IL Classroom

Learning Explorer (AI)

Gamified adventures ignite a love for learning!

Learning Explorer transforms the Imagine Learning Classroom platform with dynamic gamification designed to captivate and engage K-12 students. By blending innovative product design, user research, and cutting-edge AI asset generation, the platform delivers age-appropriate visuals and characters that resonate with both K-5 and 6-12 learners. With scalable documentation and AI prompt guidebooks, the project ensures seamless collaboration across teams while maintaining a consistent and vibrant aesthetic. Built with a Vue app, Learning Explorer redefines how students connect with learning, making education more interactive, delightful, and impactful.

MY ROLE: PRODUCT DESIGN, USER RESEARCH, UX ARCHITECTURE, AI WORKFLOWS, FRONT-END DEVELOPMENT

Making Learning an Adventure

Remember when you actually had fun while learning something new? That's exactly what we created with Learning Explorer! We took the Imagine Learning Classroom platform and transformed it with exciting game-like elements that keep K-12 students genuinely interested in what they're learning.

Using a blend of thoughtful design and AI technology, we created characters and visuals that really connect with different age groups - colorful, playful designs for the younger K-5 crowd and more sophisticated elements for our 6-12 students. I had a blast working with AI tools to generate these assets, which helped us create a consistent visual feel across the entire platform.

To make sure everyone on our team could maintain this engaging environment, I created easy-to-follow documentation and AI prompt guides. The Vue app we built brings everything together beautifully, turning everyday learning into something interactive and enjoyable. It's been amazing seeing students actually excited about their educational journey instead of just going through the motions!

One Student at a Time

When I designed Learning Explorer, I wanted to create something that genuinely spoke to students. I focused on making visuals that actually connect with different age groups - playful characters for our younger K-5 explorers and more sophisticated elements for the 6-12 crowd. One of my favorite features was the customizable avatars that let students express themselves! I also built in rotating seasonal themes throughout the school year to keep things fresh and exciting - because who wants to look at the same screen all year long?

Working with our curriculum, engineering, and media teams was such a rewarding experience. Together, we used student and teacher feedback to guide every design decision. I'm particularly proud of the AI workflows I developed that helped us create vibrant visuals without breaking the bank. Watching students light up when using the platform makes all those late-night design sessions worth it! There's something magical about seeing a student completely engaged in learning because the experience feels personal to them - that's when I know we've created something special.

Creating a Learning World Kids Actually Want to Explore!

When designing Learning Explorer, I put myself in students' shoes and asked, "What would make me excited to log in every day?" This led me to create colorful visuals and fun interactive elements that feel just right for different age groups. The little ones in K-5 get playful characters that spark imagination, while our older 6-12 students enjoy more sophisticated designs that don't feel "babyish." My absolute favorite feature was the customizable avatars - seeing students light up when personalizing their digital selves is priceless! I also added seasonal themes that refresh throughout the year, keeping that "new and exciting" feeling alive even months into the school year.

I couldn't have done any of this alone! Working alongside our curriculum experts, engineers, and media creators turned this vision into reality. We regularly invited students and teachers to test our ideas, making sure we were on the right track. I'm particularly proud of how we used AI tools to generate vibrant visuals and characters quickly - this let us create way more personalized content than would have been possible with traditional methods. The documentation I created helped everyone stay on the same page, even when working across different teams. Seeing students completely absorbed in learning activities that feel like play rather than work makes all those design challenges worthwhile!

My Journey Creating a Learning World Kids Love

I started this adventure by really listening to students and teachers. I wanted to understand what makes kids excited to learn and what tools teachers actually need. This wasn't just quick surveys - I spent time in classrooms watching how students interact with technology and hearing directly from educators about their challenges.

Working with everyone from curriculum experts to engineers became my favorite part of the process! Together, we brainstormed and sketched ideas for features kids would love. The customizable avatars were a big hit right away - students light up when they can make their digital self reflect their personality! I also added seasonal themes that refresh throughout the year, keeping everything feeling new and exciting even months into the school year.

My secret weapon? AI tools that let us create magical visuals without endless hours of traditional design work! Using tools like Stable Diffusion and MidJourney, I designed characters and environments that felt just right for different age groups - playful and colorful for younger students, more sophisticated for older ones. I created detailed guides so everyone on the team could maintain that consistent look and feel.

The best part was testing prototypes with actual students and seeing their reactions. Nothing beats watching a third-grader completely lose track of time because they're so engaged in a learning activity! Those moments of genuine excitement guided every design decision we made. By connecting the fun game elements to the actual learning data in the background, we created an experience that not only delights students but actually helps them learn better. Seeing something I designed make learning more joyful for kids makes all the late nights absolutely worth it!