Overview

In this project, I designed an educational app to support secondary school students with at-home learning by offering personalised AI tutoring and motivational push notifications. Grounded in gamification and nudge theory, the app encourages positive study habits in a stress-free environment. Through user testing and iterative refinement, I focused on usability, content, and impact, creating a tool that empowers learners while respecting their privacy and autonomy.

Role

UX & UI Design

Date

January - March 2024

Brief

"How can secondary school students be provided with effective assistance in completing their academic work from home, to prevent frustration and mitigate stressful challenges associated with learning?" - Smart Health

Problem

Secondary school students struggle with completing academic work from home due to inaccessible resources, difficulty managing study schedules, and insufficient guidance. This leads to frustration, stress, and decreased academic performance.

Solution

The app provides secondary school students with personalized AI tutoring, strategic push notifications, and gamified elements to effectively manage academic work, access resources, and receive guidance, thereby enhancing organization, reducing stress, and improving academic performance.

Outcomes

The app successfully addressed key challenges in at-home learning for secondary school students by enhancing engagement, reducing stress, and improving academic outcomes. By combining personalised AI tutoring, gamification, and strategic notifications, it fostered effective study habits and offered tailored support. The project underscored the value of user-centred design and ethical data use in building meaningful, psychologically informed educational solutions.The project delivered a breakthrough in visualising cosmetic treatments by integrating AI and 3D scanning, allowing users to preview realistic outcomes and make informed decisions. Through continuous user and expert feedback, the app evolved into a user-centric, ethically designed solution that sets a new standard in non-invasive cosmetic treatment visualisation.
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Takeaways

This project emphasised the power of user-centred design and iterative development in crafting impactful educational tools. It showcased how integrating psychological principles such as nudge theory can boost engagement and motivation, while reinforcing the importance of data privacy and continuous user testing to refine functionality. Ultimately, it demonstrated how thoughtful design, grounded in user feedback, can meaningfully enhance students’ learning experiences.

01 Discover

Secondary Research

To uncover the challenges students face with at-home learning, I carried out thorough secondary research, including academic literature reviews and analysis of educational and government reports. This revealed common issues like limited resources, poor study routines, and lack of guidance. I also conducted market and competitor analysis, examining existing educational apps and user feedback to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement—ensuring our app would be both effective and distinctive.

Pain Points

Educational Inequity: Children from wealthier families often have more educational support and resources, while those from low-income households may lack access to tutors or parental help due to financial constraints and busy work schedules.

Difficulties in Time Management and Organisation: Students without adequate support often struggle with time management and organisation, including breaking down large tasks and creating effective plans to complete their academic work.

Challenges in Growing Proficient Study Abilities: Without proper guidance, students may struggle to develop effective study skills, often spending considerable time studying with minimal results due to a lack of understanding of efficient learning strategies.

Obstacles to Acquiring Independent Learning Skills: While developing self-reliance is important, students also need to know when and how to seek help. Without support, they may struggle to find a healthy balance between independence and asking for guidance in their learning journey.

Theories

Nudge theory and gamification were chosen to drive engagement and motivation in a way that feels natural and empowering for students. Nudge theory subtly guides users toward productive behaviours through feedback and social proof, while gamification transforms learning into a rewarding, game-like experience that fosters a sense of progress and achievement. Together, they create a supportive environment that encourages consistent study habits and long-term academic growth.

02 DEFINE

PRIMARY RESEARCH

In the Define phase, I focused on gathering direct insights from users through interviews and surveys. I conducted one-on-one interviews with a diverse group of families and teachers to understand their challenges with at-home learning. Alongside this, I distributed surveys to a broader audience to capture a wide range of experiences and perspectives.

Enforcing Productive Study Habits

75% of teachers found that students have difficulty maintaining consistent study habits and often procrastinate on their homework

72% of parents believed that having a structured tool or app with personalized AI tutoring and strategic push notifications would help their children manage their academic work more effectively and reduce stress

42% of parents noticed their children experience significant stress when trying to understand challenging academic concepts without guidance

Addressing Students’ Emotional Challenges

60% of teachers observed that students feel anxious about tackling difficult subjects and assignments on their own

Understanding Emotions

65% of users expressed a need for more educational resources to help them understand and cope with their emotions

Questions Asked

• What are the biggest challenges your students face when completing their homework from home?

• Can you describe a situation where a student felt particularly stressed or overwhelmed by their schoolwork?

• How do you currently support your child in managing their study schedule and academic responsibilities?

• What are the biggest challenges you face when completing your homework at home?

Thematic Analysis

After collecting the data, I used thematic analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns. By coding the responses, I distilled the information into key themes that highlighted the primary issues and needs of the students. These themes were then used to create detailed user personas that represented different types of students, each with unique goals and challenges.

To visualize the connections between these themes and user personas, I created an affinity map. This map helped organize and prioritize the findings, ensuring that the app’s design would address the most critical user needs.

How Can We Define Our Problem?

To define the problem, I began by analysing the user journey map and identifying the lowest points where users faced the most significant challenges in managing their academic work from home. This process allowed me to pinpoint the most prominent problems that students, teachers, and parents encounter.
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Problem 1: Students are unhappy because they don’t have sufficient resources or guidance to understand complex topics and complete their assignments effectively.
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Problem 2: Students feel anxious about addressing and managing their academic workload, which leads to procrastination and increased stress.
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Problem 3: Students are frustrated with their inability to maintain productive study habits and stick to a consistent study schedule, impacting their overall academic performance.

03 Develop

Information Architecture

Creating an information architecture was essential to organize the app’s content and features logically and intuitively. It helped me map out the user flow, ensuring that students, teachers, and parents could easily navigate the app and find the resources they need. This structure facilitated a seamless user experience, reducing cognitive load and enhancing usability by providing clear pathways to key functionalities such as AI tutoring, study schedules, and educational resources.

User Evaluation

During the evaluation process, I utilised a thorough strategy that included usability, content, and efficacy frameworks. In order to guarantee that the app fulfils the rigorous criteria necessary for an immersive and efficient educational encounter, I performed user testing with three unique individuals using the Figma prototype feature.

Human Data Interaction

I applied the Mortier et al. (2014) Human Data Interaction (HDI) Framework to ensure the app handles user data ethically and transparently. It guided the design of features that prioritise user control, clarity around data use, and privacy. This helped foster trust and created a secure learning environment where users feel safe and empowered.

04 Deliver

Innovating at-home learning for secondary school students by integrating personalized AI tutoring, strategic push notifications, and gamification elements. Designed to reduce stress and enhance academic performance, it provides students with tailored guidance, organized study schedules, and engaging educational resources. By fostering productive study habits and offering comprehensive support, our app empowers students to succeed academically while respecting their data privacy and promoting user autonomy.

STORYBOARD

This storyboard illustrates Rayan, a male student in year 11 of secondary school, as he prepares for his GCSEs and upcoming assignments. He utilises the app to effectively organise his tasks and successfully accomplish his work.

Astute