Case study
Read.y app design
01
Project Overview
The problem
Parents dream of their children excelling in life and some believe that the first step is for them to learn to read as soon as possible.
How can we teach a young child to read? How can we keep them engaged in an activity that is brand new to them at such a young age? Let's find out.
The product
This app will deliver a fun and effective teaching method to preschool 2-6 years-old kids, whose parents want them to familiarise with reading activities before they start school.
Responsibilities
User research, market research, wireframing, prototyping, testing.
.png)
The goal
I was tasked with designing an app that introduces the alphabet to kids in a fun and engaging way. One of the goals is to convince parents that this product will be an effective tool to help their children achieve their goals: make it entertaining to maximise retention; make it pleasant and easy to use by giving parents an excellent user experience.
My role
UX Researcher, UX Designer.
Project duration
April 2021 to September 2021.
02
Understanding the user
I conducted the initial research using two methods: interview and survey.
I interviewed 4 people that I reckoned could be interested in using the app or had an insightful opinion about it. They were two moms, a kindergarten teacher and a grandma.
I also conducted a survey using an online platform. 15 people responded to the survey.
My assumptions were mostly confirmed by the research: younger kids (1-2 yo) don’t play with the phone. Older kids (3-4 yo) may use the phone and if they do they mostly do it alone and for a short time. They play videogames or use the device to watch videos.
User pain points
1. Target age
2. Time sensitive
Young kids (2-4 yo) are less interested in digital
games than older kids.
Kids want to play all the time but they get easily distracted and have to change activity often (the time kids dedicate to an activity before they get bored is usually very little – 3-15 min)
3. Gamification
They are not interested in learning unless the activity is seen as a game.
Persona & Problem Statement
Persona 1: Maria
Maria is a mom of two and part-time worker who needs an app that entertains her children in a constructive way, because she wants some work to be taken off her shoulder.
Persona 2: Sarah
Sarah is a young single mom working full time who needs an app that can teach her daughter to read, because she wants her to have an extra gear when she’ll start school.
User journey map
Mapping Sarah’s user journey revealed how helpful it would be for users to have access to a dedicated app to teach kids to read.
03
Starting the design
Paper wireframes
Taking the time to draft iterations of each screen of the app on paper ensured that the elements that made it to digital wireframes would be well-suited to address users’ pain points. For the home screen, I opted for a quick and easy letter selection from a two-column scrollable list (marked below with a star).
Digital wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to design screens based on feedback and findings from the user research.
Easy navigation and interaction was a key user need to be addressed in the design.
Usability Study Findings
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Round 1 findings
1. Users want an easy way to create an
account
​
2. Users want the game to be graphically appealing
​
3. Users like the recording feature
Round 2 findings
1. The overall feedback of the app is positive at this stage
​
2. An easier way to access the reminder may be necessary
​
3. Animal images are an important component in the game
04
Refining the design
Mockups
The early version of the app presented rougher illustrations of the animals. After the second usability study, I replaced them with more refined ones, more pleasing to the eye of a kid, since the study clearly highlighted the importance of these elements in catching the child’s attention.
Another element of the design that, after the second usability study, needed to be addressed was the reminder schedule feature. The study showed that this element wasn’t easily accessible for many, so I decided to add it in multiple steps of the user journey. Now, the user doesn’t have to actively look for it anymore, but they will be prompted to use it at specific points of their journey.
Accessibility considerations
1. WCAG standards
The app is designed considering the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. A good contrast ratio was built keeping in mind parameters like size, color and shape of the elements of the interface.
2. Navigation
This app was built paying attention to the optimisation of the information architecture to make the navigation smooth for everyone and intuitive for children as well.
3. Children friendly
And, of course, it’s designed for kids, putting children front-and-center.
Refined designs
High-fidelity prototype
The hi-fi prototype includes the design changes applied after the insights derived from the usability study conducted.
​
View the Read.y App high-fidelity prototype
05
Going forward
Takeaways
Impact
The response from the end-users in the final testings before launching was really positive.
​
Quotes from two users:
​
”I believe my children will love to play, it's very intuitive"
"I hope this can keep him busy for a little while and maybe even teach him to familiarise with some letters"
What I learned
While designing this app, I once again experienced how important it is to thoroughly define the problem space, before moving on to brainstorming answers.
Moreover, when the ideation phase begins, the first ideas that come to mind are usually distant from the solutions eventually taken: usability studies and peer feedback positively influence each iteration of the app’s designs.
Next steps
1. Launch
Launch the product and track metrics and feedback.
2. Testing
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.
3. User research
Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of improvement.