Learning made playful.
Care kept connected.

One system. Three perspectives.

A learning experience that feels obvious to an adult can still be difficult for a young child. The research identified a need for interfaces tailored to preschoolers’ cognitive, emotional and physical abilities, alongside useful information and communication for adults.

Start with people and context.

The discovery survey collected 55 adult responses between 23 and 28 August 2023. It captured expectations about digital learning, monitoring, navigation and visual design. The final report also describes interviews, observations and child-development research.

What this meant for the design

The research helped me focus on four ways to make Bright Spark easier for children to use.

Turn research into priorities.

Personas, empathy maps and journey maps framed different user needs. The journey considered onboarding, the dashboard and child profile, then monitoring and communication. This connected learning with the information adults need to support it.

From survey evidence to design priorities

These findings support the design priorities; they do not prove the interface resolved every need. Competitor exploration covered educational experiences and communication tools, with an opportunity to bring both together in a preschool-focused product.

From ideas to a usable flow.

I explored solutions through brainstorming and early wireframes, then developed detailed mockups and interactive prototypes. Successive design and implementation phases allowed layout and flow to evolve before treating the interface as final.

The experience grouped account access, child information, classroom management, activities, reports and games. Parent-teacher communication remained part of the wider product requirements.

Playful, with a clear purpose.

Bright colours, illustrated characters and familiar imagery were intended to make learning inviting. The survey reinforced the need to balance appearance with clarity: 35 of 55 selected visually appealing design and 34 selected simple navigation as part of a positive experience.

Compare. Observe. Refine.

I tested prototypes with parents, teachers and children to explore how they used the interface. A/B testing compared design alternatives, while Useberry heat maps showed where people tapped. Surveys and follow-up interviews added feedback to guide the next iteration.

Compare the early designs

Version 01 · These screens were used in A/B testing to compare interface alternatives and inform the next iteration.

Try the learning game

These hands-on sessions explored the Song Tales prototype on a phone, including its Challenge, Practice and Start controls.

See where people tapped

The Useberry heat map shows tap locations on the chat, child-profile and account-entry screens.

What changed in the interface

Connect learning with oversight.

The design connects two complementary experiences: adults can manage child information and communication, while learning activities and games provide the child-facing experience. The parent home in the UI file groups My Kids and Teachers; persistent Home, Chat, Games and Profile navigation connects the main destinations.

A closer look at the interface.

Original screens from the Bright Spark UI file. Select a screen to view the full-size image, or explore the interactive prototype below.

A familiar language for learning and oversight.

This overview organises the patterns already visible in Bright Spark’s interfaces. It describes the existing design rather than claiming a separate component-library audit.

Design for understanding.

Bright Spark produced a child-focused interface concept, prototypes and implementation-stage screens informed by research and stakeholder participation. The strongest supported outcome is the connection between developmental considerations and concrete interface exploration.

What I would validate next

Run a supervised usability study with clearly defined tasks for each audience. Record completion, time, errors and assistance needed; compare controlled variants and capture qualitative feedback. Evaluate comprehension, accessibility, privacy and report clarity before making wider product claims.