Phase 1: Web MVP Validation (Early 2020)
The team decided the best way to validate an education app was through a mobile web prototype to test core assumptions without app store delays. Thanks to React and React Native, moving from web tech to an almost native experience was supposed to be seamless.
The committed goal for this iteration was an infinite scroll for content consumption. With a limited number of educational videos, we wanted to validate if kids would scroll and how far. The feed used a simple algorithm that sorted content based on popularity.
The second milestone was an explore tab that allowed our potential users to check content segmented by subject. This was mainly for parents trying to understand the app and gauge the existing content.
Phase 2: Native App Launch (October 2020)
Once the team decided it was time to move toward a packaged app, I started to think through the onboarding experience. The "Swipe & Learn" approach needed to feel intuitive for children while giving parents control. The user (parent or child) could experience 2-3 sample videos before being prompted for account creation, and we experimented with a video to instruct children to hand the device to a parent as part of the onboarding experience.
The larger account creation process included:
- Learning preferences set by parents to tailor content
- Subject categories spanning math, reading, world languages, science, social studies, dance, art, music, and social-emotional skills
- Grade-level settings per subject to adjust difficulty
This stage was characterized by a lot of experimentation, and one of the experiments I enjoyed the most due to the effects it had on content interaction was reactions, which I pitched as a way to capture engagement from children. This experiment was perceived as a simple reaction farming mechanism which did not prove useful or push any of our metrics but eventually evolved into interactive quizzes, reframing the interactivity we wanted for the content.
Experimental interaction features: reactions, quizzes, and user feedback mechanisms
The launch exceeded initial expectations: we drove 80,000 downloads in the first month and broke into the top-20 of Education apps in the Apple App Store. However, the retention metrics over the next few months were underwhelming. We observed a 25% DAU/MAU, signaling that while we had installs and signups coming in, our audience was not engaging with the app as much as we would have wanted.
Phase 3: The Pivot (Early 2021)
With retention challenges documented, and now fully aware that we had spent the past year building an edutainment product that ignored the core issue our customers had, their kids were not getting the dedicated learning and development support they needed to thrive. The company decided to pivot, and that meant my design priorities had to adjust accordingly.
Conversations with parents and market research showed an opportunity to support their need for tutoring, so the platform shifted from a content platform to connecting families directly with teachers for 1:1 tutoring.
My design focus shifted to rapid prototyping of scheduling and booking interfaces. This transition required rethinking the entire platform. Instead of designing for passive content consumption, I was now designing tools to allow educators to deliver their tutoring services. While my engagement with the project concluded during this transition phase, the foundational design work helped set the direction for the new model.
Later that year, the pivot proved successful from a revenue perspective. Q1 of 2021 was marked by $50K MRR with steady growth that by later in the year was almost hitting $1M ARR. This growth later led to the exit and acquisition of the platform by the end of 2022.
