2025
Edtech
UI/UX Design
Project Introduction
BrainWave is an innovative educational app that connects university students to enhance their learning experience. The app provides a platform for engagement, coursework support, and a supportive learning community.
Its features, including live classes, lecture note downloads, private group creation, and secure chat communication, improve academic performance, facilitate collaboration and communication, and enhance the overall university experience. The app's unique features allow students to balance their educational and personal lives.
BrainWave allows businesses to tap into a rapidly growing market of university students seeking new collaboration methods. BrainWave's focus on creating a supportive learning community and facilitating academic success is a unique value proposition that sets it apart from other educational apps.
Overall, BrainWave is an excellent tool for students to enhance academic performance and create a supportive learning community. Additionally, BrainWave provides businesses with a unique opportunity to tap into a rapidly growing market.
Why did I carry out this project?
As someone who has experienced the Nigerian university system, I initiated this project, BrainWave, out of concern that traditional classroom settings may not always be the most effective learning environment for students. In today's digital age, students are often more comfortable and engaged with technology than with traditional classroom tools like textbooks and chalkboards.
Many students today are seeking more flexibility in their learning experiences, such as the ability to attend classes remotely or collaborate with other students online. BrainWave offers these opportunities by enabling students to attend live classes and connect with others through private groups and chat, all within a convenient and user-friendly mobile app.
Design Process
The vision for the Brainwave app was born out of a desire to solve real, pressing challenges faced by university students today. I set out with a clear goal: to build a central educational platform that makes learning more accessible, intuitive, and engaging. Many students struggle to keep up with classwork, especially when it comes to finding lecture notes, attending live sessions, or staying on track with assignments. With Brainwave, I aimed to create a seamless and student-friendly experience where everything they need—classes, notes, collaboration—is in one convenient place. The mission was simple: improve how students learn, reduce their academic stress, and empower them to take control of their education, no matter where they are.
To deeply understand the problem and define the right solution, I kicked off the process with empathy—a core principle in my design approach. I began by examining existing platforms like Google Classroom and ResearchGate. While Google Classroom is a powerful tool, its interface and feature set can feel overwhelming, especially for first-time users. On the other hand, ResearchGate, while ideal for researchers and academics, often feels too complex and intimidating for the average student. This evaluation helped me identify a clear gap: the need for an educational platform that is both comprehensive and approachable—something that bridges functionality and simplicity.
To further ground the design in real user needs, I conducted qualitative research through one-on-one interviews with university students. These conversations were eye-opening. I asked them to share their biggest challenges, from completing schoolwork to accessing missed notes or keeping up with lectures. Many expressed how frustrating it was to physically submit assignments or navigate scattered information across different platforms. The students also described how difficult it was to manage their time, stay motivated, and keep track of course expectations. One recurring theme was the emotional toll of academic life—feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, and anxious due to unclear requirements and rigid schedules.
From these insights, I uncovered key user needs: a platform where students can comfortably access lecture content, submit assignments online, and learn at their own pace. They wanted a tool that felt like a support system—something that reduced confusion, improved clarity, and made learning feel less like a chore. These findings were synthesized into an empathy map that guided the rest of the design process. At the heart of Brainwave is a simple but powerful idea: how might we create a learning experience that not only works but feels empowering, supportive, and truly designed for the student? With this foundation, the journey of building Brainwave moved from research into meaningful design.
The Solution
As I moved from user research into designing the actual product experience, one of my main goals was to ensure that Brainwave’s interface not only looked clean and simple but also made every action feel intuitive. I started with the homepage—the very first touchpoint for most users. I designed a layout that centered around simplicity and usability, beginning with a prominent search bar and a handful of well-organized categories to guide users quickly to what they’re looking for. To make content discovery easier and keep the experience dynamic, I added an Available Lecture Notes section that showcases newly uploaded materials, helping students stay updated without having to dig around.
Understanding how important contribution and collaboration are in learning environments, I incorporated a floating action button (FAB) labeled Upload Lecture Notes. This button opens a modal that feels light yet purposeful, with fields for course code, lecturer name, course topic, and file upload. The idea was to make it as effortless as possible for students to give back to the community by sharing their resources. The layout encourages engagement without cluttering the screen; every element serves a clear purpose, from discovery to contribution.
One of Brainwave’s core strengths lies in its live class feature, a flow designed to bring real-time classroom experiences into the comfort of students’ spaces. When users tap the Live Classes tab, they’re presented with a list of ongoing and upcoming sessions. Whether they’re commuting, at home, or in a different time zone, students can join with ease by either scanning a QR code or entering a unique class code. Inside the live session, they’re able to participate in discussions, view real-time captions for accessibility, and even take notes on the go using the built-in Add Note feature. It’s more than just streaming a class—it’s about recreating the feeling of being present and connected.
To support information retention and personal organization, I designed a rich **note-taking and note-organization flow.** At the top of the notes page, users can toggle between viewing existing lecture notes or creating their own. When viewing notes, they can use the search function to locate specific keywords or bookmark critical sections for later review. The note editor is thoughtfully designed to go beyond plain text. Students can change font styles, highlight key ideas in color, insert images, or even sketch diagrams, making their study materials as visually engaging and personalized as they need.
Lastly, I wanted to make sure that Brainwave wasn’t just a tool for individual learning, but a space for academic community and collaboration. That’s where the connectivity features come in. Users can browse through a list of coursemates and lecturers, and initiate group discussions or private messages with ease. The messaging system supports both real-time chats and voice/video calls, creating multiple layers of communication—whether students want to clarify a concept, collaborate on assignments, or just build rapport with their classmates and instructors.
In essence, every part of Brainwave—whether it’s uploading a note, joining a class, or messaging a peer was designed with empathy and intention. Each feature ties back to the core challenge of enhancing the learning journey by making education more interactive, inclusive, and accessible.
Key Learnings
The project highlighted the importance of conducting user research to gain a deeper understanding of user needs and pain points, which can inform design decisions.
I emphasized the importance of an iterative design process, where ideas are constantly tested, evaluated, and refined based on user feedback.
I considered the importance of designing for accessibility, ensuring that the platform is usable by a wide range of users, including those with disabilities.
As a solo designer, this project challenged me to work without an existing design solution for university students. It exceeded my expectations and helped me to adapt to new design situations.
