Designing Onboarding and Learner Profiles for an AI-Based EdTech Product

Project Context

Timeline: May 2025 - August 2025

This self-directed research project came about through COGS 402, a capstone course intended for students to combined the knowledge we have gained throughout UBC’s Cognitive Systems program and areas of study that we are passionate about in order to make a meaningful contribution to a field of research.

In collaboration with LittleLit AI, this project was centered around how onboarding in an AI-based educational app for children could be improved. The goal was to ensure that onboarding captures meaningful data from parents/guardians, and informs personalized content delivery in a way that feels purposeful and valuable.

“As a parent/educator using an AI-based educational app, I want to feel confident that the information I provide during onboarding is being meaningfully used to personalize the learning experience, not just collected and forgotten. I want the lessons my child receives to reflect their specific learning style, needs, or behavioral tendencies, so that they feel supported, engaged, and understood from the very beginning.”

Role and Responsibilities

Title: UX Designer and Researcher

I was grateful to work on this project alongside an Senior UX Designer.

Together, we collaborated frequently with the owners and development team to refine the project scope, and to ensure feasibility for implementation as well as task alignment with management goals.

The initial phase of this project was focused on research in order to build informed designs grounded in real insights. From there, I solely developed hi-fidelity mock-ups and a prototype adapted from the existing application. A usability study guide was prepared for future use.

Responsibilities:

• Literature review on child engagement in analog and digital learning environments, and personalization frameworks

• Competitive audit of AI-based EdTech platforms to learn about common practices in the industry

• Application audit to locate user pain points and provide recommendations for future development

• Onboarding pathway redesign ideation (new behavioral profiles, adapted lesson sequencing and content modification)

• Synthesizing findings into UX recommendations and mockups

Research Methods and Key Findings

Primary analysis:

• Full application audit to assess how personalization was currently implemented and where it may have been falling short

• Collaboration with the development team to isolate personalization mechanisms used in onboarding

Final Design Solution

We redesigned the onboarding flow to classify users into one of five mutually exclusive behavioral learning profiles, each with its own differentiated content sequencing strategy.

Key deliverables included:

• Profile framework based on behavioral research and existing app data

• A 7-question onboarding quiz for parents/teachers with a custom scoring system to assign profiles

• Proof-of-concept wireframes and prototype aimed at enhancing clarity, trust, and personalization effectiveness

Reflection and Learning

Broadly speaking, this was my first opportunity to work with a company on a project. As such, I gained experience navigating real-world constraints, shifting priorities, and evolving management goals. I learned how to collaborate effectively with project owners and fellow designers, while balancing user needs with feasibility and business objectives. In working with a start-up, I was exposed to how quickly priorities can change, and how other members of the team may be affected by these changes; this stresses the skill of being able to work independently and make within-scope decisions without direct supervision at every corner.

Content wise, this project deepened my previously strictly conceptual understanding of personalization frameworks and gave me hands-on experience applying cognitive psychology concepts to UX challenges. I learned how to develop behavioral categories based on research, and how to communicate design decisions to a higher management.

Here are some more specific takeaways:

• Translating research into design: Synthesizing insights from literature and competitive audits into concrete UX recommendations, highlighting the importance of research driven decision making and design.

• Iterative design and continuous refinement: Developing both the behavioral profiles and the onboarding mockups reinforced the value of testing, communicating, and iterating designs cyclically based on research insights and feedback.

• Communication with stakeholders: As my first project in an industry setting, I learned how to collaborate with managers and peers, adapt to constantly changing management goals within a start-up context, and communicate decisions clearly throughout the design process.

• Behavioral profile development: A practical application of concepts from my background in cognitive psychology and neuroscience to human-centered design and personalized content delivery.

Overall, this project allowed me to gain practical experience with the entire user experience process, from initial research through to prototyping, while on a narrower scope, working towards making a measurable impact for LittleLit and the demographics they serve.