Thinking Cap

A COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM

Thinking Cap is a multi-platform application for peers to study and organize notes in a collaborative environment. The platform encourages students to achieve weekly activity goals through the support of their friends and peers.

WHEN

October - December 2020

SKILLS

Figma, UX Design, Research

How can an app utilize organization, collaboration, and hosting features to motivate learners to create routine and effective study habits?

User Personas

User personas were identified to understand my audience and create an experience that caters to the target user.

The Science Student

"I need a way to organize all of my notes in one place, rather than bringing my notebooks everywhere."

This type of user would benefit from:

• Being able to upload notes from class

• Folders with easy access and viewing

• Reviewing terms and written notes at once

The Math Tutor

"I want an easier way to share information with my tutees when we're communicating remotely."

This type of user would benefit from:

• Hosting sessions while presenting notes

• Viewing the progress of tutees

• A messaging feature to check on tutees

The Procrastinator

"I need an app that can hold me accountable for studying material in all of my classes."

This type of user would benefit from:

• Notifications for tracking user progress

• Hosting and attending study sessions

• Timed study periods to build structure

Use Cases

The following charts explore two potential use cases–demonstrating the flow of new and returning users.

User Completing a Quiz

New User

User Research

To understand the demands of the target user, I utilized Google Forms to collect survey information from twenty students on my campus.

Over half of the participants spend the majority of their study time with other students. This method of motivation provides insight regarding how an app can use collaboration to the advantage of the user.

Goals

Throughout this project, I identified three main goals to work towards and consider in each design process.

GOAL 01: ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION BETWEEN USERS

Group Sessions

Users can host sessions to present notes, play customized games, and take practice quizzes. Badges can be earned for connecting with classmates, hosting sessions, and receiving high scores.

GOAL 02: KEEP USERS ACCOUNTABLE

Progress Tracking

Users can set weekly goals, start challenges with peers, and track their progress through each of their folders. Notifications can be set to keep users accountable for reaching goals.

GOAL 03: CREATE AN ORGANIZED METHOD OF STORING NOTES

Note Conversion

Upload notes with highlighted terms and the app will automatically convert written notes into type terms and definitions.

Highlighted Features

These features allow ThinkingCap to stand out amongst other study and class performance applications.

Sharing Codes

Shareable codes can be sent to classmates to give them access to study sessions, games, or collaborative quizzes.

Seamless Mirroring

The app can be mirrored on larger screens, like desktops or televisions, to engage in seamless single or multi-user studying.

Competitive Analysis

An analysis of applications with similar interactions was conducted to understand where they were successful and unsuccessful.

Quizlet allows students to create card groupings with terms and definitions, share decks with others, and challenge themselves with quizzes. Thinking Cap would expand upon this idea by including collaborative options for collaborative gaming, hosting online meetings, and multi-platform integration.

Kahoot allows group organizers to create a timed quiz, usually taken one time. Thinking Cap would use a similar collaborative approach, but with the intention of allowing users to retake and correct their mistakes. Thinking Cap would promote long-term learning more than short-term exercises.

Sitemap

Every good project needs direction. Here is the sitemap for this platform!

Wireframes

No project is complete without trial and error. Wireframes were used to provide direction and test out new UX/UI designs. The wireframes below were used for the final design, but check out the process document for all of the unused editions.

Main Dashboard (New User)