The Daily 10

Overview

Overview

I inherited a product that had been developed for two years, discovered fundamental barriers to actually deploying it, and helped turn it into something that reached a real classroom.

Problem

Solving the early problems

A UX case study on integrating a calculator into the quiz flow — keeping students in context without simplifying the challenge.

The Problem

The existing calculator opened as a separate notepad, taking students away from the question they were solving. I wanted to integrate it directly into the quiz so students could calculate without losing context.

Using Familiar Patterns

I kept the familiar four-column calculator layout so students wouldn't need to learn a new interaction pattern.

The Fifth Column

I kept the familiar four-column layout and added a fifth column for operations specific to the current question. After confirming with the developer that these controls could change dynamically, I incorporated them into the design.

A Disagreement Settled By Testing

The client was concerned that question-specific operations might make the quiz too easy. Rather than removing them, we tested the idea with students. The feedback supported keeping the feature, so it remained in the design.

Further Calculator Testing

Iterating from classroom feedback

The platform was tested with a Year 8 class, with student feedback relayed to me through the client. Several issues emerged in real classroom use:

I redesigned the desktop quiz into three columns, keeping the equation consistently visible alongside the question, answer input and calculator. On mobile, the calculator is replaced by the number pad.

Setback

3 weeks in the product couldn't enter the classroom

The product was originally being developed as a native app, but school cybersecurity restrictions created a major barrier to classroom deployment.

The team pivoted to a web app, removing the installation barrier and making the platform easier for schools to access.

For me, the pivot exposed a bigger issue: I had been improving individual screens without first understanding the product as a whole. I changed my approach, using OOUX to identify structural problems before redesigning further.

Core Flows

Changing my approach

I mapped the product's core objects, their relationships and the actions users could take between them.

Information Architecture

Learning Flow

To reduce cognitive load we grouped subtopics under topics, and added a visual of what medal can be achieved for each level, which wasn't apparent before.

Improving Engagement

From Buttons To A Hub

The original home screen was little more than three navigation buttons. It gave users no indication of what was due, what needed attention, or what their class was currently working on.

I redesigned it as a dashboard, surfacing classes, upcoming assignments and the current topic so users could understand what mattered as soon as they logged in.

What The Map Exposed

Class needed to be a core element

Mapping the system showed that students were being managed individually, while the real-world experience was organised around classes. Making Class a core object gave us a structure for class-level information and actions.

Strategic Directions

Two User Types, Two Different Goals

User 1: Teacher

How's my class going

Teachers want to look at how their class is doing, see who needs help and who's completing the work.

Managing Classes

Teachers need to be able to manage their classes, approve and deny requests.

User 2: Student

What To Do

We want to give users relevant prompts with context, to help them learn maths better and meet teachers' requirements.

Personal Progress

Students should be able to see how they're going with their studies and where they are excelling / struggling.

Prototyping and Testing

Assignments Needed To Stand Alone

Assignments were originally buried inside Learning Paths, meaning teachers could only create them through an existing path. Teacher feedback showed they needed the flexibility to assign work independently.

Despite the technical challenge of refactoring the existing system, we separated Assignments into a standalone feature. Teachers could now create work from scratch or enter from a Learning Path or Class, with relevant information pre-filled.

Assign From Anywhere

Using real-life context to enhance existing features in the app.

Assigning Process

Exploring interfaces focused on real-time assistance.

Once Assigned

Notification, dashboard visibility, incomplete students prioritised first.

Designing For Hardware Constraints

Designing For A Changing Environment

Whilst working on it the students' syllabus had changed from algebra to measurement, which was an important detail.

We had to ask:

How do we incorporate the syllabus without restricting other areas?

Constraining The Experience

Focusing On An Area

The class set up allowed us to give teachers the freedom to select what the current topic is for students, which could then highlight this for students as teachers as the area of focus.

Set Current Topic

Teachers can set the current topic on the class, highlighting it across student and teacher views as the shared area of focus.

A Shared Framework

Early on, questions were written first and I designed around them. As the product grew, it became clear that content, design and development needed a shared structure.

I worked with the team to create a question framework that aligned the learning goal, difficulty progression, interface and feedback before a question was built.

Each section has 10 questions

Wrong Questions Aren't The End

Getting an answer wrong shouldn't end the learning process. I designed the feedback flow to respond to the mistake and give students another opportunity to apply what they'd learned.

Reflection

What I learned