Redesign project: Shiksha Bhavishyayaan

Step 1. Overview & problem statement

1. The problem
   IThe platform existed but wasn't working. Students weren't completing the tests, engagement was low, and the drop-off rate was high. When the founder brought me in, the root cause became clear almost immediately — the design itself was working against the very users it was meant to help. The dark, low-contrast interface was visually heavy and emotionally draining for students already navigating stress and uncertainty. The test format was long, static, and offered no sense of progress or reward. The product was clinically built but humanly broken.
   
   

2. My role
   End-to-end product redesign UX audit, ideation, wireframing, design system rebuild, and final UI. Worked directly with the founder throughout.

Stage 2. Research & design strategy

1. Starting with an audit
   The first step was a full UX audit of the existing platform — evaluating the visual design, test structure, navigation flow, and emotional tone of the experience. The audit confirmed what the data suggested: the color palette was dark and oppressive, the layout offered no visual relief, and the test format gave students no sense of momentum or progress.
   
   

2. Founder interview
   I ran in-depth sessions with the founder to understand the product's purpose, the student demographic, and the psychological context students were coming from. A critical insight emerged many users were already in a vulnerable mental state when they opened the platform. The design couldn't just be neutral; it had to actively create a sense of safety, warmth, and encouragement from the first screen.

   Key Findings
   Dark color tones were increasing emotional discomfort in students already dealing with stress and anxiety.
   
   Long, unbroken question formats with no feedback or animation caused users to disengage and abandon mid-test.
   
   No micro-interactions or progress indicators meant students had no sense of how far they'd come or how close they were to finishing.
   
   The visual identity didn't reflect the platform's intent it felt clinical and cold rather than supportive and empowering.

Stage 3. Prototype Development

• Ideation & wireframing:
  With the audit findings as the foundation, I moved into ideation — restructuring the test format, rethinking the navigation flow, and mapping a user journey that felt encouraging rather than exhausting. Wireframes focused on breaking the test into smaller, digestible segments with clear progress indicators, so students always knew where they were and felt a sense of forward momentum with every question answered.
  
  

• Rebuilding the design system:
  Before touching the UI, I rebuilt the design system from the ground up. The color palette shifted entirely replacing dark, heavy tones with a vibrant, multi-color system that created a playful, energetic environment. Typography was redefined for readability and warmth. Iconography was chosen to feel friendly and approachable. Every system-level decision was made with one question in mind: does this make a student feel better or worse the moment they see it.
  
  

• The dopamine design principle
  The core design goal for the test experience was to deliver a consistent sense of reward at every interaction micro-animations on question transitions, visual acknowledgment on each answer, and progress milestones that gave students something to move toward. The test needed to feel less like an assessment and more like an experience worth completing.