UX/Design Lead/Cross Functions
Duration: 3 months
My Role: Lead UX Designer, Design Strategies, User Research, Usability Testing
The Problem
China's "Double Reduction" policy presents challenges for online education companies. As the industry shifts its focus more to concerns arise around electronic devices' impact on teenagers' vision health. Merely optimizing hardware like using E-ink screens is insufficient. We need a more comprehensive solution.
We are designing an E-ink learning tablet that balances both hardware and software optimizations to accommodate students' vision health and improve user experience. In collaboration with experts in educational psychology, we not only adopt more eye-friendly screens but also aim to develop interaction modes that facilitate student concentration and efficiency, catering to academic subjects and learning needs. We believe this integrated approach can effectively address the pros and cons of electronic devices for minors' development.
Our Solution
Despite the top-down requirements of developing an E-ink pad, I saw this as an opportunity to transform our approach to tablets into something more practical for classrooms and students. In my past projects on student tablets, I noticed the inherent similarity to consumer devices caused confusion - students wanted to use them like their personal tablets.
As lead designer, I leveraged theories on metaphorical interfaces to reinvent conventions ill-fitted for educational technology. Cautiously testing new interactions, I diverged from standard tablet metaphors by prioritizing a task-based to-do list hub that directly resonates with student workflows. This tailored UX compensates for E-ink limitations while enhancing engagement through purpose-built experiences, not mimicry of ineffective paradigms.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all tablet, I strive to create a uniquely purpose-built experience aligned with learning - steering away from engrained assumptions while boosting the hardware's utility. This human-centric approach can yield better academic outcomes by providing an intuitive and distraction-free tool for our key users, the students.
Due to a non-disclosure agreement, I am limited in what specifics I can share about this confidential project. However, I can showcase elements including early-stage user research, and key screens from prototypes - all valuable touchpoints in my user-centered design process.
Need Analysis
1. Need and Product Positioning
2. Product Architect
Design Strategy
1. Design Goal Breakdown
I spearheaded creating a robust, cross-functional team collaboration process—now formalized as a core UX-centered 0-1 product development workflow. While proprietary details might be confidential, this framework enabled efficient synchronization across departments to align user experience priorities amidst technical constraints. My leadership in pioneering practices for integrating customer research, UX specifications, prototyping, and progress tracking was instrumental in reducing redundancies. This streamlining helped deliver highly user-validated products efficiently.
2. User Experience
3. Interaction Design Guidelines + Visual Design Guidelines
Recognizing E-ink's user experience constraints, I spearheaded interaction design guidelines to enhance its hardware limitations. Synthesizing insights on electronic paper displays, these evidence-based best practices enable consistent, human-centered experiences optimized for E-ink’s capabilities. My leadership in distilling adoptable guidance continues to influence current and future device generations. The following is a selected example of more generalized rules we had in our guidelines.
Design Implementation
1. Visual Style
Recognizing the unique graphic capabilities and constraints of E-ink displays, our UI team pioneered the development of a custom visual style guide to optimize legibility, usability, and aesthetic experience.
Final Result
Take Aways
A Collaborative Compass
This project ignited a passion within me that continues to guide my design journey.
Moving forward, I am fueled by the belief that:
- Collaboration is the cornerstone: By actively connecting with diverse perspectives and embracing open communication, we unlock the greatest potential for innovative solutions.
- Shared purpose drives success: When every team member believes in the impact of our work and feels personally invested in the journey, obstacles become stepping stones.
- The user is the north star: Every design decision, every interaction, and every pixel must be guided by the user's needs and desires. It's about crafting experiences that not only function flawlessly but also spark meaningful connections.
