University of South Carolina

A Doodle User Experience Study

Simon Tarr, Professor of Media Arts and Director of Undergraduate Studies, shared how he uses Doodle to manage his busy calendar of meetings and how Doodle helps him carve out time for his own academic work.

Cut through complex academic schedules with Doodle

Like most academics, Professor Tarr has to juggle a range of roles and responsibilities. In addition to his teaching hours and office hours, he has to balance administrative duties, manage extra-curricular initiatives like his student-staffed ‘maker space’ and find time for his own research. His colleagues’ calendars are equally finely-calibrated. Before Doodle, finding time to meet was a challenge.

"Academics are really like the poster children of the type of person who Doodle is perfect for because if everybody has the same nine to five then all you have to do is just mesh Excel or mesh Exchange calendars."

Set boundaries to balance teaching and research responsibilities

Professional academics have to tread a fine line between making themselves available for their students and staying relevant within their fields, through reading and research. For Professor Tarr, establishing blocks of time for his own research is crucial. Luckily, Doodle offers a host of tools, from Group Polls and 1:1s to the Booking Page, that let you take back control of your time by limiting your meeting availability.

Take the pain out of scheduling with students

Office hours are great in principle. But when you’re a hands-on academic, a few hours a week isn’t always enough time to offer your students the support they need. Whether you’re scheduling workshops, feedback sessions, or group critiques, scheduling with students can be complicated. Avoid confusion and lengthy email back-and-forth with Doodle 1:1 and Booking Page.

Use cases: Appointments, one-on-ones, team meetings, events, workshops, external stakeholders