Users were divided into three groups: administrators, teachers, and students

Interviews and research were conducted on the Scholastic Administrator and Teacher websites

Learning about the common pain points and concerns of each user group lead to the creation of six persona archetypes that served as reminders of who we were designing for

User stories were created to define all content and functionality that would make it into the final product

Natural language was used to articulate and reiterate user expectations as a user would describe them

Stories were then categorized and prioritized

A clear hierarchy of requirements helped to inform the information architecture

As the functional requirements for setup, reporting, and assignments were very complex, use case diagrams were created to ensure that there were no gaps in functionality between the three user interfaces (e.g. what happens on the teacher side if a student does not complete an assignment?)

Wireframes were developed for each user dashboard, as well as for each of the answer mechanisms for student assignments; these consisted of multiple choice, drag-and-drop, click-to-fill, multiple select, highlight, draw a line/segment/point, and free entry.

Game-like elements were created to provide students with positive feedback and make the experience seem more like play and less like homework

Teachers and administrators were provided with actionable reporting, professional development tools, and the ability to engage with students at different proficiency levels

Administrators were provided with easy setup, reporting, and search tools

Designs were colorful, easy to understand, readable, and usable for smaller and less dextrous fingers (if used on a touch-screen device)

Flight, lift, and the concept of “when pigs fly” were used as metaphors to inform the ideas of positive reinforcement and achieving the seemingly impossible

Teachers were provided with a sleek, modern interface that resembled functionality they were likely already familiar with — Google Maps