Table of Contents

Case Study

PATHWAY

Reading Time:

7 Minutes

Project Type:

Capstone, BrainStation Diploma

Time Line:

Oct - Dec 2024

Role:

UX Designer

Tools:

Figma

Outcome:

IOS Mobile App

The Challenge:

New Policy, New Pressure

Canada's new Immigration Levels Plan (2024–2026) opens more PR spots, but also introduces stricter, skill-based eligibility that changes every year.

For international students, this creates uncertainty, stress, and confusion in an already complex process.

Why It Matters:

Students Are Falling Through the Cracks

The Solution: Pathway, a Guiding Tool

A mobile app that helps international students:

Understand PR Application Process and where they stand today

Helps to avoid common mistakes

Explore ways to improve their CRS score and eligibility

Eligibility Questionnaire

Simulates the real CRS tool to help users accurately assess their eligibility points before applying.

Tools to Understand the Process

Provides tailored guidance to answer questions correctly, reducing errors, delays, or rejections.

Designed to Solve:

Key Features that Makes Pathway Work

Eligibility Questionnaire

Test your CRS score in a stress-free way, no official forms or government pressure.

Step-by-step guidance.

Navigate each stage with timely, relevant info, reducing errors and search time.

CRS Score

See where you stand and how close you are to eligibility, using up-to-date draw data.

Score Boost Tasks

Score Boost Tasks

Get personalized actions to increase your score, with estimated impact included.

Step 1: Research

Getting the full picture

Before jumping into solutions, I needed to understand what makes the permanent residency (PR) process so complex for international students. I conducted primary and secondary research to uncover pain points, needs and possible patterns.

Maximizing Research Impact

To gain a wide and balanced perspective, I interviewed two key user groups:

Recent Graduates

Group 1

Goal: Understand pain points, motivations, and knowledge gaps in the current landscape.

Permanent Residents

Group 2

Goal: Identify common misconceptions and pinpoint the most critical stages in the process.

Group 1

Recent Graduate

Group 2

Permanent Residents

Focus:
Understand the confusion, stress, and knowledge gaps students face at the very start of the process.

Why Both Perspectives Matter

By combining both perspectives, I could uncover blind spots I wouldn’t have caught by interviewing just one group.

Focus:

Uncover misconceptions, regrets, and key mistakes that are only understood after completing the process.

Organizing Inights into Themes

To make sense of the interview data, I used affinity mapping to translate quotes and observations into themes.

“Having someone that already went through the process really helps you.”


“I wanted confirm the new criteria, i tried to contact immigration for more information. But it took them too long to reply and in that waiting period the application was rejected..”

“Second time i applied I understood what some of the initial questions meant but missed the first time because of the wording.”


“Most of the information sources where from my acquaintances"

Getting the Right Answers

Eligibility Misunderstanding

Eligibility Pressure

“You need to be very careful on how to answer questions”

“First part It's a very simple questionnaire, very easy to get one question wrong, and one question can actually deduct some points.”

“My process was delayed for months because I didn´t know how to answer a question.”

“I thought I meet the new requirement.”

“Now that things are getting a little bit tougher, I think it's important to really know what paths you can take.”

“I know that I'm not eligible right now, but what I don't know what would my score be if I do my best”

“Even if i do everything right it might not be enough.”

“To avoid getting my PR process delayed I had to prioritize meeting my requirements above anything else”

Key Insights

These insights helped shape a deeper understanding of the PR journey and where users need the most support:

Hidden Complexity

Many students underestimate how difficult it is to meet PR requirements, even before arriving in Canada.

Community Power

Applicants shared the value of support from others when finding accurate information about the process.

Policy Shifting

Changing rules create anxiety and doubt as permits are near expiration and eligibility remains unclear.

Critical Blind Spot

Most application errors happen in the eligibility questionnaire, often going unnoticed until it’s too late.

What This Told Me

Users urgently need:

  • Clear, trustworthy guidance on how the system works

  • Confidence that they’re on the right track

  • Support around eligibility, where the stakes are highest

Key Insight

A major challenge in the immigration process occurs at the eligibility questionnaire stage, where providing incorrect answers leads to delays or rejections.

Constraints & Design Considerations

To move forward, I needed to consider my role as a designer and the boundaries of what this product could (and couldn’t) do:

The Solution Cannot

  • Guarantee PR results.

  • Provide legal advice.

  • Predict future policy changes.

The Solution Can

  • Accurate, accessible information

  • Personalized next steps

  • Community-based insights and guidance

Constraints

Solution can not offer:

  • Guarantee PR outcomes.

  • Provide legal advice.

It was essential to consider that I am not an immigration expert nor can I predict future immigration changes.

Opportunity

The solution could offer:

  • Clear and accessible information.

  • Actionable resources.

  • Guidance rooted in the latest policies.

  • Community insights.



Framing the Challenge:

How might we empower international students to feel informed in order to navigate the required steps for transitioning from study permits to permanent residency in Canada?

Step 2: Define and Ideate

Shaping the Solution

With an understanding of user needs, I focused on who I was designing for and how to transform insights into features.

Say Hello To Our User!

Turning Insight Into Action: Defining the Core Features

Based on Natalia’s journey, I identified four epics that address users’ biggest challenges. These epics guided feature design and task flows, ensuring the solution aligns with users’ key needs.

Eligibility Insight

Community Insight

Records Management

Application Guidance

(Click on arrow to see details and user stories for each feature.)

Epics and User Stories

User Research & Analysis

Wireframing & Prototyping

User Interface Design

User Experiance Testing

Position #5

Position #6

Why Focus on Eligibility Insight?

I chose this epic as the core experience because it directly addresses the "Critical Blind Spot" from user research and aligns with the opportunity area in the emotional journey.

This part of the journey happens before the formal application, making it the perfect moment to:

  • Help users start early and with confidence

  • Minimize application errors

  • Build a sense of control in a high-stakes process

Mapping the Journey

I created a task flow to support the Eligibility Insight epic, showing the key actions users would take after onboarding:

Profile could include:

  • User can input or update their profile details.

  • Click on icons to see detail on each question

  • Community insight, comments and insight that help users answer the questions

Profile could include:

  • Users score overview with point system metrics.

  • User will see their probability of obtaining the PR based on recent data.

  • Let users know what to do next.

  • Recent Draw Cut-offs. Help users understand the current landscape.

Profile could include:

  • Prediction on how much their score could increase.

  • Resources to achieve point specific increase.

  • How long it could take to achieve them.

Profile could include:

  • Offer list of options on how to increase points on the long term and short term.

  • Access to community chat to read on what people are currently suggesting or what they did to increase their score.

Legend:

From Flow to Form

With the task flow mapped out, I grabbed a pen and paper and began sketching ideas.

Running Into Issues: Rethinking the Flow

While wireframing, I realized the eligibility questionnaire was too long for effective usability testing.

Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) Tool

Use this tool to calculate your (CRS) score based on your responses.

Once you’ve answered all the questions, you’ll get an estimate of your chances of meeting the current draw score.

9:41

Home

Eligibility

Saved

Process

The Challenge:

The concerns I had were:

  • 20+ minutes just to complete the questionnaire

  • Risk of tester fatigue and lost focus

  • Feedback focused only on one section instead of the full flow

Solution:

I prototyped just one category of the questionnaire to:

  • Keep sessions short and focused

  • Ensure testers experienced the full user journey

  • Collect balanced, actionable insights across all tasks

Low Fidelity Prototype

With the new changes, I built the first interactive prototype, setting the stage for testing and iteration.

Challenge: Design a solution that not only addresses users' pain points but creates an experience where users feel supported and not overwhelmed by large amounts of information.

Mapping The Journey

Solution Sketches

Exploratory Sketches

Change of plans

Initial Prototype

Step 3: Testing

Validating the Experience

To ensure Pathway was clear, intuitive, and useful, I conducted 2 rounds of usability testing with 5 participants.

The goal: understand how well users could navigate complex information and understand their PR eligibility.

Round 1

Objective

Conduct usability testing with 5 participants to evaluate.

  • Insights on how effectively users navigate complex information and understand immigration requirements.

  • Use insights to guide design improvements for enhanced clarity and usability.

  • Ensure the process is more intuitive, user-friendly, and supportive of user needs.

User Roles

  • User Roles

    Group 1

    PR Immigration Process

    Familiar with complex applications.

    (tax forms, student loans, etc.)

    Participants

    Test first-time user flow and clarity

    Goal:

    Group 2

    PR Immigration Process

    Familiar with complex applications.

    (tax forms, student loans, etc.)

    Participants

    Validate accuracy and uncover content gaps

    Goal:

    What I Want to Learn:

    • Evaluate how users navigate and understand key features.

    • Identify moments of confusion or friction.

    • Gather feedback to improve clarity and usability.

    • Understand users’ emotional responses.

  • What I Learned:

    • Most users completed tasks successfully.

    • Confusion around the meaning of “Draw Pool”.

    • UI concerns surfaced on Home and My Prediction pages.

    • Low visibility in some areas; minor auto-layout issues affected interaction.

    • Users noted there was a lot of content, but it didn’t feel overwhelming.

    Test Results

  • Building a Strategy:

    Based on tester insights and task results, I focused on:

    • Fixing dropdown card malfunction

    • Improving text contrast for accessibility

    • Adding information to improve score comprehension

    All key concerns from usability testing were addressed in this round.

    Prioritization Matrix

What Changed? Main Iterations Based on Insights

Objective

Conduct usability testing with 5 participants to evaluate.

  • Insights on how effectively users navigate complex information and understand immigration requirements.

  • Use insights to guide design improvements for enhanced clarity and usability.

  • Ensure the process is more intuitive, user-friendly, and supportive of user needs.

User Roles

Round 2

  • I updated the prototype based on Round 1 findings and tested it again with 5 participants.

    What I Want to Learn:

    • Validate changes from previews testing.

    • Evaluate information clarity and flow from new use.

    • Compare experience between returning and new participants.

    User Roles

    Group 1

    PR Immigration Process

    Familiar with complex applications.

    (tax forms, student loans, etc.)

    Participants

    (2 returning)

    Test accessibility, ease of use, and learning curve.

    Goal:

    Group 2

    PR Immigration Process

    Familiar with complex applications.

    (tax forms, student loans, etc.)

    Validate clarity and completeness of updated content

    Goal:

    Participants

    (1 returning)

  • What I Learned:

    • All users completed tasks without difficulty.

    • Updated content improved clarity and comprehension.

    • Better contrast and layout refinements improved usability.

    • Users still questioned the Home and My Prediction page layouts.

    Test Results

  • Building a Strategy:

    Based on tester insights and task results, I focused on:

    • Improving contrast and visual layout

    • Adding explanations of the immigration process

    • Enhancing copy for better comprehension

    Due to time constraints, I prioritized changes directly tied to the core task flow and overall usability.

    Prioritization Matrix

Round 2

Objective

Conduct usability testing with 5 participants to evaluate.

  • Assess the impact of content and visibility changes on the user experience.

  • Gather insights from returning users to evaluate the effectiveness of updates.

  • Explore new users’ perspectives to identify overlooked issues.

  • Determine if additional information improved task completion.

  • Evaluate whether the added content caused users to feel overwhelmed or enhanced their experience.

User Roles

Revised Prototype

What Testers thought about Pathway

Validating Impact Through User Feedback

While Pathways isn’t a live product, usability testing and interviews revealed signs of value and potential impact:

100% Task Completion

Every tester completed key flows, no matter their experience level.

Real-World Relevance

Testers said they’d use Pathways or recommend it to others.

Emotional Impact

All participants felt more informed and less stressed after using it.

These insights confirmed I was on the right track. Pathways brought clarity and confidence to users. With that, I was ready to move into high-fidelity prototyping.

Step 4: Visual Design

From Brand Foundations to UI System

With insights from user testing, I moved into high-fidelity prototyping, focusing on a visual language that felt intuitive, trustworthy, and WCAG 2.1 AA and ADA compliant.

From Style to System

To keep Pathways consistent and scalable, I developed a UI Library based on atomic design principles:

Step 5: Solution

Bringing It All Together

I incorporated branding elements and addressed user testing feedback to create the final prototype.

Have fun exploring the prototype!

Note: To complete the task flow, when you reach the "Choose Your Areas for Growth" step, select "Work for 1 more year" under the Work category to proceed to the final step.

Prototype not showing? Access file here.

Step 5: Solution

Bringing It All Together

I incorporated UI element and Visual design to bring Pathway to life.

Try it Out!

Ready to start your journey towards Permanent Residency?

to navigate prototype

R

to restart

Note:

When you reach “Choose Your Areas for Growth,” select “Work for 1 more year” under the Work category to proceed to the final screen.

Prototype not showing? Access file here.

Conclusion

​​Pathways helps users like Natalia navigate the PR process with clarity and confidence. It doesn’t replace legal advice but offers step-by-step guidance helping users avoid mistakes, understand requirements, and make informed decisions based on their personal eligibility.

Key Learnings

  • Reduced user pain points by designing within real-world constraints

  • Maximized research insights by adapting task flows to stay focused on what mattered most

  • Simplified complex information through interactive elements and supportive language to reduce cognitive load and user stress

Next Steps

  • Conduct further user testing to evaluate how users respond to the updated visual identity and changes from user testing

  • Expand the experience beyond PR eligibilty to the rest of the immigration process.

  • Explore progress graphs to visually show how specific actions increase eligibility

Conclusion

We where able to create a design solution that helps users like Natalia navigate the system with more confidence. While taking into consideration our limitations as we are not immigration lawyers nor can we predict policy changes.

Key Learnings

  • Designed solutions within constraints to effectively address and reduce user pain points.

  • Recognized the need to adapt plans quickly when faced with time limitations, ensuring project goals remain achievable.

  • Compensated for changes with thoughtfully planned and well-justified alternatives.

  • Found that interactive elements, clear workflows, and encouraging language greatly enhance usability and user engagement.

Next Steps

  • Conduct user testing to evaluate how users interact with the app and gather actionable insights for refinement.

  • Expand the user experience to continue beyond receiving the PR invitation, offering a more comprehensive solution.

  • Reevaluate the potential addition of community insights by testing their value and impact to determine if they should be integrated.

  • Explore incorporating a graph to visually represent the increase in eligibility points based on tester feedback, enhancing user comprehension.

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