Coming Soon :
Client
Vision Design
Timeline
4 Weeks
ROLE
UX / UI Design
UX/UI Design
Challenge
Define a unique brand message.
Challenge
Define a unique brand message.
Challenge
Define a unique brand message.
Solution
Building a brand with purpose.
Solution
Building a brand with purpose.
Solution
Building a brand with purpose.
Result
Brand awareness, customer loyalty & sales.
Result
Brand awareness, customer loyalty & sales.
Result
Brand awareness, customer loyalty & sales.
The Skill Collective
The Skill Collective
The Skill Collective
Learning something new is exciting—but sticking with it is hard. Most platforms throw endless tutorials at people but provide little structure, pacing, or encouragement.
The Skill Collective was designed for everyday learners—busy professionals, hobbyists, and retirees—who are motivated to grow but often lose momentum when life gets in the way. The goal was to create a platform that people would return to consistently, with future opportunities for community, mentorship, and monetization.
Through research and testing, I designed a learning support system that helped 80% of users easily start a new skill, reduced confusion around support tools, and simplified navigation so learners could stay engaged over time.
Learning something new is exciting—but sticking with it is hard. Most platforms flood you with tutorials and little structure, pacing, or encouragement.
The Skill Collective helps everyday learners (busy pros, hobbyists, retirees) keep going with guided pacing and support—designed to build a return habit, with room to grow into community and mentorship.
In testing, 80% of users could start a new skill quickly, and clearer support tools + simplified navigation reduced confusion and sustained engagement.
Research & Opportunities
Research & Opportunities
Research & Opportunities
Interviews, surveys, and affinity mapping revealed four consistent blockers: time, overwhelm, discouragement, and lack of clarity. A card sort then showed how learners expected content and support tools to be organized, shaping the site map and MVP priorities.
By focusing on the most critical categories—Dashboard, Support, Practical Learning, Search, and Profile—I kept the experience intuitive while deferring community and long-term tracks for a future phase.
Research revealed four blockers: time, overwhelm, discouragement, and lack of clarity. A card sort shaped the site map around five key categories—Dashboard, Support, Practical Learning, Search, and Profile—while deferring community features for later.
Designing for Real-World Learners
Designing for Real-World Learners
Designing for Real-World Learners
I created four personas, with Ally—the Overwhelmed Beginner—most directly aligned with the MVP. Her needs for pacing, reassurance, and encouragement shaped the core design.
The other three personas—Sydney (seeking clarity), Christos (seeking tangible payoff), and Dianne (seeking social connection)—played supportive roles, ensuring the solution addressed a broader range of learners.
Together, these profiles highlighted that the real barrier isn’t motivation, but decision fatigue and uncertainty—a point of view that guided my design decisions.
Ally, the overwhelmed beginner, directly shaped the MVP with her need for pacing and reassurance. The other personas (clarity, payoff, connection) confirmed that the real barrier was decision fatigue, not motivation.
POV
I want to explore ways to help motivated but unsure learners follow a clear, guided path from start to finish
HMW
How might we help learners feel confident and excited when starting something new?
From Insights to Features
To meet these needs, I designed a system of tools that worked together:
Time Calculator
Bite-Sized Lessons
Skill Supplies List
Practical Payoffs
These transformed the platform from a content library into a companion that helps learners keep going.
The MVP included a Time Calculator, Bite-Sized Lessons, Supplies Lists, and Practical Payoffs—tools designed to reduce friction and keep learners motivated.
This shifted the platform from a content library to a support system.
Design Process
I started with sketches and lo-fi wireframes to test content hierarchy, then built mid-fi flows across mobile and desktop to validate structure before visuals. Finally, I developed the brand system—deep blue for focus, pale yellow for energy, approachable typography—to make the platform feel like a creative companion.
Sketches and lo-fis tested hierarchy, while mid-fis validated flows across devices.
A brand system of blue, yellow, and approachable type gave the product focus, warmth, and clarity.
High-Fidelity Designs
With structure and branding in place, I created Version 1 hi-fi screens grounded in research insights. The Skill Support hub consolidated tools for stuck learners, while the Time Calculator and Bite-Sized Lessons adapted to limited schedules.
Version 1 hi-fi screens translated research into a supportive interface.
Skill Support, Time Calculator, and Bite-Sized Lessons helped learners stay motivated within their time limits.
Usability Testing
I tested the prototype on 3 core flows:
Starting a new skill → 80% success
Time Calculator → 40% success, unclear hierarchy
Reset & Reflect → 80% found it, but name was confusing
These results validated core flows while highlighting areas for refinement.
Testing showed: 80% could start a skill, only 40% succeeded with the Time Calculator, and the Support tool’s name confused users.
The flows were functional, but clarity needed improvement.
Testing & Iterations
To prioritize fixes, I mapped feedback by frequency vs. severity. This helped me focus first on issues that had a big impact on the experience, even if they didn’t occur often (like renaming Reset & Reflect to Skill Support).
From there, I organized my revisions into four focus areas:
Usability & Clarity – clearer labels, renamed tools, added navigation cues.
Layout & Hierarchy – simplified Skill Detail, streamlined Dashboard, reorganized Explore.
Aesthetics & Consistency – removed distracting visuals, applied consistent UI patterns.
Functionality & Support Tools – refined the Time Calculator, added a Mini Meditation carousel, surfaced supplies lists.
These changes collectively made the platform cleaner, more intuitive, and more aligned with user needs.
I prioritized fixes using a frequency vs. severity map, focusing first on high-impact issues like renaming Reset & Reflect to Skill Support.
Revisions fell into four areas: Usability & Clarity, Layout & Hierarchy, Aesthetics & Consistency, and Functionality & Support Tools.
Together, these changes made the platform cleaner, more intuitive, and better aligned with user needs.
Usability & Clarity
(Changes that improved understanding, labeling, and flow)
Renamed Reset & Reflect → Skill Support for better clarity.
Renamed Skill Terms 101 → Skill Glossary.
Re-ordered support tools to reduce confusion.
Added a “View Skill Details” button on the Dashboard for easier navigation.
I focused on improving clarity through naming, labeling, and navigation.
Reset & Reflect became Skill Support, and Skill Terms 101 became Skill Glossary.
I also re-ordered tools and added a “View Skill Details” button on the Dashboard to reduce confusion.
Structure & Visual Hierarchy
(Changes that improved visual structure and reduced cognitive load)
Simplified Project Preview (one session only).
Motivational quote moved lower to reduce distraction.
Redesigned Progress Snapshot with more breathing room.
Explore page: reorganized categories + removed torn paper styling.
I simplified the Project Preview to show only one session at a time, reducing overload.
The motivational quote was moved lower so users could focus first on active progress.
Functionality & Support Tools
(New or refined features that improved functionality)
Simplified the Time Calculator: removed excess sessions, clarified the pace update.
Added a carousel for the Mini Meditation tool within Skill Support.
Surfaced Supplies Lists more clearly for easy access.
Ensured each tool served a distinct purpose without redundancy.
I refined functionality to make tools simpler and more useful.
The Time Calculator was streamlined, a Mini Meditation carousel was added, and Supplies Lists were surfaced more clearly.
Each tool now serves a distinct purpose without overlap.
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
If I had the chance to Start over:
If I started over… I would dig deeper into reframing the problem. Instead of only filling competitor gaps, I’d push to uncover new angles and solutions that drive greater long-term impact.
Scaling the project:
Scaling the project could mean integrating materials directly into the platform. Turning supplies lists into a store would create a seamless user journey and new revenue streams.
how I became a better designer:
Like good service, good design is about anticipating needs, building trust, and helping people feel supported. This project reinforced that empathy and clarity are my strengths as a designer.
Contact
Let's Make Something Great Together.
Thoughtful design is always collaborative - and the best work starts with a simple conversation.
Contact
Let's Make Something Great Together.
Thoughtful design is always collaborative - and the best work starts with a simple conversation.
Contact
Let's Make Something Great Together.
Thoughtful design is always collaborative - and the best work starts with a simple conversation.