Zoom Nests

The Zoom classroom becomes more intuitive and engaging with Nests, a new feature for facilitating meetings. This project was a one week sprint.

Thinkful Alumni Hackathon • December 2021

Project Overview

My team and I were tasked with positively changing any feature in Zoom. Since we’d just graduated with our certificates, we had some beef with the Zoom classroom aesthetic as a whole. It felt stiff, janky and outdated, so this became our focal point.

Scope

Zoom classrooms need something that is intuitive for both student and teacher, offers a refreshed user interface, and can aid the playfulness of learning and connecting.

My role

  • building personas

  • sketching

  • wireframing

  • prototyping

  • user testing/maze testing

Tools used

My team

  • Jessica Ellingson, Project Manager

  • Sandra Ma, UX Designer

  • Xuan Jun Lu, UI Designer

User tasks

As the Zoom Room Facilitator or Classroom Teacher,

  • open all breakout rooms

  • send a message to the ‘owl’ breakout room

  • join the ‘owl’ breakout room

  • send a message to ALL students in chat

The Problem

The data we gathered through surveys and interviews showed us that the influx of Zoom classrooms aren’t engaging enough for teachers and aren’t motivating enough for students. The UI felt monotonous while the flow for both student and teacher was too stiff. Zoom doesn’t need an overhaul as much as a new feature that allows for the heuristic facilitation of participants and students.

The Solution

An intuitive hover feature with individual breakout rooms (NESTS) reinvigorates the Zoom classroom. NESTS allows the teacher to easily access and individually communicate with each room, and allows the students to manually request help when they need it. The teacher can quickly hop in and out of these spaces.

Persona Builds

  • teacher persona

  • student persona

Sketching

Lofi wireframes

Hifi wireframes

The teacher is given a centralized location amongst the students in the classroom UI.

 

A drop down menu reveals each active NEST, of which, houses a group of students. Each NEST has its own name and icon.

Opening the rooms reveals each NEST with active thumbnails of each student. A red NEST indicates that this group has requested some help.

Upon selecting this NEST, the teacher can simply send them a message or join the students directly.

Communication remains seamless and intuitive between NEST and teacher.

Here we can see a visual explanation of the entire flow.