EdTech Productivity Software
Fostering healthy behavioural change within students by promoting effective workflow practices wrapped within clever gamification reward systems.
The story in 20 seconds.
1. Context
University students struggle with long-term projects, lacking the planning skills and workflow habits needed to be effective.
2. Challenge
Encourage healthy habit formation and teach effective workflow practices through an engaging EdTech gamified product.
3. Results
The software teaches users through play, rewarding successful behavioural change and scoring a top 4% S.U.S. Usability Score.
Design Breakdown
- Research & Define -
Demystifying success - What do we need to excel in our careers?
Psychological literature indicates two types of skills necessary for effective performance:
Hard skills, the technical understanding of professional fields.
Soft skills, the non-technical competences related to workflow efficiency, collaboration capability, planning skills and many others.
Educational institutions often neglect soft skills, resulting in student skill-set imbalances, motivational frustrations, and performance loss.
Connecting with student experiences - What do students need?
Conducted interviews and focus groups to reveal common experiences across the student body:
Students often struggle with planning, working inconsistently.
Long-term projects often lead to procrastination, resulting in panicked last-minute efforts and performance loss.
Focused the design on building healthier working habits, minimizing procrastination, lowering anxiety, and overall improving learning efficacy.
Investigating teacher observations.
Conducted co-reflections with teachers, informing the design process with their experiences and observations.
Drawing insights from psychology literature.
Researched individual and motivational psychology, employing insights from Self-Determination Theory, Pomodoro, Flow Theory, and The Big Five.
Nurturing healthy behavioural change.
Analyzed productivity applications, identifying design patterns that effectively promote healthy behavioural changes.
Prototyping
Learn through play.
Designed gameplay structures that gamify healthy workflow practices using “Stealth Learning”, an effective learning style where individuals learn through play.
In doing so, students are provided additional motivational support, increasing the chances of behavioural change and successful habit formation. The transferable skills in turn result in increased performance and well-being.
Flow-inducing gameplay loop
The main gameplay loop is centred on invoking the flow state, an effective workflow practice linked with enhanced performance, memory, and well-being.
The user is rewarded for setting a work timer and engaging in productive work until it runs out, assisted by the company of their friendly spirit companion.
Creative reward system
Engagement with the main gameplay loop is encouraged by a wide range of proven reward systems.
RPG-like progression elements, visual customizations, achievement systems, and ancient mythological trivia, all work together to stimulate the user’s curiosity, desire for progression, and interest in aesthetics, resulting in a higher likelihood of adopting healthy behaviours.
Testing & Iteration
Usability testing
Verified product usability with the “System Usability Scale”, scoring an A+ usability rating of 86.25, corresponding to top 4%.
User testing
Conducted focus groups and thinking aloud sessions, receiving consistent positive user feedback and validating design choices.
Client delivery
Client satisfied and interested in pursuing further development with engineering teams.
Problems & Solutions
Complex subject matter
Conducted co-reflections with experienced lecturers and education experts, navigating the complexity of the underlying student psychology and validating the design direction.
Limited development resources
Sketched and wireframed various potential designs, quickly testing design reception with target audience. Employed no-code software (Adobe XD) to create high fidelity interactive M.V.P. prototype.
Final Result
Delivered a fun, usable, and effective EdTech tool, empowering students to better focus their productive efforts and train healthy behavioural habits.
Investigated the nuances of the learning journey, earning insights I carry to every project.
Inspired me to pursue and achieve a Master of Science in Game Technology & Educational Psychology.
Thank you for your curiosity.