Overview/Background

In late 2020, amidst the ongoing uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on primary education, our team was approached by a long-standing sales representative to collaborate with BJU Press, a key customer in the EdTech sector. The objective was to conceptualize a digital workbook that closely mirrored the seamless experience of a traditional physical workbook. The project generated significant interest due to the growing demand for adaptable educational solutions during this transformative period.

This project has been white-labeled to ensure compliance with NDA requirements. Certain aspects of the research have been omitted for confidentiality. For further information, please feel free to contact me.

My Role

Collaborating with one other designer, I actively contributed to every stage of the design process. This included conducting research, developing personas, creating use cases, gathering design inspiration, and producing mockups. Despite a tight timeline of just 2.5 weeks and balancing other ongoing design responsibilities, we delivered a solid design concept with room to grow.

UX Research

Since direct interviews with BJU Press representatives were not possible, we developed a set of targeted questions for our sales representative to relay, allowing us to gather insights into how their educational resources were utilized.

We also drew inspiration from ongoing UX work aimed at enhancing the flagship ActiveTextbook reader, which provided a strong foundation for our design approach. Additionally, BJU Press supplied us with sample elementary-level math, English, and history textbooks, enabling us to closely examine the materials used by teachers and students.

Research Findings

Teachers and students both need an optimized tablet and desktop experience.

It’s preferred to have SSO functionality with other publishers like McGraw-Hill.

Annotation features are limited if books from external sources instead of books that we have rights to.

For younger students, the goal is to preserve the tactile nature of handwriting and maintain the spirit of engaging, hands-on exercises. For older students and teachers, the focus shifts to streamlining the learning experience with customizable, accessible features that cater to individual needs. Teachers should have a clear view of student progress, enabling them to identify and support those who are excelling or need additional help.