Prototyping and Working process

• Created and iterated on designs using a range of fidelity levels—from early paper sketches to Balsamiq wireframes, and finally high-fidelity interactive prototypes in Figma—ensuring the best approach for each design phase.

• Used prototypes to explore user flows, layout options, and interaction patterns, rapidly gathering internal feedback before progressing to higher fidelity.

• Conducted remote usability testing via Maze, validating interface decisions with real users and making informed adjustments based on usage data and qualitative feedback.

• Collaborated closely with developers throughout the project, ensuring design feasibility, supporting secure implementation, and aligning on version control and hosting considerations.

• Successfully launched in 2022 as a standalone product, Serial Mash presented a modernised, user-friendly interface while maintaining a sense of familiarity for existing Purple Mash users.

Summary

• Redesigned Serial Mash as a standalone platform to improve student engagement and support both classroom and home learning, elevating it from its former position within Purple Mash.

• Led the end-to-end design process—from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity Figma prototypes—conducting usability testing via Maze, gathering user insights, and collaborating closely with developers to ensure a secure, feasible implementation.

• Successfully launched in 2022 with a refreshed, user-friendly interface and clear evaluation metrics (adoption, engagement, and usability feedback), laying the groundwork for a scalable, company-wide design system.

Reflection

It was a challenge to turn Serial Mash into a standalone product, as it needed to stand out from the crowded Purple Mash platform while still feeling familiar. Redesigning with a clear focus on user journeys helped create a cleaner, more engaging interface suited to both children and teachers. Usability testing revealed subtle issues that informed adjustments, ensuring accessibility for all users.

The experience highlighted the importance of guiding users through change by maintaining familiar design elements and offering clear onboarding. Launching Serial Mash independently increased its reach and relevance, showing how giving a product its own space—backed by user insight—can significantly boost engagement and impact.

Design System Development

• Audited all company products to identify common components, patterns, and functionality, forming the foundation of a unified system.

• Created and documented foundational elements such as colour palettes, typography, grids, and spacing for consistent design language.

• Designed a reusable component library—including buttons, navigation, and form fields—scalable across multiple products.

• Developed page-level patterns and templates to streamline design and development processes and maintain UX consistency.

• Built the system alongside live projects to ensure components were validated in real-world use, enabling practical adoption and team buy-in.

Summary

• Developed and launched the company’s first design system alongside Serial Mash, establishing a consistent, scalable design language and component library for use across multiple products.

• Conducted a comprehensive audit of existing products to define core elements (colour, typography, grids) and built reusable components and templates, validating them in live projects to ensure practical adoption and cross-team buy-in.

• Championed organisation-wide adoption by introducing Figma, leading design talks and presentations, and collaborating closely with developers, driving a shared commitment to user-centred design and unified product experiences.

Reflection

Leading the development of the company’s first design system with Serial Mash reinforced the need to balance vision and practicality. A thorough audit of existing products uncovered shared components and patterns, forming a solid, scalable foundation. Validating components in live projects ensured the system was functional and adopted effectively.

Driving adoption required clear communication and collaboration. Introducing Figma and leading targeted design talks fostered team engagement and ownership, overcoming resistance and building momentum. This showed me that success depends not only on design quality but also on education and inclusive teamwork.

Ultimately, the project confirmed that a well-executed design system enhances consistency, efficiency, and user-centred alignment, improving product quality and scalability.