Web App Design
Design System
Live Project
ASU Writing Guide
Turned a static academic guide into an interactive writing assistant with timelines, notebooks, and step-by-step support for students.
Year :
2024
Role :
● Lead UX Designer
● UX Researcher
Team :
1 Project Lead
1 Junior Designer
1 Lead Designer (me!)
Skills :
● Information Architecture
● UX Writing
● Prototyping
The Problem :
Academic writing is intimidating, especially for students who aren’t sure what “good writing” actually means in a university context. ASU wanted to create a digital writing guide to make expectations clearer and help students improve their writing across disciplines.
The original concept was simple: help students write better. But the execution was anything but. Dense language, scattered advice, and a lack of structure made the early prototype more overwhelming than helpful.
My Goal :
Redesign the guide into a structured, interactive experience that students could actually use, without needing a writing tutor.
Discovery :
I kicked off with a quick audit of the guide’s content and layout. The issues became obvious fast:
lacked interactivity :
It read like a faculty manual, not a student tool
Cognitive overload :
Sections were long, repetitive, and hard to navigate
Lacked structure :
There was no clear structure for how or when to use it
Key insight: Students often don’t seek help until they’re stuck. That means the writing guide needs to be scannable, direct, and instantly helpful.
The Process :
I restructured the guide from the ground up, grouping content into 3 clear phases of the writing process:
Understand the Task → Build the Argument → Polish the Draft
For each section, I rewrote the content in plain language, added examples, and created visual scaffolding like checklists and progress tracker to reduce cognitive load.
Once the new flow was mapped out, I prototyped a desktop-friendly experience using Figma, then ran usability tests with 8 students from different disciplines. Their feedback shaped final content edits and UI tweaks.
Key improvements :
Feature
Before
After
Project Board
No task organization or visual overview
Visual board to manage assignments, tasks, and progress |
Descriptive Writing Steps
Overwhelming blocks of text, no section-specific help
Step-by-step guidance tailored to parts like thesis, intro, or body
My Notebook
No way to save thoughts or responses |
Personal space to capture notes, prompts, and build ideas |
Tracking Timeline
No timeline to track progress
Interactive timeline with milestones and goal tracking |
Search Feature
No search or filtering tools
In-app search for quick access to targeted tips and writing help
Outcomes :
By the end of the project, StandUp TV had :
45%
of students interviewed said the improved content readability made it easier to find relevant information.
35%
of users felt the structured layout helped them locate resources more quickly.
25%
of respondents mentioned that better navigation reduced their need for external support.
What I Learned :
I had some reflections by the end of this project :
Clarity beats completeness
Students don’t want everything, they want the right thing, at the right time. Prioritizing scannability and search helped users feel less overwhelmed and more confident.
Tools reduce friction, not just effort
Features like the notebook, timeline, and project board didn’t just make writing easier, they made it feel more doable by giving users a sense of progress and control.
More Projects
Web App Design
Design System
Live Project
ASU Writing Guide
Turned a static academic guide into an interactive writing assistant with timelines, notebooks, and step-by-step support for students.
Year :
2024
Role :
● Lead UX Designer
● UX Researcher
Team :
1 Project Lead
1 Junior Designer
1 Lead Designer (me!)
Skills :
● Information Architecture
● UX Writing
● Prototyping
The Problem :
Academic writing is intimidating, especially for students who aren’t sure what “good writing” actually means in a university context. ASU wanted to create a digital writing guide to make expectations clearer and help students improve their writing across disciplines.
The original concept was simple: help students write better. But the execution was anything but. Dense language, scattered advice, and a lack of structure made the early prototype more overwhelming than helpful.
My Goal :
Redesign the guide into a structured, interactive experience that students could actually use, without needing a writing tutor.
Discovery :
I kicked off with a quick audit of the guide’s content and layout. The issues became obvious fast:
lacked interactivity :
It read like a faculty manual, not a student tool
Cognitive overload :
Sections were long, repetitive, and hard to navigate
Lacked structure :
There was no clear structure for how or when to use it
Key insight: Students often don’t seek help until they’re stuck. That means the writing guide needs to be scannable, direct, and instantly helpful.
The Process :
I restructured the guide from the ground up, grouping content into 3 clear phases of the writing process:
Understand the Task → Build the Argument → Polish the Draft
For each section, I rewrote the content in plain language, added examples, and created visual scaffolding like checklists and progress tracker to reduce cognitive load.
Once the new flow was mapped out, I prototyped a desktop-friendly experience using Figma, then ran usability tests with 8 students from different disciplines. Their feedback shaped final content edits and UI tweaks.
Key improvements :
Feature
Before
After
Project Board
No task organization or visual overview
Visual board to manage assignments, tasks, and progress |
Descriptive Writing Steps
Overwhelming blocks of text, no section-specific help
Step-by-step guidance tailored to parts like thesis, intro, or body
My Notebook
No way to save thoughts or responses |
Personal space to capture notes, prompts, and build ideas |
Tracking Timeline
No timeline to track progress
Interactive timeline with milestones and goal tracking |
Search Feature
No search or filtering tools
In-app search for quick access to targeted tips and writing help
Outcomes :
By the end of the project, StandUp TV had :
45%
of students interviewed said the improved content readability made it easier to find relevant information.
35%
of users felt the structured layout helped them locate resources more quickly.
25%
of respondents mentioned that better navigation reduced their need for external support.
What I Learned :
I had some reflections by the end of this project :
Clarity beats completeness
Students don’t want everything, they want the right thing, at the right time. Prioritizing scannability and search helped users feel less overwhelmed and more confident.
Tools reduce friction, not just effort
Features like the notebook, timeline, and project board didn’t just make writing easier, they made it feel more doable by giving users a sense of progress and control.
More Projects
Web App Design
Design System
Live Project
ASU Writing Guide
Turned a static academic guide into an interactive writing assistant with timelines, notebooks, and step-by-step support for students.
Year :
2024
Role :
● Lead UX Designer
● UX Researcher
Team :
1 Project Lead
1 Junior Designer
1 Lead Designer (me!)
Skills :
● Information Architecture
● UX Writing
● Prototyping
The Problem :
Academic writing is intimidating, especially for students who aren’t sure what “good writing” actually means in a university context. ASU wanted to create a digital writing guide to make expectations clearer and help students improve their writing across disciplines.
The original concept was simple: help students write better. But the execution was anything but. Dense language, scattered advice, and a lack of structure made the early prototype more overwhelming than helpful.
My Goal :
Redesign the guide into a structured, interactive experience that students could actually use, without needing a writing tutor.
Discovery :
I kicked off with a quick audit of the guide’s content and layout. The issues became obvious fast:
lacked interactivity :
It read like a faculty manual, not a student tool
Cognitive overload :
Sections were long, repetitive, and hard to navigate
Lacked structure :
There was no clear structure for how or when to use it
Key insight: Students often don’t seek help until they’re stuck. That means the writing guide needs to be scannable, direct, and instantly helpful.
The Process :
I restructured the guide from the ground up, grouping content into 3 clear phases of the writing process:
Understand the Task → Build the Argument → Polish the Draft
For each section, I rewrote the content in plain language, added examples, and created visual scaffolding like checklists and progress tracker to reduce cognitive load.
Once the new flow was mapped out, I prototyped a desktop-friendly experience using Figma, then ran usability tests with 8 students from different disciplines. Their feedback shaped final content edits and UI tweaks.
Key improvements :
Feature
Before
After
Project Board
No task organization or visual overview
Visual board to manage assignments, tasks, and progress |
Descriptive Writing Steps
Overwhelming blocks of text, no section-specific help
Step-by-step guidance tailored to parts like thesis, intro, or body
My Notebook
No way to save thoughts or responses |
Personal space to capture notes, prompts, and build ideas |
Tracking Timeline
No timeline to track progress
Interactive timeline with milestones and goal tracking |
Search Feature
No search or filtering tools
In-app search for quick access to targeted tips and writing help
Outcomes :
By the end of the project, StandUp TV had :
45%
of students interviewed said the improved content readability made it easier to find relevant information.
35%
of users felt the structured layout helped them locate resources more quickly.
25%
of respondents mentioned that better navigation reduced their need for external support.
What I Learned :
I had some reflections by the end of this project :
Clarity beats completeness
Students don’t want everything, they want the right thing, at the right time. Prioritizing scannability and search helped users feel less overwhelmed and more confident.
Tools reduce friction, not just effort
Features like the notebook, timeline, and project board didn’t just make writing easier, they made it feel more doable by giving users a sense of progress and control.