NUUBI
A gamified peer-to-peer learning platform
Overview
What is Nuubi?
Nuubi is an e-learning app designed to empower individuals through peer-driven education. It first launched on the app store in April 2023. When I joined the team, the app was in its early beta phase with basic discussion group functionality. My role focused on leading the design of gamification elements, driving engagement, and fostering a collaborative learning environment. Additionally, I guided a team of designers in creating and testing intuitive group interaction screens.
Lead / Product Designer
My Role
4 months
Duration: Sept - Dec 2024
Approach
Research & Discovery - Competitive Analysis, User Interviews, User Flows
Ideation - Brainstorming, Sketches, Wireframes, High Fidelity Screens
Testing - User testing, Deliver to Development Team
Project Goals
The Problem
My analysis of Nuubi's initial design revealed significant issues, including an unfriendly interface, unclear UX logic, and a design that prioritized features over ease of use. The main focus of the redesign was to improve discoverability, enhance interaction, and create a visually appealing interface.
I decided to adopt an agile methodology by dividing the redesign process into smaller phases. The initial objective was to build an MVP that would rival industry leaders. This redesign would strategically integrate gamification elements to enhance engagement and make Nuubi stand out in the e-learning market. Once this task was accomplished, the focus would be to shift towards continuously evolving the application.
For you
Your groups
Filter groups
Biology 101
Public group
10 members
Biology Brainacs
Private group
10 members
Biology lovers
Public group
10 members
Biology 20A: Intro to Marine biology
Public group
10 members
CHEM 101
Public group
10 members
Advanced Calculus
Public group
10 members
9:41
Research & Discovery
The research process entailed stakeholder interviews, a competitor analysis, user research and user interviews.
Several e-learning and online discussion platforms were chosen based on their innovative user experiences and successful gamification strategies. I conducted an in-depth competitive analysis, identifying the best features and solutions for potential incorporation into the Nuubi product. I have included an exerpt
To further inform the redesign, I created a user interview plan and interviewed potential user groups and existing users to gain a better understanding of their needs, behaviors, and experiences with Nuubi. Additionally, I interviewed internal team members to gain insight into business needs.
Due to NDA's I am not able to share the full research findings.
Stakeholder interviews
During my internship's research phase, I independently interviewed the CEO (and developer) of Nuubi, Kat Wivfat, to gain a holistic understanding of the company's goals.
Due to NDA's I am not able to share the findings from the stakeholder interviews.
Competitive Analysis
The competitor analysis gets us up to speed by looking at what others are doing in the ed-tech space. Below, is an exerpt of the full competitor analysis that I performed, which totaled over 10 pages.
Category
How do users engage with the platform?
Platforms
Target users
Gamification
Reputation System
Leaderboard
Badges/Flair
Online community platform
Online community platform
Online community platform
Online community platform
Online community platform
Threads/discussions
Q&A discussions
Q&A discussions
“Servers”/ channels
Threads/discussions
iOS, Android, Web
iOS, Android, Browser
Browser
LMS Integration
iOS, Android, Browser
General internet users
Programmers and developers
Tech professionals
E-Learners
Gamers, developers, creative artists, hobbyists
E-Learners
Yes. Accrued via user votes
No.
Yes. Accrued via user votes.
Gained for engagement - posting quality questions/ useful answers
Yes.
Gained for engagement - posting quality questions/ useful answers
Yes. Accrued via user votes
Yes. Awarded by other users, or moderators.
Displayed on user profile
No.
Yes. Unlocked based on certain criteria “achievement based.”
Displayed on user profile
Yes. Unlocked based on certain criteria “achievement based.”
Displayed on user profile
Yes. Discord Nitro grants users further customization for a fee.
Displayed on user profile
Traditional e-learning platforms (i.e.: Canvas, Blackboard) lack gamification elements despite their widespread adoption by traditional learning institutions.
Highly-trafficked online communities like Reddit, and Stack Overflow demonstrate the success of gamification strategies for fostering knowledge-sharing and participation.
Domain Research
Coming into this internship, I was not familiar with Nuubi. Therfore, my first step was to familiarize myself with the current state of the mobile app.
Nuubi Beta Version
User Interviews
User research is key to UX design, and there is no substitute to talking to real users (potential and current).
After performing stakeholder interviews, and a competitor analysis, I created a script of questions to guide my team to perform user interviews to:
Better understand the needs, pain points, and preferences of our target users
Uncover any usability issues or areas for improvement in our product,
Gather insights to inform our design decisions.
Including myself, my team consisted of 3 UX designers. We each conducted 5 user interviews, for a total of 15.
Key Insights
80% (12 / 15) of users crave recognition and appreciation for their contributions.
93% (14 / 15) of users stated clear incentives and rewards will significantly increase their motivation to participate and engage in online communities actively.
A strong sense of community and peer connection is a key driver for 67% (10 / 15) of users.
User Quotes
"I put in a lot of effort on this discussion board, and it would be great to get some acknowledgement for my contributions."
"I wish there were more opportunities to connect with other students on the platform. It would be nice to have a space where we could chat, ask questions, and support each other."
"I feel like I am learning in a vacuum."
"I wish the platform had more interactive challenges or competitions.
"The layout of the page is easy to navigate, but the platform is so bland and boring."
"I'm more motivated to participate in online discussions when I know there's a chance to win something."
"I'm more likely to share my knowledge if I know that other students will see it and find it useful. It's motivating to know that I'm helping others learn."
"I love seeing when other students 'like' my comments or give me positive feedback."
"I don't just want to answer questions on the forum. I want to have real conversations with other students."
"I like the idea of earning badges and points - something similar to DuoLingo."
"I would like more opportunities for friendly competition and collaboration within the platform."
Emerging Themes
The research and discovery phase generated a ton of information and insights, which my team worked on categorizing them into themes and patterns. The goal is to derive a vision statement for the redesign that is backed by research.
Recognition & Appreciation
How might we publicly acknowledge and showcase helpful contributions? How might we facilitate peer feedback mechanisms to demonstrate the value of shared knowledge?
"I put in a lot of effort on this discussion board, and it would be great to get some acknowledgement for my contributions."
"I'm more likely to share my knowledge if I know that other students will see it and find it useful. It's motivating to know that I'm helping others learn."
"I love seeing when other students 'like' my comments or give me positive feedback."
Incentives & Rewards
How might we offer a variety of incentives to cater to different motivations? How might we encourage meaningful interactions beyond just question-and-answer exchanges?
"I don't just want to answer questions on the forum. I want to have real conversations with other students."
"I wish the platform had more interactive challenges or competitions."
Incentives & Rewards
How might we offer a variety of incentives to cater to different motivations?
How might we encourage meaningful interactions beyond just question-and-answer exchanges?
"I don't just want to answer questions on the forum. I want to have real conversations with other students."
"I wish the platform had more interactive challenges or competitions."
Gamification
How might we make gamification feel integrated into the learning experience, and not just a tacked-on feature?
"I like the idea of earning badges and points - something similar to DuoLingo."
"I would like more opportunities for friendly competition and collaboration within the platform."
What is the Vision?
Create an engaging learning community where users feel recognized, rewarded, and motivated to achieve their full potential through gamified experiences.
Ideation
After the user research, and establishing the vision for this project, I moved into the collaborative designing and iteration phase with my team. The goal of this phase focused on creating sketches, wireframes, and high fidelity screens.
Gamifying Learning & Community
To answer the HMW questions, I began a collaborative brainstorm with my team by quickly sketching out ideas and begin to iterate on these ideas.
Sketches
How might we publicly acknowledge and showcase helpful contributions?
Display top user contributors via Leaderboard screen
My Sketches
Team Members’ Sketches
How might we offer a variety of incentives to cater to different motivations?
My Sketches
Achievement and badges to be earned by users for various tasks completed.
Team Members’ Sketches
Alternative screen to showcase badges.
How might we make gamification feel integrated into the learning experience, and not just a tacked-on feature?
My Sketches
Homescreen prominently displays tasks and leaderboard preview to drive engagement and provide quick goal overviews.
Team Members’ Sketches
Quest / Task like challenges with rewards to encourage users to actively participate in e-learning groups.
Common Themes
After a quick sketch session, my team returned to discuss our designs. It was clear we had a few common elements:
Easily access leaderboards/tasks from the home screen
“Quest” like UI to display daily tasks
Prominent display of points/badges to motivate continuous engagement.
Design Decisions
Implement Points System — Earning points validates a user’s contributions and establishes them as a valuable member of their Learning Group, which can boost self-esteem and encourage continued peer-to-peer learning.
Implement Badges/ Recognition System — Badges are visible symbols that users earn through active engagement in Nuubi. Incentivize users to contribute actively and consistently to the community, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and engagement.
Implement leaderboards — Leaderboards offer public recognition for top contributors, encouraging active participation and building community through friendly competition and recognition.
Wireframes
Expanding on the hand sketches, my team moved onto creating wireframes in order to better communicate the features, functionality, and information architecture of the UI.
Low / Mid Fidelity
These were the low/mid fidelity wireframes that I had designed, specifically relating to introducing gamification elements into Nuubi's redesign. Additionally, my wireframes served as the foundation for the redesigned solution moving into user testing.
Wireframe Iterations
Early Task Card Iterations
Early design exploration led to several iterations of the task card UI, refining its layout and functionality without formal user testing. This iterative process allowed for quick adjustments and improvements based on internal feedback and design principles.
Daily Check-in
+100
1/1
Collect
Login to Nuubi
V1
Small CTA button
No clear information hierarchy
Daily Check-in
Login to Nuubi
+100 points
Collect
V2
Information hierarchy more clear
Removed left/right arrows, instead opted for navigator icons
CTA button is still small
Daily Check-in
Login to Nuubi
Collect
+100 points
V3
Information hierarchy more clear
Removed left/right arrows, instead opted for navigator icons
Increased the size of the CTA
Task Completed
Daily check-in
+100 pts
1/1
Final High Fidelity Version
Clear information hierarchy
Includes a progress indicator on the task card's completion
Large CTA button
User Testing
Introducing gamification into a redesign is a complex process, so we conducted early user testing to gather feedback on the low/mid-fidelity wireframes I developed.
I created a user testing plan, incorporating both task-based and non-task based questions, and personally conducted 3 out of the 7 total tests.
This feedback loop allowed us to assess how users responded to the proposed gamification features, ensuring they aligned with Nuubi's goals and user expectations. These initial wireframes served as the foundation for further iterations and refinements, ultimately leading to the final design.
User Insight: 5/7 (71%) users said they did not find the message "You are performing X% better than users" useful or informative.
Recommendation: Modified the message to highlight only critical information: user's rank, change in position on the leaderboard, and current points.
User Insight: 4/7 (57%) users said they were unsure of the search bar's functionality on the Leaderboard screen, specifically regarding whether it was intended for searching users, leaderboards, or other content.
Recommendation: Removed the search bar as its purpose was ambiguous to users.
Future considerations: Add in a tool-tip to inform users of what they could use the search bar for (i.e.: searching for other users, or leaderboards, etc).
High Fidelity Screens
With the lower-fidelity wireframe established, the next phase involved adding visual design and branding to create a visually engaging experience. I incorporated Nuubi's brand identity and design language to create high-fidelity screens that aligned with the company's aesthetic and conveyed a sense of professionalism and approachability.
The following are select examples that highlight this transformation.
Future
Stay tuned to Nuubi on the app store to see the future developments.