ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
Solo Designer (me)
2 Developers
CTO, CEO
Timeline
2023 - 8 weeks
SKILLS
Interaction Design
User Testing Interaction Design
Design Iterations
Tools
Figma, FigJam
project overview
I redesigned a learning platform to increase student retention for an ed-tech startup
Headstarter is a NYC based early-stage ed-tech startup that provides career training learning programs for software engineering college students. After launching its first fellowship program in 2022, Headstarter struggled with retention and low completion rates. In 2023, I redesigned its hybrid fellowship learning experience by introducing 5 new features, resulting in a 20% increase in fellowship completion.
Problem
50% of students dropped out of the fellowship program
Fall 2022 Headstarter fellowship cohort data
understanding users
Students struggled to finish the program because of lack of motivation, support and competing workloads
To understand why students struggled, I interviewed 16 Fall 2022 fellows who didn’t complete the program and had them walk through their experience using the platform. Their feedback revealed three key barriers:
DESIGN CHALLENGE
How might we help students stay engaged and feel supported in their learning experiences?
market research
Learning platforms offer clear paths and engaging experiences, but lack real collaboration and community
I looked at learning platforms in the software engineering space and noted the lack of project collaboration and community-driven features.
FEATURE SCOPING
Brainstorming features to drive engagement and support while aligning with team's feasibilities and values
I led the team through an Impact vs. Effort prioritization exercise, resulting in five key features: a personalized dashboard, reward system, group project workspace, learning path, and profiles.
User testing & design iterations
Iterating the design quickly with student and team's feedback
I conducted three rounds of usability testing with 16 students who had previously dropped the program and I refined the designs after each round based on users' and internal team's feedback.
NEW FEATURE
Home Dashboard
Track program progress, weekly streaks, upcoming events, tasks, notes, career capital score, points and leaderboard in one place.
REDESIGN
Learning Path
Follow a tailored week-by-week curriculum, complete interactive daily challenges for extra points, stay updated through dynamic assignment notifications, and track progress toward earning a certificate.
REDESIGN
Group Project Workspace
Access group project lessons and resources all in one place. Follow guided to-dos and grading criteria, and use shared resources inspired by previous projects.
NEW FEATURE
Reward System
Redeem rewards with points, claim exclusive perks such as one-on-one sessions, explore cohort activity and discover new ways to earn points.
NEW FEATURE
Personalized Profile
View career capital score breakdown, compare performance with the rest of the cohort, and browse other students’ profiles.
Looking back
My first startup product design experience = messy, fast-paced but rewarding!
Working on this project was an exciting introduction to startup product design. I still remember how our whole team screamed when we received our first subscription payment after launch, it was surreal! As the solo designer, validating decisions without another designer’s critique was challenging, but I learned to rely on usability testing and close collaboration with engineers and the CEO. I also loved connecting with our ambitious NYC-based CS students and working with such a tight-knit, fast-moving team.
