“The Seedling” MassArt Sketchbook

Official First-Year Student Sketchbook · Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Role: User Experience Researcher and Specialist
Client: Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Focus: Communication Design · User Experience Design · Branding

Project Overview

The Seedling is the official first-year student sketchbook developed for MassArt to support onboarding, academic exploration, and student success. Every interactive page within the sketchbook was intentionally designed through interviews with campus departments to identify their most critical student-facing pain points and translate them into accessible, student-centered tools.

Rather than functioning as a traditional handbook, The Seedling reframes institutional systems—such as advising, registration, and support services—into a guided, reflective experience. Through prompts, visual metaphors, and interactive elements, the sketchbook empowers students to better understand themselves, prepare for conversations with advisors, and confidently engage with campus resources throughout their first year.

  • THE CHALLENGE

Incoming students often encounter campus systems during moments of uncertainty—when they are unsure of their major, overwhelmed by information, or hesitant to ask for help. While institutions offer extensive resources, students frequently struggle to understand when to use them, who to contact, and how different services connect.

Departments expressed a shared challenge: valuable support systems existed, but students were not engaging with them early or confidently enough.

Key challenges included:

  • Information overload during orientation

  • Confusion around advising roles and responsibilities

  • Anxiety around major exploration and academic planning

  • Limited student preparedness for advising conversations

“Students struggle to find the right help and do not know where to go or who to ask... like advising questions, self service help, registration, etc.”
— 1st Year Coaches
“Many new students do not know how to properly prepare for registration...there are holds that need to be lifted and back up planning in case classes fill up ”
— Registrar
“It is very important for students to engage in the school community to help with major exploration, but new students struggle finding all of our resources ”
— Student Engagement Department

  • RESEARCH & STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS

To ensure the sketchbook addressed real institutional and student needs, I conducted interviews across multiple departments involved in student success and onboarding. These conversations surfaced recurring patterns in student confusion, missed opportunities for engagement, and areas where clarity could significantly improve outcomes.

Departments consulted included:

  • Academic Resource Center (ARC)
  • Faculty & Peer Advising (PALs)
  • Student Engagement & Student Leadership
  • Career Development
  • Counseling Center
  • Community Health & Well-Being
  • International Education
  • MassArt Library
  • Justice, Equity & Transformation (JET)
  • Center for Art & Community Partnerships (CACP).

Every section of the sketchbook directly corresponds to departmental insights and identified student needs.

  • DESIGN STRATEGY

Design principles:

  • Normalize uncertainty during the first year

  • Replace dense instruction with guided reflection

  • Reduce intimidation through friendly language and visual metaphors

  • Support both independent use and advising conversations

  • Design for ongoing use, not one-time orientation

The plant-growth metaphor reinforces the idea that academic paths take time, exploration, and care.

  • SKETCHBOOK SYSTEM OVERVIEW

The sketchbook is organized into modular sections that align with key moments in the student journey. Each section acts as both an informational and reflective touchpoint.

Core sections include:

  • Student Engagement

  • Student Success

  • Major Exploration

  • Advising

  • Career Paths

  • Registration

  • Community Health & Well-Being

  • Counseling Center

  • International Education

  • Community Partnerships & Library Resources

Department Pages

  • Student Engagement

  • Student Success

  • Major Exploration

  • Majors

  • Advising

  • Career Paths

  • Registration

  • Justice, Equity, and Transformation Department

  • Community Health & Wellbeing

  • Counseling Center

  • INTERACTION & EXPERIENCE DESIGN

The Seedling was designed as an interactive tool rather than a passive resource. Students are encouraged to write, reflect, scan QR codes, and revisit sections over time.

Key interaction elements include:

  • Open-ended writing prompts

  • QR codes linking to live resources

  • Visual metaphors reinforcing growth and progress

  • Flexible pacing across the academic year

  • IMPLEMENTATION & USE

The Seedling is distributed to first-year students and integrated into orientation, advising, and ongoing student support practices. Its flexible format allows departments to reference shared language and frameworks while meeting students where they are.

IMPACT & OUTCOMES

Early outcomes indicate increased student preparedness for advising sessions, clearer understanding of campus resources, and stronger alignment across departments supporting first-year students.

By consolidating institutional knowledge into a cohesive, student-centered tool, The Seedling supports confidence, agency, and engagement during a critical transition period.

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