2026-05-23T13:06:11Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/requestoai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2008882025-05-09T20:53:41Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items200888
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.200888
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
2025-05
38 pages
Dharmendra Mohan Prabu, Hari Varshan
Osburn, Steven
Malpe, Adwith
Barrett, The Honors College
Computer Science and Engineering Program
School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
As a computer science student, managing multiple projects across different classes quickly became more about navigating platforms than actually getting work done. Each course or team seemed to use a different tool, Slack for one, Notion for another, Microsoft Teams somewhere else. On top of that, coordinating with teammates who all had different preferences made starting projects harder than it needed to be. This constant context switching and platform juggling sparked the idea for Liaison: a centralized project management tool designed specifically for university students.
But instead of just trying to build a finished product, I set out to explore a broader question: What do students actually need in a project management platform to make it useful, usable, and worth adopting in academic environments? Liaison became a way to investigate that. By designing and building the app, then testing it with student teams, I gathered real feedback that pointed to which features resonate, which ones fall flat, and what kinds of integrations students expect from tools like these.
Liaison brings together features from popular platforms like Notion, Slack, and Microsoft Loops, but adds key upgrades designed to make student collaboration easier and more efficient. The platform includes Zoom integration, giving students a quick way to schedule and run meetings without leaving the app, while keeping things professional. I also integrated the Gemini API to help users draft project requirements, proposals, and task lists with less effort. The goal was to go beyond building just another tool and instead use Liaison to surface patterns, needs, and insights about student collaboration.
To test this, I developed a working prototype and conducted hands-on testing with my EPICS team who had previously struggled to find a good tool to manage our project. Their feedback helped shape the platform and offered key insights into what features students actually need. It also revealed a few missing pieces and ideas for features that could make Liaison even more complete, and small additions that would improve the overall user experience. This thesis outlines the motivation, design, development, and evaluation of Liaison, with the aim of finding what a practical, AI-enhanced solution to the everyday struggles of student project collaboration would look like.
Student Collaboration
Project Management Tools
Educational technology
AI Integration in EdTech
User-centered design
University Student Workflow
Research-Driven App Development
Prototype Testing
Real-Time Collaboration
Team Feedback
Slack, Notion, Discord Alternatives
Firebase Authentication
Clerk Integration
Next.js and React App Development
Google Calendar API
Zoom API Integration
Gemini AI Assistant
Liveblocks Collaborative Editing
Software Usability Testing
Maze User Testing Platform
App Scalability Planning
Future Research in EdTech Tools
Student-Centric UX/UI Design
Learning from User Feedback
One-Stop Project Management Platform
Liaison Web App Design
Challenges in Solo Development
Educational SaaS Platforms
Gamification and AI in Education
Student Productivity Tools
Curriculum Integration Potential
Liaison: Exploring What Makes an Ideal Student Project Management Tool Through Design and Testing