AXIS CONCEPT
Turning exploration
into clarity
Careers are becoming increasingly interconnected. Yet, education remains largely siloed. This case study focuses on one problem: students can't pursue paths they don't know exist.
Outcomes
Every user left with a connection they didn't arrive with
The signal that matters most.
88% adoption rate
Expressed intent to adopt Axis if available.
42% boost in engagement
More time exploring across multiple sectors - the platform working as intended.
**Based on two rounds of moderated usability testing with 10 participants - designers, engineers, business professionals, and international users across diverse backgrounds.
Reinforcing layers
Axis maps students’ interests across disciplines, revealing cross-disciplinary connections they’re unlikely to find on their own. The more they explore, the more connections show up.
CLEAR STARTING POINT
Exploration starts credibly
A small set of trusted topics defines the starting point.
Students know where to begin.
EMERGING CONNECTIONS
Discovery through connections
Connections across topics and formats are shown as students explore.
Fields they didn’t consider start to feel relevant.
PATTERN RECOGNITION
Cross-disciplinary patterns revealed
Axis uses machine learning to identify patterns across explored fields before students can articulate them.
Expanding their options beyond what felt safe or familiar.
Context
Why Axis exists
Most students choose a path based on what they’ve been exposed to, not necessarily what fits them best.
They're asked to choose early, often before they’ve had enough exposure to understand what else exists.
The problem at scale
Up to 70% of college students enter undecided, and 80% will change their major at least once.*
The students who seem sure often aren’t. The problem is bigger than it looks.
*Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) - nces.ed.gov
System gap
Siloed by design
Exploration is split across two environments. Within institutions, it is structured by discipline while outside them, it’s self-directed. Neither consistently helps students see beyond the paths they're already on.
As a result, students stall or default to what feels safe.
“Knowing what’s happening in big industries can influence what you decide to do. As a student, this kind of exposure is so valuable because it opens your eyes to trends and industries you wouldn’t encounter in school.”
Usability tester,
A different kind of guide
Most education and career platforms are built for students who already have direction.
Strategic vision: When worlds collide
Axis is built on the belief that something electric happens when different worlds collide. When disciplines collide, students see more than they came in with. They see a wider view of what’s possible, and what might be worth exploring.
Meet Axis
Axis is a discovery platform that reveals cross-disciplinary connections between fields students are unlikely to find on their own.
How might we help students explore unexpected fields with clarity without settling too early on what feels safe?
The flow
Six steps
Here is the full journey.
Reframing the approach
Behavioral insights
Early signals from testing
“I like how it guided me on what to read next and how fields connect. It made me want to keep exploring.”
Usability tester,
“I would have loved access to this platform when I was a student. I would still use it now.”
Usability tester,
Trusted starting point
A blank slate can stall students who don’t know where to begin. Onboarding provides a focused set of starting points.
Students choose what they’re drawn to.
The selection becomes the foundation for personalized discovery.
An archive of interests
An archive of your interests
Revisit what captured your attention.
Future facing
What’s next?
Axis is still a concept, but the infrastructure and ML capabilities needed to make this experience possible are now within reach.
Making better decisions starts with better visibility
Clarity through structured exploration
Most students take the leap before they’ve had enough exposure to know what else exists.
It’s not a map of what to do, just a wider view.
