Problem Definition
User Problem
Students who struggle with certain subjects or learning styles may benefit from extra help. They might feel discouraged or overwhelmed by their academic struggles, impacting their overall learning experience.
Solution
LeanCourse aims to provide a solution to this problem by creating an engaging and effective e-learning platform that is accessible and affordable, thus providing an alternative to expensive private tuition.
Research
Research Goals
The goal of the research was to gather crucial insights about the EdTech market as well as understand the perspective of the end-user - learners. The survey helped me to identify areas for improvement, and what features are important for users when choosing an e-learning platform.
Desk Research
User Personas
By creating personas, I identified the different types of users who will be using the app, and prioritise the features that are most important to them.
Empathy Mapping
The empathy map revealed that the first persona is primarily concerned with the interactivity and social aspects of the educational app, while the second persona is more focused on the credibility and authority of the online program.
Refining Hypotheses
Actionable Solutions
After identifying certain hypotheses about user behavior and basic needs, I transformed them into How Might We questions for further validation and implementation.
User Journey
The journey map outlines the various phases and steps that the user persona Christine, whom I identified previously, goes through as she discovers, downloads, and engages with the application.
Wireframing
The wireframes were designed to address the critical unmet needs and opportunities identified in the user journey map.
Emphasizing Core Values
Onboarding
During the registration phase, the user is prompted to customize the learning space by selecting topics of interest to personalize recommendations, as well as setting an avatar and enabling motivational notifications.
Content Exploration
Streamlined Content Navigation
Based on past choices, the app can prioritize relevant content and features. This reduces the need for extensive searching and browsing, creating a more streamlined experience for learners.
Discovering Courses
Solution
I made sure to swap out jargon and technical terms for plain language, include course objectives and syllabus overview, while also maintaining a clear visual hierarchy.
Content Experience
Source: Simply Psychology, "The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve"
By allowing users to save quotes, I addressed this problem in two ways:
1. Users can revisit confusing or complex sections of the lesson later for better comprehension.
2. Saved quotes can be used to build customized study guides that users can reference throughout the course.
Retrospective
Understanding the Needs
One of the key takeaways for me was the importance of understanding the unique needs and challenges of the education industry. This includes understanding the different types of learners, their goals, and the specific challenges they face in their learning journey.
Engaging Approach
I've learned about the specific challenges of designing for education. For example, in a math learning app, a user-friendly interface could make complex concepts more accessible and enjoyable for students.
Areas for Improvement
There are a few areas that I believe could be improved in future iterations. One area that could be improved is the process of selecting and enrolling in courses. I could explore more options for personalization, for example, adding a feature that allows users to create custom learning paths based on their interests, goals, and progress.