Introduction

• Brief: Build a platform for The Think Academy to make class sign-up and material access easy for parents and students.

• Challenge: Blend admin simplicity with student engagement for a math-focused education site.

• Goals: Fast enrollment, clear access to resources, and a fun, inspiring vibe for junior cycle students.

Discovery Phase

• Stakeholder interviews with H2 Learning and teaching staff—got the full wish list.

• Business requirements: Streamline sign-ups, support content uploads, and highlight course outcomes.

• User needs: Parents want quick enrollment; students want easy class material access and a sense of progress.

Problem Framing

• Problem: Old process was clunky—parents dropped off, students lost materials.

• Success: Users can enroll and access resources in a couple of taps.

• Constraints: Limited admin time, must work well for both adults and teens.

User Research

• User interviews: Parents and students shared pain points around sign-up and content access.

• Competitive analysis: Other education platforms were either too “school-like” or too basic.

• Market research: Engaging visuals and self-service tools drive repeat use.

Synthesis

• Personas: “The Busy Parent” and “The Motivated Student.”

• Journey mapping: From course discovery to enrollment to accessing materials and viewing past course highlights.

• Key insights: Fast access and a bit of inspiration go a long way.

Solution Development

• Info architecture: Home, Courses, Sign-Up, Resources, and Course Highlights.

• Wireframes & prototypes: Focused on minimal steps for sign-up and big, tappable buttons for students.

• Visual design: Bright, modern, and a little playful—lots of real course photos.

Testing

• Usability testing: Ran with parents and students—flagged confusing forms and slow file loads.

• User feedback: Tweaked sign-up steps and made resource downloads more obvious.

• Design iterations: Refined highlight gallery to keep students inspired.

Implementation

• Handoff: Shared annotated wireframes and style guide with devs.

• Dev collaboration: Quick sprints to iron out bugs and optimize for mobile/tablet.

• Go-to-market: Promoted via schools, parent groups, and course alumni.

Results & Impact

• Metrics: Higher enrollment rates, more resource downloads, and positive feedback from both groups.

• User adoption: Parents and students found it easy and actually used the site.

• Business impact: Boosted course attendance and built a stronger community around The Think Academy.

• Lessons learned: Keep flows short, visuals inspiring, and admin tools simple.