Jamaica Spencer (Tech)

Jamaica Spencer (UX Design Certificate ‘24) enrolled in the User Experience Design certificate program at SCPS after previously attending UIC for education and arts. As she progressed through the program, Jamaica grew more comfortable with the concepts of metrics, analytics, and user interviews, through mastering various tools that aided in her understanding. 

CPST 248: User Experience Design Fundamentals introduces students to UX research and techniques that allow them to effectively evaluate and compare designs objectively. They will learn how to wield to the UX design process, personas, task models, and user journey mapping to evaluate designs and conduct UX studies. 

As part of her enrollment in CPST 248, one of Jamaica’s major projects involved redesigning a laundry service app called Poplin, a service she frequently used. The assignment required students to choose a business they frequently interacted with and create a redesign to improve user experience. Jamaica focused on enhancing the app's accessibility by addressing issues like excessive scrolling and difficulty in finding information. Her redesign aimed to simplify the user experience, making the app more intuitive and user-friendly. 

“A problem that I noticed was that it was a lot of scrolling and a lot of searching for information. My redesign basically shortens the scrolling and makes the information easier to find.” 

This project was a significant learning experience for Jamaica, as it was her first foray into website and app design. The positive feedback she received, particularly on the simplicity and effectiveness of her design, boosted her confidence. She continued to refine her work based on feedback, focusing on improving specific elements like the use of rounded shapes in her design. 

The skills and knowledge Jamaica gained from this project have been instrumental in shaping her career path. Recently, she was accepted into a UX research fellowship program for a mental health app, an achievement that underscores her growth and potential in the field of UX design. Jamaica's journey through the SCPS program has been transformative, providing her with the tools and confidence to pursue her passion in user experience design and contributing to her continued professional development.