DESIGNING MTS FOR OUR YOUNGEST USERS

The NGL K–12 Design Team is now providing a new and exciting, research-based user experience to our K–2 MindTap School students to better enable their engagement with exceptional content and focus on the joy of learning.

Read the K2 Story →

THE CHALLENGE

MindTap School was originally built without the K–2 user in mind.

  • The MindTap user experience was designed for Higher-Ed students.

  • NGL Sales, Marketing, and Product teams learned from customers that the MTS interface was not intuitive for K–2 users.

  • K–2 students have unique cognitive abilities, comprehension skills, and ergonomic needs compared to older learners.

THE GOALS

Understand the unique learning needs of K–2 students

  • Students are just learning to read.

  • Attention span is short for children at this age.

  • Lesson structures are teacher-guided, not self-guided.

  • Young students' physical coordination is different than that of older students, so device UI ergonomics must be considered.

Age-appropriate UX and UI

  • Screen content needs to be unambiguous. When a teacher describes an element on-page, a student should be able to identify that unique element quickly.

  • Visuals should be as literal as possible. For example, when referencing a concept like 'library', the icon should contain library books. When referencing non-literal concepts, the visual should be familiar (e.g., using a ‘star’ icon for saved/favorites).

  • Call-to-action buttons must be accessibility-compliant for users of this age (i.e., have large touch-targets to account for imprecise tap/touch/mouse-click interactions).

  • Students must be able to navigate the interface using visuals as well as words.

Allow the content to shine

  • Content has to be the focus. Every pixel must have a purpose in that it supports the learning and teaching of materials.

  • A poor user experience is a disservice to quality content.

RESEARCH & EXPLORATION

RESEARCH

We researched the current digital landscape.

  • Examined competitor platforms and products, including HMH, McGH, and Pearson

  • Researched consumer Ed-tech competitors, including BrainPop, Leapfrog, FunBrain, Discovery, NASA, NatGeo Kids, among others

UI EXPLORATION

We evaluated then began to create.

  • Played, explored, and mocked-up several concepts

  • Evaluated and measured every concept against our goals

  • Refined and iterated the strongest concepts

  • Created interactive prototypes of the best concepts

USER TESTING

We collected feedback from teachers and students.

KEY OBJECTIVES

We tested two prototypes with users:

  • Are the interfaces clear, intuitive, and predictable?

  • Is the meaning, tone, and voice of language understandable?

  • Are the interfaces engaging and delightful?

  • Is the purpose of every screen understandable?

  • Did K–2 students believe the UI designs were made for them?

  • Generally, which of the two UI prototypes was preferred?

View Full Research Report →

REFINEMENT

REFINEMENT

We distilled feedback and built a single, more successful design.

  • Revised and refined the micro-copy

  • Optimized the navigation

  • Revised and refined art, typography, iconography, and color palette

COLLABORATION

We collaborated with the MTS technology team to ensure feasibility.

  • Closely collaborated throughout the entire project to make certain the design was technically feasible to build

  • Continuously collaborated throughout the development cycle, including refinement, QA, and launch

  • Implemented agile-based design project management in JIRA

DESIGN SYSTEM

We created a systematic approach to UI Design.

  • Created a K–2 UI theme for Magma

  • Designed universal K–2 UI elements to reduce inconsistencies and save time and cost

  • Established a K–2 UI Design Library 

  • Implemented Abstract, a version control software, to manage Design Library, track changes, and ensure consistency across usage

FINAL DESIGNS

KEY BENEFITS TO OUR USERS:
USER-CENTERED UI DESIGN
RESPONSIVE TO DEVICES
INTUITIVE NAVIGATION
AGE-APPROPRIATE MICROCOPY
ENHANCED USABILITY
IMPROVED ACCESSIBILITY
SHINING CONTENT
DELIGHTFUL UX

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THE TEAM

We are committed to purpose, accountability and, foremost, to our users.

K–2 UX & UI DESIGN TEAM
(shown in alphabetical order)
  • Emily Anderson, Manager, UX Research & Strategy

  • Scott Baker, Managing Art Director

  • Theresa Charleston, Senior UX & UI Designer. Copywriting

  • Michael Farmer, Creative Director

  • Dan Maron, UX & UI Designer

  • Michael Rosenquest, UX & UI Designer

  • Alex von Dallwitz, Art Director