{"id":271,"date":"2025-07-11T10:50:22","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T08:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/?post_type=project&#038;p=271"},"modified":"2025-07-11T10:50:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-11T08:50:23","slug":"keeping-knowledge-fresh-student-solutions-for-continuously-relevant-civic-platforms","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/projects\/keeping-knowledge-fresh-student-solutions-for-continuously-relevant-civic-platforms\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping Knowledge Fresh: Student Solutions for Continuously Relevant Civic Platforms"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"project__slider wp-block-slider swiper \">\n  <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns project__lead is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column project__introduction is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.6666%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the fall of 2024, students from the UX Design and &#8216;Het Internet is Stuk, maar we gaan het repareren&#8217; minors at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences tackled a persistent challenges in civic digital communication: how to create platforms where information remains both accessible and up-to-date for users with vastly different knowledge levels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column project__meta is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.3333%\"><div class=\"wp-block-meta\" style=\"\">\n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <h5>date published<\/h5>\n          <p>11 July 2025<\/p>\n        <\/li>\n          <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Challenge: <strong>A Continuously Relevant Platform<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Micky van Zeijl<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of the broader <a href=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/projects\/students-redesigning-pubhubs\/\">PubHubs redesign project<\/a>, students focused on the subtheme &#8220;A Continuously Relevant Platform&#8221; \u2013 exploring how shared information can remain accessible and up-to-date while serving diverse user needs. The challenge was clear: <em>Users have different needs; some already know a lot, others are just getting acquainted with a topic. Beginner questions are sometimes asked again every week. How can shared information be preserved so that it&#8217;s easily searchable but also remains current? How can you meet diverse user needs?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students focused on three areas: search functions, discussion spaces, and organizing information clearly and used Kenniscloud as their primary case study. This choice proved particularly relevant, as libraries exemplify the challenge of serving both digital newcomers seeking basic information and researchers requiring advanced resources within the same platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"639\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Kayane_helpdesk-1024x639.png\" alt=\"screenshot helpdesk\" class=\"wp-image-294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Kayane_helpdesk-1024x639.png 1024w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Kayane_helpdesk-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Kayane_helpdesk-768x479.png 768w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Kayane_helpdesk-1536x959.png 1536w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Kayane_helpdesk-2048x1279.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">help center dashboard made by Kayane Bouizem <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Students Worked<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students started by looking at how other platforms like Reddit and Discord handle different user types. Then they talked to actual library users \u2013 both beginners and experts \u2013 to understand what they really needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Kenniscloud context provided students with concrete scenarios: How should a platform handle when the same question about &#8220;library events&#8221; comes from both a newcomer wanting to attend something fun and an experienced volunteer looking for planning resources? How can crucial information about policy changes remain visible without overwhelming casual users? These real-world constraints shaped their design solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three Key Insights from Student Work<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Show Information Step-by-Step<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students discovered that revealing information gradually is essential for civic platforms serving diverse user groups. Rather than overwhelming users with comprehensive information upfront, successful designs provided layered access to complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Step-by-Step Onboarding<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One student developed an onboarding process for new PubHubs users that gradually introduced platform features. Starting with simple contact addition, then hub joining, and finally full dashboard access, this approach prevented the intimidation that often drives away newcomers. As the student explained: <em>&#8220;We guide users step-by-step rather than showing them everything at once, based on the principle that persuasion is often incremental.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1261\" height=\"692\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/mischaOnboarding-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/mischaOnboarding-1.jpg 1261w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/mischaOnboarding-1-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/mischaOnboarding-1-1024x562.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/mischaOnboarding-1-768x421.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1261px) 100vw, 1261px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Step-by-step onboarding join Hub designed by student Mischa Melkert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dropdown Information Architecture<\/strong> Another student created a &#8220;Get Started&#8221; page with collapsible dropdown sections containing detailed explanations of platform features. This design allowed beginners to explore at their own pace while letting experienced users skip to advanced functionality. The student noted: <em>&#8220;Dropdown sections reduce cognitive load by presenting explanations inline, keeping users focused and reducing distractions.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Platformguide-1024x562.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Platformguide-1024x562.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Platformguide-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Platformguide-768x421.jpg 768w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Platformguide.jpg 1261w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Platform guide with collapsible dropdown sections containing detailed explanations of platform features designed by Safa Mohalaia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Let People Choose Their Level for Each Topic<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students learned that expertise is topic-specific rather than user-specific \u2013 the same person might be expert in one area but beginner in another. This insight led to designs that avoided rigid user categories in favor of flexible, context-aware systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Level-Based Content Filtering<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One student developed a sophisticated search system allowing users to filter content by &#8220;beginner&#8221; or &#8220;advanced&#8221; levels within specific topics. A Kenniscloud user could access beginner-friendly information about digital resources while simultaneously engaging with advanced discussions about community programming. The system recognized that expertise varies by context, not user identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Safa_findRoomFilter-1024x653.png\" alt=\"screenshot find room filter\" class=\"wp-image-281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Safa_findRoomFilter-1024x653.png 1024w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Safa_findRoomFilter-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Safa_findRoomFilter-768x490.png 768w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Safa_findRoomFilter-1536x979.png 1536w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Safa_findRoomFilter-2048x1306.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">level-based content filtering designed by Safa Mohalaia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dynamic User Interface Adaptation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another student created adaptive home screens that changed based on user engagement patterns. New users saw simplified interfaces with prominent guidance, while experienced users accessed dashboard-style layouts with events, news, and calendar integration. This personalization happened organically through usage patterns rather than forced categorization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"864\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Mischa_Room.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-291\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Mischa_Room.jpeg 864w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Mischa_Room-300x194.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Mischa_Room-768x497.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">adaptive home dashboard designed by Mischa Melkert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. Treat Search and Organization as Essential Infrastructure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across all projects, students discovered that search, filtering, and content organization aren&#8217;t just nice-to-have features \u2013 they&#8217;re the foundation that makes civic platforms actually work. The most successful designs treated these systems as core platform elements requiring ongoing attention and sophisticated design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Multi-Layered Search Strategy<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One student built a search system that could filter by topic, difficulty level, popularity, and language. It also showed trending hashtags like #StudyWithMe and #BestStudyTips, plus pinned important questions that came up frequently. This meant the same search could give appropriate results for different users&#8217; needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Searchfilters-1024x401.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Searchfilters-1024x401.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Searchfilters-300x117.jpg 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Searchfilters-768x301.jpg 768w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/Searchfilters.jpg 1129w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">search system filters by topic, difficulty level, popularity, and language designed by Safa Mohalaia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Content Management Tools<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The same student created a complete system for managing information over time. Users could save important posts, mark things to read later, see recent updates, and get smart notifications. This treated information as something living that needed active care, making sure important announcements stayed visible while outdated content could be removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1020\" height=\"514\" src=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/digimakers-centraleplek-1.jpeg\" alt=\"screenshot dashboard\" class=\"wp-image-293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/digimakers-centraleplek-1.jpeg 1020w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/digimakers-centraleplek-1-300x151.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/07\/digimakers-centraleplek-1-768x387.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">content management dashboard designed by student team Digimakers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What This Means<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The student work proves you can create platforms that work for both beginners and experts. The trick is understanding that people have different knowledge levels for different topics, not putting users into fixed boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key lessons: reveal information gradually, let people choose their engagement level, and make search really good. These aren&#8217;t fancy features \u2013 they&#8217;re basic requirements for platforms that actually serve diverse communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As public organizations rely more on digital platforms, these lessons offer practical ways to keep information useful for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The student projects show that with careful attention to what users actually need, civic platforms can serve their whole community effectively.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns project__footer is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column project__message is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.6666%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column project__buttons is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.3333%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":291,"parent":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-271","project","type-project","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","content_type-student-projects"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/project"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project\/271\/revisions\/295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/civicixdproject.com\/civicsocialmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}