Streamlining Workflows
Web app for the Wily Network to streamline gift-giving workflows, enhancing holiday experiences for disadvantaged Boston-area college students.
Role
team
timeline
Skills
Tools
Lead UX Designer
1 Project Manager
10 Developers
1 Tech Lead
1 Designer
Sep 2024 - Present
Visual design
Interaction design
Design systems
User research
Figma
Javascript
Tailwind
React
Project Overview
The Wily Network  is a non-profit based in Newton, MA that supports Boston-area college students navigating education without a safety net. One of their key programs is the gift-giving initiative, which celebrates students on birthdays and holidays by connecting them with gift givers who sponsor their selected gifts. However, this program currently depends on manual processes, including collecting, curating, and distributing wish lists.

Over two semesters, my team at Jumbocode  developed a web app to streamline onboarding, wish list submissions, and administrative processes. As the lead designer, I collaborated closely with the non-profit to deliver a feasible solution within a year, creating the app from 0 -> 1  along with a scalable design system and documentation to ensure long-term sustainability.
BREAKING DOWN THE CURRENT SYSTEM...
- - - -
- - ⟶
student
← - - -
- - - -
student
- - - -
- - ⟶
student
← - - -
- - - -
student
👩🏻‍💻
admin
- - - -
- - ⟶
🎅🏻
giftgiver
👧🏻
student
← - - -
buys & sends gifts to students
🎁
- - -
🤶🏻
giftgiver
👩🏻‍💻
admin
- - - ⟶
updates their database tracker
01.
02.
03.
04.
05.
06.
07
Currently, the whole gift-giving process is managed manually by The Wily Network admin. It begins with admins sending wish list templates to students 6 weeks in advance, sending reminders, reviewing 15-20 items per list for price compliance, formatting lists for gift-givers, and coordinating gift distribution.
However, a change to the current system is needed.
Wily Network is expanding, adding over 100 scholars to the Boston college network to support more students navigating college life.
‍
But their current wish list-tracking system is unsustainable & prone to human errors, due to manual processes on the admin side & lack of customizability for students on the forms.
THE CHALLENGE
In order to scale their program effectively and simplify the manual process while preserving the admin’s personal touch, Wily Network was seeking a digital solution that addressed the following:
for admin ...
Boost efficiency — reduce large scale manual efforts by automating wish list tracking and streamlining actions based on each student's progress in the submission process.
for students ...
Increased customizability — transition from unstructured Google Forms to a streamlined system, enabling students to access past wish lists and easily edit submissions with admin’s feedback.
With these points in mind, we converged on designing and building a (1) student-friendly web app, that acts as connecting interface between Wily Network and their student members, and a (2) admin portal, used by Wily Network admins to streamline the process of tracking wishlist submissions, providing feedback, and managing student accounts.
INTRODUCING THE NEW GIFT GIVING WEB APP
Centralized wish list Management
The new dashboard centralizes all wishlists, letting students view past submissions and edit new ones, through notifications upon login.
Previous Solution:
Students had to search through their emails for different wish list forms (e.g. birthday & holiday).
improved customization
New form structure improve clarity by requiring name, link, and description for each item. Students can also rank items by priority and add extra items.
Previous Solution:
Unstructured Google Forms led to unclear/incomplete responses, with no options to rank items or add extras.
Streamlined Management
New dashboard organizes wish lists into categorized tabs ("Assigned Wish Lists" for ongoing lists & "Upcoming" for future lists, etc). Ongoing wish list has a progress status with corresponding action items.
Previous Solution:
Admins used Excel sheets to manually track wish list statuses, actions, & deadlines, which is tedious, error-prone, and unmanageable at scale.
wait... how did we get here  ↓
why is this a
problem?
‍
To understand the current state of the NPO, I interviewed Gabrielle & Bonnie, the current admin and Director of Wily Network, and 2 scholars participating in the program, to uncover the most pressing issues impacting existing solutions. My insights are summarized…
Inefficient Management
💻
Admins manually tracking wish lists through spreadsheets is very time consuming & error-prone — diverting admins from providing personalized student support.
Inaccessible Progress Tracking
📈
Scholars find it hard to stay motivated & engaged in the program without a centralized system to track wish list progress and receive timely updates, causing tasks to be delayed/overlooked.
Lack of Ownership
🥱
Scholars feel a lack ownership due to limited control over their wish lists, disconnecting their sense of agency and involvement in the program.
Inability to Grow
🌱
The community is struggling to grow since administrative inefficiencies prevent them from supporting more scholars without adding more admins.
who is involved?
‍
After breaking down the insights gathered in my interviews, I learned that there are multiple stakeholders involved in the overall ecosystem of this project, as Wily Network’s current program model has various roles. Before continuing to address the insights, I broke down each role and their respective responsibilities to gain clarity on each stakeholder.
Stakeholders
👩‍💻
Admin
Coordinate with students & gift givers to manage wish list progress & deadlines.
👩‍🎓
Scholar
Completes assigned wish list by their deadlines.
🤶
Gift-Giver
Buys wish list items based on admin's instructions.
addressing the issues found
‍
Ultimately, my research revealed a lack of engagement & efficient processes within the Wily Network organization, which is affecting the nonprofit's ability to meet the growing demands of scholars seeking support and involvement in their programs. To move forward with my ideation and designs, I developed a set of reverse principles based on key themes from the research, leading to four design challenges...
Inefficient
Inaccessible
Disconnected
Stagnant
↓
↓
↓
↓
Streamlined
Transparent
Connected
Dynamic
we're currently in the user testing  Phase ...
🫣 check back in a few weeks for updates 🫣
↑