SkillTrack
A Personalized Learning App

Introduction

Designing a Mobile Learning Experience

In 2021, during the first year of my design studies, I worked on a mobile-first learning app that aims to solve a common problem. Many people want to learn new skills, but they struggle to find the time or structure to stay consistent.The idea behind the app is to adapt to each user's availability. Whether someone has just ten minutes a day or a full hour, the app generates a personalized schedule based on their free time and learning pace. Users can select a skill they want to learn and choose how much time they have each day. The app then builds a structured learning path for them.To keep the experience engaging, the app uses short lessons supported by external resources like TED Talks and book suggestions. Each lesson ends with a short quiz, and the difficulty level adjusts based on the user's performance. The app also includes a chatbot professor that answers questions and helps users move forward. To encourage motivation, users unlock badges and rewards as they progress.This case study walks through how I approached the problem from research to design. It includes the insights I gathered, the tools I used, and the final interactive prototype that brings the idea to life.

Research

Understanding the People Behind the Problem

Research Goals

To guide the process, I set out to answer a few key questions:

• Who would benefit from a personalized learning app
• What makes it hard for people to stay consistent when learning new skills
• How do they currently manage self-learning
• What frustrates them about existing platforms
• What features would actually keep them coming back

Methods

To collect insights, I used a mix of surveys, interviews, and competitor research.

Survey
I created a Google Forms survey and shared it in student and freelancer communities. I received 34 responses from people with different learning habits. The goal was to get a broader picture of how people learn today and what tools they already use.

Interviews
To go deeper, I spoke one-on-one with four people who regularly try to learn new skills but often fall off track. These conversations helped me understand habits, frustrations, and what might make a difference in their experience.

Competitor Analysis
‍I also looked at five existing platforms, from video-based sites to apps with built-in gamification. This helped me understand what works and where current tools fall short.

Key Insights from the Survey

• Time is the biggest challenge. 61 percent said they struggle to find time to learn consistently.
• YouTube and self-paced courses are the most common tools.
• People want structured learning, but with flexible scheduling.
• Short sessions are more effective than long study blocks.
• Many users lose motivation without some form of progress tracking or gamification.

These insights showed that users want learning to be flexible, structured, and motivating. That became the foundation for the app.

User Interviews and Personas

Getting Closer to the People I’m Designing For

To better understand user behavior, I conducted four one-on-one interviews with people who often try to learn new skills on their own but struggle to stay consistent. These conversations helped me learn more about their motivations, routines, and what prevents them from following through.Each person had a different reason for wanting to learn. Some were focused on career growth, while others were more interested in personal development. What they all had in common was a need for structure that fits into a busy schedule.From these interviews, I created two user personas to represent the main types of learners I was designing for.

These personas helped me stay focused on real people while making design decisions. They guided how I shaped the structure, features, and experience of the app.

Information Architecture

Building a structure that makes sense

Once I had a clear understanding of the users and their needs, I focused on how to organize the app in a way that feels simple and logical. The goal was to make it easy for users to get started, stay on track, and access everything they need without confusion.

The app is built around four main sections. Each one supports a different part of the learning journey.

Main Sections of the App

Learning Setup
‍This is where users choose what they want to learn, enter how much time they have each day, and select their preferred learning pace. The app then creates a personalized schedule that fits into their routine.

Home Dashboard
The main hub shows learning progress, upcoming lessons, and quick access to useful features like the chatbot and recent test results. It also includes personalized recommendations based on performance.

Learning Path
‍This is where users go through their lessons step by step. Each lesson is short and focused. To move forward, users must complete a quiz. If they pass, the next lesson unlocks. They also get curated links to articles, TED Talks, and books to go deeper into each topic.

AI Chatbot and Flashcards
‍The chatbot is available anytime to help with questions and explanations. The flashcards section offers a quick way to review key ideas and strengthen memory.

Supporting Features

Some features do not need to be visible all the time. These are placed under the profile icon in the top corner.

Achievements and Badges
‍This section helps users track their progress and feel rewarded for staying consistent.

Profile and Settings
‍Here users can adjust their preferences, update their schedule, and manage notifications.

The entire structure is designed to keep the experience simple, with the most important tools always close and easy to reach.

User Flows

Designing the path from start to finish

To keep the experience smooth and focused, I created three main user flows. Each one maps out how someone would move through a key part of the app, step by step.These flows helped me make sure that each task feels simple, guided, and logical. They also allowed me to spot anything that could confuse or slow down the user.

Flow 1: Onboarding and Schedule Creation

This is the first thing new users experience

• Open the app
• Choose or type the skill to learn
• Enter available time for each day
• Select a learning pace
• Get a custom schedule with the first lesson ready

The goal here is to get people started quickly without overwhelming them.

Flow 2: Learning and Quiz Progression

This flow shows how users move through lessons and quizzes

• Start a lesson
• Read the content or listen to the audio version
• Take a quiz at the end
• If they pass, unlock the next lesson
• If they fail, get targeted review questions
• Repeat until they pass and continue

This keeps learning structured and helps reinforce what they learned.

Flow 3: Getting Help from the AI Chatbot

This flow shows how users ask for help when they are stuck

• Tap the chatbot icon
• Type or speak a question
• Get a clear answer or explanation
• Return to the lesson or quiz

The chatbot is always available, making it easier to stay engaged without getting lost or frustrated.

These flows formed the foundation for the rest of the interaction design. Each step is focused on removing friction and keeping learners moving forward at their own pace.

Prototyping and Interaction Design

Turning the idea into a working experience

With the structure and flows in place, I moved on to designing the main screens and interactions. I used Figma to create a clickable prototype that shows how the app works from start to finish.

The goal was to keep everything simple, clear, and easy to use. Each screen focuses on guiding the user forward without distractions.

Key Screens and Features

Introduction
‍A quick overview of what the app does and how it helps. This sets the tone and gives users a reason to trust the process.

Login and Signup
A clean and simple flow. Users can log in with their email or Apple ID. If they use email, they get a one-time code to enter the app.

Onboarding
Here, users choose what they want to learn and how much time they have. They also select their learning pace. The app then builds a schedule that fits their week.

Home Dashboard
This is the main hub. It shows current progress, upcoming lessons, and suggested resources. Users can also resume their last lesson or open the chatbot.

Learning Path
‍Lessons are grouped by status: completed, ongoing, or upcoming. Each lesson includes a short text or audio module, a quiz, and curated external content like TED Talks or articles.

AI Chatbot
‍The chatbot gives real-time help. Users can ask questions, get extra explanations, or ask for tips. It works by text or voice.

Flip Cards
‍These flashcards help users review what they learned. Each card asks a question. Users tap to flip it and check their answer, then swipe left or right depending on whether they got it right. The system learns from this and adapts future lessons.

The full prototype connects all these screens into one smooth experience. It is built to support both short sessions and deep focus, depending on how much time the user has.

Try the Interactive Prototype

Reflections and Next Steps

This project helped me connect research, structure, and interface design into one complete product. It was my first time working through the full process of user-centered design, and it gave me a deeper understanding of how each step supports the next.

I learned the value of listening to users early. Real insights shaped the core idea and made the product more focused and useful. Building user flows and designing the information structure also taught me how much small choices affect the overall experience. Every detail matters when the goal is clarity and ease of use.

Prototyping in Figma helped me bring the idea to life. It gave me a space to test and improve the interface before any code was written. The ability to create smooth, interactive flows made the final experience feel more real and tested.

If I had more time, I would run usability tests with real users and iterate based on their feedback. I would also look into how the AI features could be more personalized over time.

This project was the starting point for how I now approach design. Always ask why, always test with real people, and always build with clarity.