REFLECT

Project description

Many students find reflection difficult, especially during busy or stressful periods. Writing reflections often feels like extra work, lacks structure, or doesn’t clearly lead to action. As a result, reflections are often avoided or quickly forgotten.

The design challenge of this project was to explore how a digital reflection system can help students move from reflection to meaningful action without increasing cognitive load or becoming therapeutic. The project focused on designing a reflection experience that supports both text and audio input, gives users full control over their data, and respects privacy. Through user research, prototyping, and testing, we investigated how interaction design, clarity, and user control can make reflection feel safe, lightweight, and genuinely useful for students.

Context

REFLECT is a project developed at Fontys ICT that focuses on how students reflect on their learning experiences and wellbeing during their studies. Reflection is an important part of education at Fontys, but many students experience it as difficult to maintain, especially during busy or stressful periods.

Existing reflection methods and tools often feel effort-heavy, unclear, or disconnected from concrete follow-up actions. As a result, reflections are frequently skipped, rushed, or forgotten. At the same time, there is growing awareness that digital tools must handle sensitive input responsibly and respect student privacy.

The project was carried out in collaboration with a Fontys research stakeholder and explores how a digital reflection system can better support students in gaining clarity and taking action. REFLECT does not aim to replace coaching or therapy, but to support everyday reflection in a safe, accessible, and practical way that fits naturally into students’ study routines.

Results

The project resulted in a validated concept and prototype for REFLECT, a digital reflection tool for Fontys ICT students. Research and testing showed that reflection becomes valuable when users are supported in turning insights into concrete actions, rather than journaling alone. The final prototype demonstrates a clear, low-effort reflection-to-action flow with strong emphasis on privacy, clarity, and user control.

About the project group

This project was a 9-week collaboration by a multidisciplinary group of four Human-Centered Design students with backgrounds in Media Design and Smart Mobile. We worked closely with a Fontys research group as the stakeholder, combining UX research, interaction design, and prototyping throughout the project.

The team collaborated through regular design sessions, stakeholder meetings, user research activities, and iterative prototyping cycles.