Student-Centered Design Lab
“We are called to design the most vibrant, resilient, and effective learning environment ever, at scale. And we will work with a shared vision that keeps students first.”
Dr. Sonya Christian
Chancellor, California Community Colleges
How We Work
The Student Centered Design Lab uses equitable human-centered design (HCD) principles across every stage of the process—from research and ideation to testing and implementation. Each engagement blends behavioral insights, accessibility standards, and agile development practices to deliver scalable, student-ready solutions.
And because the same principles apply to all audiences, we tailor each engagement to meet the unique goals of our education, nonprofit, and public sector partners.
We apply equitable design principles
to improve the student experience
About the Lab
The Student-Centered Design Lab is a systemwide design and research team dedicated to improving the student experience across the California Community Colleges. We partner with the Chancellor’s Office, colleges, and statewide initiatives to better understand how students navigate programs, services, and technology, and where they encounter barriers.
Through human-centered design, we elevate student voices, especially those historically underserved, and translate their experiences into practical, scalable solutions. Our team combines research, strategy, and design expertise to help partners create clearer processes, more accessible tools, and systems that truly reflect student realities. By involving students throughout the design process, we ensure improvements are not only innovative, but equitable, usable, and grounded in real needs.
Launched in 2020 with funding from College Futures Foundation, we’re housed and operated by the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC), the official auxiliary nonprofit of the California Community Colleges’ Board of Governors and Chancellor’s Office.
“It’s great you’re looking at student input. At the end of the day, it’s the student that’ll be using and benefiting from it!”
Student
American River College Student
Services
Every project starts with understanding real student experiences. We integrate student input throughout the design process, combining qualitative insights and quantitative data to guide strategy, usability, and implementation. Our service offerings span the full human-centered design lifecycle:
- Research
- Design
- Expert Review
Current Projects
The Student-Centered Design Lab, in partnership with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and CCC Technology Center, is conducting a student feedback initiative to better understanding how a prospective student gets started with college.
Past Projects and Research Reports
Our work demonstrates how human-centered design leads to measurable improvements in the student experience. Explore highlights from our recent collaborations with the Chancellor’s Office, College Futures Foundation and campus partners.
Student Journey to Success Project
Mapped student experiences across onboarding and enrollment, identifying key friction points and co-designing new solutions with students and staff.
Case Study: California College Promise Grant (CCPG)
Redesigned the financial aid application to increase accessibility and completion rates. Co-created with students, tested in multiple languages, and aligned with equity and compliance standards. This work has informed how we evaluate and simplify other complex processes across the system.
Partner With Us
Whether you’re improving a statewide system, or single student-facing tool, our team can help you integrate design research, accessibility, and student feedback into your process.
Complete our intake form to start a conversation about partnership or to engage students in your next design study.
Students
Participate in usability and feedback studies.