Orbit

A career tracking & workload management tool for the University of Maryland, College of Information Faculty

9 WEEKS / MAR - MAY 2025

Project: Academic Project

Team: Saumya Verma, Hitarthi Bhinde, Mansi Srivastava, Pradeep Yellapu, Hansika Murugu

Tools

Figma

Miro

Skills

UX Research

Product Design

Prototyping with AI

OVERVIEW
—

Problem

Faculty at the UMD iSchool manage a range of responsibilities. Currently, there is no easy way to track everything they do, which makes it hard to showcase their contributions during promotions.

Teaching

Service

Research

Process

Scoping

Primary Users: Faculty members at the University of Maryland's College of Information.

While the initial focus is on this group, the tool's scope can be expanded to include all faculty across the entire University of Maryland and, eventually, by professors at other universities.

Primary Users: Faculty members at the University of Maryland's College of Information.

While the initial focus is on this group, the tool's scope can be expanded to include all faculty across the entire University of Maryland and, eventually, by professors at other universities.

RESEARCH
—

Research Goals

GOAL 1

Understand how faculty members manage their workload and plan for promotions

GOAL 2

Identify critical sources of frustration with the current processes

GOAL 3

Discover what users expect from a digital platform to help them succeed

Methods

8
in-depth faculty interviews

5
participatory design sessions

1
identity model + journey map

Interviews

Interviews

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 8 faculty members to understand their routines, delegation strategies, goals, and tools for promotion planning.

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 8 faculty members to understand their routines, delegation strategies, goals, and tools for promotion planning.

We structured our contextual interview guide around four major themes:

a. Daily Tasks
b. Tools Used to Manage Workload
c. Personal and Professional Goals
d. Documentation & Promotion Preparation

Each section had open-ended questions and optional observational prompts, such as reviewing planners or calendars, observing workspace setups, or discussing templates used in promotions. These helped us gain a deeper understanding of how faculty organize their responsibilities.

On the right: Distribution of interviewed faculty members

We structured our contextual interview guide around four major themes:

a. Daily Tasks
b. Tools Used to Manage Workload
c. Personal and Professional Goals
d. Documentation & Promotion Preparation

Each section had open-ended questions and optional observational prompts, such as reviewing planners or calendars, observing workspace setups, or discussing templates used in promotions. These helped us gain a deeper understanding of how faculty organize their responsibilities.

On the right: Distribution of interviewed faculty members

See User Interview Guide and Process

Participatory Design

Participatory Design

Activity 1: Reflecting on the Week

Activity 1: Reflecting on the Week

Participants mapped out a typical work week and annotated moments that felt particularly chaotic or organized. They shared emotional responses to specific tasks and tools, helping us uncover pain points, support gaps, and mismatches between their workflows and current systems.

Participants mapped out a typical work week and annotated moments that felt particularly chaotic or organized. They shared emotional responses to specific tasks and tools, helping us uncover pain points, support gaps, and mismatches between their workflows and current systems.

Activity 2: Designing an Ideal System

Activity 2: Designing an Ideal System

Participants created low-fidelity prototypes of a tool they wished existed. By arranging interface elements and explaining their choices, they articulated what functionalities, forms of recognition, and organisational structures would help them feel in control of their workload.

Participants created low-fidelity prototypes of a tool they wished existed. By arranging interface elements and explaining their choices, they articulated what functionalities, forms of recognition, and organisational structures would help them feel in control of their workload.

Understanding the Data

Understanding the Data

Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods.

Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods.

User Journey Map

User Journey Map

See Identity Model

Key Findings

Key Findings

Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods. Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods. Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods. Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods.

Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods. Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods. Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods. Together as a team, we analysed the data we collected with our Qualitative Research Methods.

Walk Walk

Walk Walk

The Wall Walk generated a wealth of innovative ideas that guided our visioning session. Our Wall Walk surfaced many key insights: a personalized tool can drive continuous self-improvement; need for a tool that can adapt to each user’s broader life context; and tools that effortlessly capture their achievements on the go.

The Wall Walk generated a wealth of innovative ideas that guided our visioning session. Our Wall Walk surfaced many key insights: a personalized tool can drive continuous self-improvement; need for a tool that can adapt to each user’s broader life context; and tools that effortlessly capture their achievements on the go.

IDEATE
—

Design Goals

Decision Clarity

How might we help faculty decide which tasks to say “yes” to - and when?

Balanced Commitments

How might we help faculty better balance teaching, service, and research?

 Streamlined Updates

How might we make the CV and Faculty Success update less time-consuming?

Honouring Personal Life

How might we make personal life commitments valued in faculty reviews?

Peer Learning and Comparison

How might we foster shared learning?

Career Growth

How might we better support faculty in advancing their careers?

Ideation

We conducted a pen‑and‑poker ideation session and produced five initial design visions.

We conducted a pen‑and‑poker ideation session and produced five initial design visions.

Vision 1: Annual Review Task Dashboard

Workload Distribution Visualisation

Auto-generate Report

A single dashboard aggregates teaching, research, and administrative activities drawn from existing tools (Canvas, Outlook, Faculty Success, etc.). At year-end, the professor can export a promotion-ready report.

Vision 2: Micro Diary Logger

Log fragmented tasks on-the-go

Auto-generate Report

A “diary” widget lets faculty jot quick notes about fragmented tasks (advising emails, committee work) throughout the day to make them easier to document for year-end reviews.

Vision 3: GenAI Assistant for Faculty Success

AI Assistant

Feature Add-on to existing tool

An AI side-panel feature on Faculty Success that pulls data from various platforms used by faculty and drafts evidence statements, structures accomplishments, and suggests missing items.

Vision 4: Opportunity Recommender

How might we help faculty decide which tasks to say “yes” to - and when?

Vision 5: Personality-tuned Homepage

UX Research

Product Design

Prototyping with AI

How might we help faculty decide which tasks to say “yes” to - and when?

Design Alternatives

We first quickly sketched out our four ideas on paper and discussed the main functionalities in each concept. After that, we created a usage scenario for each concept and drew out wireframes for crucial screens that represent the essence of our ideas.

We first quickly sketched out our four ideas on paper and discussed the main functionalities in each concept. After that, we created a usage scenario for each concept and drew out wireframes for crucial screens that represent the essence of our ideas.

Vision 1: Annual Review Task Dashboard

Workload Distribution Visualisation

Auto-generate Report

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Saumya Verma © 2018-2025 All Rights Reserved

Overiew

Research

Ideate

Prototype

Reflection

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