_about
Learning to code should feel like an adventure, not an obstacle course. But for many K-5 students using Skill Struck's Launch Pad, the platform felt more like a maze, especially on smaller screens. While a variety of activities like textbooks, quizzes, coding challenges, and games offered valuable learning tools, the cluttered interface made it difficult for students to locate activities and transition smoothly between them.
_the challenge
Teachers noted that students frequently become confused when transitioning to the next activity. Without a clear structure, students struggled to navigate the platform, leading to frustration and disengagement.
To ensure our redesign addressed real user pain points, we focused on key questions:
_research focus
What activities do students engage with most?
Where do students struggle with navigation?
How does the platform perform on smaller screens?
What usability differences exist between younger and older students?
Contextual Interviews
We conducted interviews with teachers and observed students across three age groups: younger (3–5), mid-range (6–8), and older (9–12). According to NN/g research, each group interacts with digital interfaces differently, making this segmentation crucial.
Findings
Students had trouble moving between activities or returning to a previous task.
The interface was overcrowded, making navigation difficult on smaller screens (e.g., Chromebooks).
Required vs. optional activities weren’t clearly marked, leaving students confused about what to complete.
Older students searched for traditional navigation tools (like a "back" button), while younger students relied on simpler, more visual cues.
Younger students quickly abandoned tasks if they found them frustrating or hard to follow.
Heuristic Evaluation
To further assess usability, I conducted a heuristic evaluation and found additional issues
Findings
Primary actions (e.g., “Start” or “Submit”) didn’t always stand out visually.
Quiz submissions lacked clear confirmation feedback.
Text contrast didn’t meet accessibility standards in some areas.
Certain pages required excessive scrolling to reach key information.
Too many clicks were needed to complete tasks, leading to inefficiencies.
Personas
Based on the interview and survey data, I created personas representing key user types: young learners, teachers, and platform administrators. These personas helped clarify user needs and ensured that design decisions were driven by real user goals and pain points.
_ideation
We wanted to simplify navigation, improve clarity, and create a more engaging learning experience. Our design priorities included:
Streamlined Navigation
A clearer, more structured menu to guide students effortlessly.
Optimized Layout for Small Screens
A decluttered interface with key elements placed strategically.
Progress & Task Indicators
Visual markers (such as icons or color coding) to differentiate required vs. optional tasks.
Age-Appropriate Design
A balance of traditional navigation for older students (e.g., back buttons) and more visual guidance for younger ones.
Wireframes & Iterations
To bring these ideas to life, we created low-fidelity wireframes and tested different layouts with users.
Key refinements
Taking the feedback from the low-fi wireframes, we made some key changes to improve the design:
Switching from a flexible, path-based lesson menu to a more structured, linear format to simplify progression.
Mixing text-based navigation with illustrations to cater to both younger and older students.
Adding a dropdown menu with platform options and a main menu with platform icons to improve cross-platform navigation.
Once the high-fidelity wireframes were developed, we further refined the design based on conversations with teachers and steakholders.
hi-fi wireframes
After testing the updated design with students, we identified additional refinements:
Findings
A card-based layout made content easier to scan and reduced cognitive load.
Eliminating unnecessary screens improved the user flow by reducing extra clicks.
Redesigning activity layouts minimized scrolling, making it easier to complete challenges.
With these updates, students were able to navigate the platform with less frustration and more focus on learning.
The redesigned Launch Pad now offers a smoother, more intuitive experience for K-5 students. By simplifying navigation, optimizing for small screens, and enhancing visual indicators, we’ve made coding more accessible and engaging.
What’s next?
Run A/B testing to fine-tune navigation for different age groups.
Continuously gather feedback from teachers and students to refine the experience.
Explore additional gamification features to boost engagement.
Improve accessibility to ensure an inclusive learning environment.
There’s still work to do, but we’re on the right path—just like a well-structured algorithm guiding students on their coding journey.