How might we transform a legacy learning platform into a scalable product that better supports both students and business growth?
Summary
SmartestPrep is an online learning platform that helps students prepare for standardized exams, including IELTS, SAT, and the Nazarbayev University Entrance Test (NUET), as well as improve their English language skills.
The platform was originally developed by an outsourcing team for SmartestPrep, an educational center specializing in university admissions preparation. After development was completed, the in-house team inherited the product along with significant UX, technical, and design debt.
Over the course of a year, I led the redesign and continuous evolution of the platform: creating a scalable design system, redesigning key user flows, introducing responsive design across all devices, establishing design review practices, launching a Telegram-based customer support experience, and designing new features to support the company's evolving business needs.
100% responsive
across all devices
↑ X% faster
feature delivery.
↑ X% increase
in user satisfaction.
↑ X% increase
in online purchases.
Design Showcase
Platform
Prepare for IELTS, SAT, and NUET— all in one place.
Everything you need to prepare for university entrance exams in a single platform. Learn through video lessons, practice with exercises, and track your progress with full-length mock exams.
Landing Page
Unlock all study materials with one simple subscription.
For ₸9,990/month, students get access to 4 courses, 7 mini-courses, 300 video lessons, 231 practice exercises, and 45 mock exams.
Design System
A scalable design foundation for a growing platform.
As SmartestPrep continued to grow, the platform needed a consistent and flexible foundation to support new features and future improvements. The custom design system established a shared visual language across the product, making the experience more cohesive and enabling faster, more efficient development.
Background
SmartestPrep launched its own learning platform to expand its digital education offering.
In late 2023, SmartestPrep, an educational center focused on university admissions preparation, launched its own learning platform. The initial product was developed by an outsourced team, and later the internal team took over its continuous improvement and evolution.
Problems
Product had severe issues in all aspects: the concept, design, and development
Problem 1
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Problem 2
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Problem
Product had severe issues in all aspects: the concept, design, and development
Features were not made sustainably - the outsource team didn't consider who would maintain all that content. As a result, many features didn't work properly or didn't work at all. Some critical user flows such as user
No design system and outdated Figma files - all screens were different from each, it was impossible to create new screens or make small changes in existing screens because there were no figma files
Design only for one screen size - it crushed when resizing
Role
Как единственный дизайнер на проекте я была ответственна за все аспекты дизайна
I advocated for creating and maintaining design system, conducting design reviews, creating all screens for developers and particpating
Approach
Step-by-step approach to renovate the platform
Создание дизайн системы - использовать токены, максимально прописывать
В работе с продуктом - step by step. Сначала обновить существующие экраны в стиле дизайн системы, затем
Contsraints
Какие у нас были constraints?
Уже существующий продукт с активными пользователями, нельзя поставить на паузу. Не было времени чтобы roll-out редизайн, мы делали последовательно
