Edmodo

Edmodo marked my first job in the U.S., where I transitioned from being the Head of Product and Design at my startup to an individual contributor role. In 2016, the company was undergoing a significant transformation, pivoting towards mobile and revamping its design team. Initially, I was the sole designer working with seven different teams.

During my two-year tenure at Edmodo, I collaborated with the VP of Product to rebuild the team, spearheaded the redesign of their mobile applications, enhanced core functionalities for student assessment and grading, and developed new features to facilitate social connections among teachers. The products I designed were used by over 100 million teachers and students globally. Edmodo was later acquired by NetDragon.

Edmodo was primarily desktop-focused until 2017. With the appointment of a new VP of Product, there was a strategic shift towards mobile optimization. This change was driven by the evolving landscape of education in both developed and emerging markets, where mobile usage was on the rise.

Our preliminary research revealed that users often resorted to the web app on mobile devices due to the absence of a better alternative. The goal was clear: enhance usability and reliability across a range of device sizes. As the design lead for this initiative, my key responsibilities included:

1. Developing a completely new design system
2. Reworking the information architecture
3. Conducting usability-focused research
4. Prototyping interactions for critical user flows in their classroom feature

I collaborated closely with two other designers and ensured seamless handoffs with engineering managers.

Impact:

• Edmodo experienced a substantial increase in mobile engagement, especially in school districts using iPads.
• The introduction of a unified design system significantly accelerated development processes across multiple teams.

While primarily known as a classroom management tool, Edmodo also had a social network for teachers. This platform enabled them to exchange experiences, tips, and crucially, educational resources like lesson plans and tools integral to their teaching practice.

Previously, the platform had cumbersome flows that hindered teachers from accessing and sharing high-quality resources. Our research revealed that while teachers frequently shared files through classroom tools, they seldom considered sharing these resources in a broader context. Additionally, Edmodo's resource-sharing website, Spotlight, was perceived as disconnected from the teachers' main activities on the platform.

In this project, my objective was to streamline the process of resource sharing and access and boost the total amount of files shared in the platform, while integrating it seamlessly into the teachers’ workflows. As the only designer, my role involved not just refining existing sharing flows but also conceptualizing innovative methods for teachers to easily obtain resources during routine tasks like lesson planning.

Impact

• We observed a substantial increase in resource sharing within the first six months of implementing these changes.
• Edmodo emerged as the second-largest marketplace for K-12 class resources, trailing only behind TeachersPayTeachers.

Since its inception in 2008, Edmodo's Classroom product featured a Gradebook and assignments functionality – both essential tools widely utilized by teachers in U.S. public schools. Despite its critical role, these features had seen minimal enhancements over the years.

When I joined Edmodo, I was assigned the responsibility of revamping the Gradebook and refining the assignment creation process on the platform. As the sole designer at the company during that time, my objectives were:

1. To overhaul the usability of the Gradebook page. It had become slow and cumbersome due to a series of disjointed updates.
2. To streamline the file management process in assignments. Teachers often needed to create modifiable file versions for student assignments, but the existing workflows were convoluted and disjointed.
3. To integrate Microsoft Office Online into the grading workflow, leveraging Edmodo's partnership which allowed free access to Office applications.

I undertook the comprehensive design of multiple user flow areas and conducted usability studies with both teachers and students. Additionally, I incorporated delightful elements, such as animations, to enhance the user experience.