AI Education and Resource Hub
BoilerBite
COMPANY
Purdue University
ROLE
UX Lead
EXPERTISE
UX/UI Design
YEAR
2025
Project Description
Building and refining BoilerBite to create an approachable, user-friendly platform that enhances AI education for Purdue students and faculty.
Timeline
The BoilerBite redesign began in Summer 2025 and continues as an iterative, long-term project in collaboration with Purdue IT and the BoilerBite core team. The current phase focuses on refining the pre-launch prototype based on usability testing insights, with future updates planned for expanded content and interactive learning features.
Background
BoilerBite is a Purdue University initiative that seeks to make AI education more approachable, ethical, and personalized for students of all disciplines. Despite its strong mission, the platform’s initial website struggled with unclear navigation, limited engagement, and inconsistent branding, which made it difficult for users to understand its purpose and access resources efficiently.
Process
BoilerBite’s mission to make AI education accessible and ethical for the Purdue community served as the foundation for every design decision. When the project began, the platform had strong academic content but lacked intuitive structure, visual consistency, and engagement. The goal was to refine and expand the experience so students could easily navigate AI learning resources and connect with relevant opportunities.
Research & Alignment
Established a clear understanding of BoilerBite’s educational goals and user base through collaboration with the core team. Defined key user needs: clarity, accessibility, and relevance for students from diverse majors.
Heuristic Evaluation
Conducted a usability audit using Nielsen’s principles, revealing issues in navigation, hierarchy, and interactivity. These insights guided redesign priorities and informed content organization.
Information Architecture & Wireframing
Reworked site architecture to create a logical flow between learning paths, resources, and events. Produced low- to mid-fidelity wireframes in Figma focusing on structure, readability, and discoverability.
Brand & Accessibility Integration
Ensured all visual and structural elements adhered to Purdue’s official brand guidelines while meeting WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards, enhancing both credibility and inclusiveness.
Prototyping & Student Testing
Developed interactive prototypes and conducted usability testing sessions with Purdue students. Feedback highlighted the need for clearer labels, more visual hierarchy, and simplified navigation paths.
Iteration & Collaboration
Partnered with Purdue IT to validate technical feasibility and scalability. Iterative refinement cycles strengthened both usability and design cohesion leading up to pre-launch.
Solution
The refined BoilerBite platform delivers a student-centered, intuitive, and engaging experience that reflects Purdue’s commitment to responsible AI learning.
Simplified Navigation & Content Organization for effortless exploration of AI leanring paths and events
Interactive and Approachable Design that reduces intimidation around Ai topics.
Consistent Purdue branding that reinforces trust and alignment with university standards.
Improved accessibility and readbility to support all users, regardless of background or technical skills
The result is a platform that transforms BoilerBite from a static resource hub into an interactive learning environment, one that connects academic rigor with ease of use.
BoilerByte Wordpress Mockup
Results
Although still ongoing, the redesigned experience has shown measurable improvement in early testing and stakeholder evaluations:
Improved Navigation & Calrity
90% of student testers found the updated layout more intuitive and easier to navigate.
Higher Task Success
Task completion rates increased by 40%, reflecting smoother information flow and reduced friction.
Enhanced User Perception
Students described the platform as “approachable, modern, and well-structured.”
Increased Engagement Potential
Early analytics and feedback suggest longer session times and stronger content exploration patterns.
Positive Stakeholder Feedback
Purdue IT and project leads praised the platform for its scalability, accessibility, and design consistency.