B2B eLearning
Reimagining the Online Classroom
This project focused on reimagining our online professional training experience to create a more robust online classroom setup that would set us apart in the market. The solution was the Course Timeline, a new feature that consolidated all content and scheduling in a simple, intuitive view for instructors.
My Role
As the Senior Product Designer, I was responsible for guiding the vision and execution of this core feature. My key contributions included:
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Proposing a timeline-based design, pivoting away from the initial calendar-based direction.
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Leading the design process through all phases of UX, from concept to final implementation.
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Delivering an experience that delighted customers and served as a key market differentiator.
The Problem
Key Pain Points:
In the world of professional training, the focus had traditionally been on self-guided, online learning. This stood in stark contrast to the higher education market, where online classrooms functioned as robust hubs for content and scheduling, with a heavy emphasis on the instructor experience.
Instructors not only lacked a centralized, intuitive experience to manage their courses but also had no clear visibility into when materials were being released to students. This fragmentation created inefficiencies and frustration, diminishing both instructor control and learner engagement.
Our challenge was to solve these core pain points and elevate the online classroom experience to a level that would differentiate us in the market.
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The market's traditional focus on self-guided learning meant the specific needs of instructors were not being met, creating a subpar and frustrating experience.
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There was no clear way for instructors to view or manage the timing of content releases, making it difficult to plan and deliver a cohesive course.
The Process & My Contribution
Discovery & Research
Research Asset
The initial vision from our product management team was to implement a calendar view. However, based on my past experience with the limitations of calendars as a user interface for complex scheduling, I proposed an alternative: a timeline view.
This gut instinct was a critical strategic pivot. We recognized that a timeline would not only be a more effective way to display a course's progression but would also provide a more engaging and less cumbersome user experience.
Validating and Redesigning for Impact
Validation Asset
The Course Timeline illustrates how critical UX is to product success. While I was on maternity leave, leadership temporarily assigned a product manager to cover my role. In the absence of dedicated UX, the team moved forward without user testing, and important usability gaps went unnoticed.
When I returned, I immediately reintroduced user testing. Instructor feedback revealed that the feature wasn’t landing as intended, which made it clear we needed to redesign parts of the experience. By restoring the full UX process, we clarified the flows, aligned the design with instructor and student needs, and ultimately delivered a feature that drove stronger adoption.
Approach
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User-Centered Design: Reinstated end-to-end UX practices, validating decisions directly with real users.
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Intuitive Information Architecture: Refined the timeline into a clear, linear view of content and activities, giving instructors and students a reliable single source of truth.
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Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partnered with product and engineering to quickly pivot, ensuring the final solution was both user-friendly and technically feasible.
The Impact
Impact Asset
The reimagined training experience was a game-changer for our position in the market. The Course Timeline successfully differentiated us from competitors by providing a rich, higher-education-like experience within a professional training context. The experience delighted our customers, with feedback highlighting its ease of use and ability to consolidate all course information in one place. The success of this feature proved the value of following a comprehensive design process and trusting a user-centered approach to solve complex problems.