This project is currently in Phase 1 of our capstone, focused on defining the information architecture, conversational flows, and user experience strategy. By blending AI-driven support with a student-led community layer, we aim to make campus life more connected, accessible, and responsive.