TradeFolio: E-Passport for Trades Apprentices
August 6, 2025Designing a digital tool for trades apprentices to take control of their training hours and competencies.
My Role: Lead UX Designer
Project Duration: 10 weeks
Tools: Asana, Adobe XD, Google Forms, Zoom, Slack, Toggl
Methods: User research, MVP, usability testing, rapid prototyping, LXD
Project Summary
The Problem
Trades students in BC are required to log hours and competencies, traditionally using paper-based logbooks over a 4–6 year apprenticeship. These logbooks are prone to damage, loss, and inconsistent sponsor engagement. Apprentices often don’t understand the scope of required competencies, and sponsors are typically too busy to help apprentices manage their progress.
The Team
Our cross-functional team consisted of 6 members including 2 faculty, 4 students, and an industry advisor. As Lead UX Designer, I directed the branding, user flow design, interface design and testing.
Project Goals
A digital solution to replace outdated paper logbooks for trades students at North Island College. The product must support not only accurate tracking—but also transparent accountability, visibility of progress, and learning reflection.
- Enable apprentices to report completed hours and competencies
- Replace paper logbooks with an accurate and secure, mobile-friendly web app
- Help learners build a shareable portfolio for employment
- Support sponsor feedback, sign-off and submission to the ITA
- Design for equity, usability, and scalability across trades
→ Click through the app’s interactive prototype:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/e4503eed-782b-4641-ba55-dba3a5e87159-b103/
Understanding the Need
Research Methods
- We conducted surveys with 118 student apprentices and 11 industry sponsors (Google Forms)
- Five student interviews (Zoom)
- Competency framework audit (manual mapping of all trades at NIC, similar to a content audit)
- Competitor analysis
- User needs analysis
| Users | # Survey Participants | # Completed Surveys |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 166 | 118 |
| Sponsors | 18 | 11 |
User Needs Insights
Primary User: Student Apprentices
- Generally unaware of their full list of required competencies.
- Almost 30% are not aware the paper logbook existed.
- Typically log their hours at home and irregularly.
- Want the ability to showcase their work experience to potential employers.
- Want to track completed vs remaining hours/competencies.
- Want an accurate log to share with their sponsor for sign-off.
Secondary User: Sponsors
- Often short on time.
- Need a quick way to provide consistent feedback on apprentice’s progress.
- Want an accurate report that is easy to submit to the ITA.
- Want an easy overview of the apprentice’s progress.
Other Users include: Faculty who want to review the student’s progress, and potential employers who want to view the student’s portfolio.
The Approach
Design for Learning
As a UX designer and educator, I approached this app not just as a tracking tool, but as a learning environment for work-integrated education.
We deliberately embedded features to support:
- Self-assessment: Checkable competencies and progress indicators
- Reflection-in-action: Ability to upload images and notes on projects
- Motivation: Clear progress tracking, visual milestones, and shareable outputs
- Communication: Structured reports for feedback and accountability
- Transparency: Password-protected portfolio that highlights strengths and skills
This aligns with principles from Kolb’s experiential learning and self-regulated learning models—critical in workplace-based education.
The Design Process
Key Design Activities
- Mapped apprentice + sponsor tasks into user flows
- Created wireframes for logging hours, tracking competencies, generating reports, and building portfolios
- Branded the app with a name, url and graphic identity
- Prototyped the app in Adobe XD (mobile-first layout)
- Iterative testing and feedback
Example Task Flows
- Apprentice logs hours → checks off competencies → generates and shares PDF report with sponsor
- Apprentice uploads project work → shares password-protected portfolio with employer
- Sponsor reviews report → signs-off on the submitted hours and competencies → enters and shares feedback with the student → submits the report to the ITA
Product Structure
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Public website | Info pages, login/signup |
| Web application | Apprentice login *: Log hours, track competencies, create and share reports, document portfolio projects Sponsor login: Review reports, sign-off on reports, enter feedback, submit report to ITA |
| Password-protected portfolio webpage | Shareable showcase of projects |
* The Minimum Viable Product for our deadline was the web application apprentice login functionality.
Branding
A temporary name, URL, and brand identity were developed to lend credibility to the prototype, but the primary focus of the project was to create a meaningful, hands-on learning experience for the student team—and to demonstrate that the prototype was both useful and useable.
Testing
We completed 5 usability tests with students learning different trades and evolved the UI in real-time as insights were gathered.
What we improved:
- Simplified checkmark interaction for competencies
- Resolved confusion between “theory” and “practical” tracking
- Added manual control over report content
- Repositioned progress report generation in the app flow
- Reduced unnecessary steps in logging and editing content
“What the user feels is the most important part of the usability testing process – seeing people interact with the app gives you a whole new
perspective.”— Helena B., Student team member supporting Usability Testing
See It In Action
Watch this short explainer video to explore how apprentices interact with the app—from logging hours to sharing a finished portfolio.
Try it out yourself
→ Open the app’s interactive prototype:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/e4503eed-782b-4641-ba55-dba3a5e87159-b103/
Outcomes
- Working prototype delivered on time and under budget.
- Client received handoff documentation to meet funding requirements and next-phase roadmap.
- Deep stakeholder engagement: 4 students on the design/dev team, 5 students interviewed, 3 students tested the product, over 180 users consulted
- Students on team reported improved skills in project management, time management, design, and communication.
Teaching Reflection
This project blurred the lines between teaching, design, and applied learning. It gave the students in the team a meaningful opportunity to co-create a real-world product, while I modelled UX practice as pedagogy—using collaboration, iteration, and inquiry as design tools.
The energy was different from a classroom project: we weren’t just simulating a design sprint—we were shipping a prototype and that made the learning stick.
“I have had to learn fast, and adapt to a busy situation. As the project manager I feel like I gained skills in time-management, and communicating with clients. Additionally it was great to work and build my skills in a team-based environment.”
— Reeve J., Project Manager and student team member
Next Steps
- Secure funding for development phase of project
- Build the prototype for the students user (likely a WordPress web app)
- Prototype a sponsor-facing dashboard for multi-apprentice oversight
- Explore ability to use API connections with payroll apps
- Deploy app and strategize an adoption plan