Literature Spark!
An online educational platform for young students recommends complex literary works incouporate with gaming logic using the book 'Memories of Peking' as an example.
UX Research, UI/UX Design, Education, Technology
023 Fall-2023 Winter
UX Research, UI/UX Design
School Project
Why Project?
Kids struggle with complex literature reading
In the Chinese educational system, primary and middle school students are required to engage with serious literature as part of their curriculum. However, these students often struggle to maintain interest and comprehension in these complex texts. This disconnect not only decreases their ability to appreciate and actively engage in reading but also negatively affects their literature academic performances.
How did we Achieve it?
How can we help students engage more smoothly and effectively with serious literature learning in their curriculum to enhance their interest in language learning, educational benefits, and academic improvement in multiple aspects?
Design Solution
I designed Gaming Literature: Memories of Beijing as a response to help kids with literature learning. Our design includes features such as e-books, collections, social interaction, gaming, and online live courses.
Read the book
The e-book section provides students with book texts accompanied by illustrations and offers features such as note-taking, audio reading, dictionary lookup, etc. This enables children to read more smoothly and spontaneously take notes, as well as engage in reflective thinking by viewing others' notes.
Collect Everything!
The section will showcase new characters, scenes, and items unlocked by children during their reading, akin to collecting badges!
Communication Boosting!
We've added a social section to facilitate mutual following between classmates and teachers, fostering a friendly environment for collaborative learning! (Research has shown that when children see their peers engaged in learning, they are more likely to engage autonomously.)
Game!
Before and after each chapter, there is a short mini-game to help children boost their interest, spark curiosity, and encourage them to reflect on the chapter's content. It also enhances resonance with the story's historical background and improves the immersive experience for children. The new chapter's game can only be played upon completion of reading the content of the next chapter.
Online Live Activities
Online live activities help children gain a deeper understanding of the book, providing them with more opportunities for interaction with peers and teachers.
Our Research
We decided to intervene from three perspectives: education, children's behavior & human-centered design, as well as business. I recognize that standing out among a range of educational software is important for the continuous development and running of our platform.
interviewing teachers, student surveys
For user research, I analyzed the needs of students and education authorities by doing Field Interviews. I conducted surveys among senior students at Beijing University Primary School and junior middle school students at Shanghai Jianping Experimental School, asking them about their experiences with mandatory reading courses for the Chinese language outside of regular school hours. Meanwhile, I interviewed my Chinese and Literature teachers at primary school and middle schools to figure out their perspectives.
Competitor Analyzation
Five represented online products focusing on education, targeting student groups were selected for an in-depth analysis of their product focus, strengths, and weaknesses.
Case Study & Swot Analyzation
Analyzing the educational game of Paper Traces as a typical case from a business perspective in greater detail.
Research Findings
We recognize that students currently have several points that need to be addressed, both from the learning perspective and from accessibility.
Some children lack interest on reading/cannot persist in reading
Students are unable to understand & summarize the story after reading it
Students have difficulties in vocabulary.
We recognize that students currently have several points that need to be addressed, both from the learning perspective and from accessibility.
Some children lack interest on reading/cannot persist in reading
Students are unable to understand & summarize the story after reading it
Students have difficulties in vocabulary.
We made suggestions based on the 3 crucial issues:
User-Friendly: Providing explanations for unfamiliar vocabulary to keep kids engagement.
Interaction: Increase the "game-look" approach to let your kids excited and engaged
Immersive atmosphere: Assist students in focusing on reading calmly.
Commercial (Structure For Competitors)
analyzing strategies on the market that can increase user stickiness, user attention, and user experience based on the design analysis of similar products.
Design Process
Course Structure(Designing Flow -Story & Educational Goal)
Based on the education authority's template, the latest interpretations of documents by the education commission, and the Taiwan ALEVEL literature curriculum, I analyzed the educational objectives of the book.
User Flow
This userflow is designed to show how does the app work in a brief spectrum.
Game Flow
This gameflow is designed to show how does the game procedual work and how does the story goes
Design System
In the style of 1920s Beijing
Given the project's focus on immersive experiences and traditional Chinese literature, our UI design blends Chinese style' with elements of the Republic of China era in the 1920s.
Future Plan
Testing plan & Audit plans for the future
We developed a detailed 33-week plan （aproximately 7.6 months) that outlines the process of user testing, analysis and evaluation, product modifications, and the production of a research report.
Future Pilot Plan
1920s. In the future, our plan is to perform user testings after the building of the project and gradually increase the promotion and paid sections based on user reactions to the product.
Reflect Upon
Focusing too much on the specific book
It seems that Literature Spark! - "Tales of the Old South of the City" inadvertently neglected the overall framework and the main concept of the product, focusing too much on the details. Comparatively, Literature Spark! - "Tales of the Old South of the City" is like the detailed content page of a Chinese restaurant on Uber Eats. In the future, I need to supplement the UX design for the entire Literature Spark! platform.
To Kids in China
Focusing too much on the specific book
Before the break of dawn, they are roused from their sleepy state by their mothers, taking rides to school, attending after-school tutoring sessions under the evening sun, and then drifting into deep slumber late into the night. During my research, I gradually discovered that the primary audience for educational apps on the market is parents. By instilling anxiety in parents and intensifying the content of artificial teaching, it exacerbates the nationwide trend of over-competition, burdening the shoulders of these tender children with unbearable weight.
I wonder if the companies behind all this planning have ever consulted children on their views. Perhaps they have forgotten that they were once children themselves.
Revamping the entire education system is undeniably challenging, but what we can perhaps do is design products more geared toward children. This is why this UX design resembles a game to some extent.
We must never exploit the privileges of adults to indirectly manipulate children. We must see the world through their eyes. What we can do is simply provide children with a more joyful childhood.
