From Zero to One
Amira AI Learning
Designing the Amira AI Engine: A Learning Game That Thinks
Platform: Mobile & Web App
Date: Aug 2020
Why Amira Learning
Amira accelerates reading mastery by recommending appropriately challenging stories, listening as a student reads aloud, and intervening when helpful. Amira was built in partnership with top institutions including Carnegie Mellon, Johns Hopkins, and The UT-Health Science Center at Houston.
Role
As the Senior Creative UX Manager and Game Producer for the Amira Mobile Game, I orchestrated the end-to-end development process to create an innovative and award-winning educational mobile game. I effectively balanced team management, product vision, and user experience design to align with our overarching goal of delivering an impactful learning tool. My responsibilities included defining the product roadmap, conducting user research and usability testing, collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the game met educational objectives, and overseeing the creative and technical teams to maintain a seamless workflow. Additionally, I spearheaded the UX design process, ensuring the game was both engaging and intuitive for its target audience.
Team
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Head of UX Game Design (2)
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Game UX Designers (4)
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Game Artist (3)
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Engineering (8)
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Education Researchers (2)
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Product Manager (1)
My Scope
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UX Strategy
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System Designs
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Creative Leadership
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Product and Design Roadmapping
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Versus screen - Amira
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World build - levels
Problem Statement:
In today's digital age, kids spend a lot of time on mobile devices. However, finding educational mobile games that are fun and effective for young learners can be tough. Many educational games are too simple or don't hold kids' attention, leading to less-than-ideal learning outcomes. There's a real need for a mobile learning game that mixes educational content with interactive and entertaining gameplay to spark a love for learning in kids.
Solution Statement:
Introducing Amira, a mobile learning game designed for kids that combines fun with education. Amira employs various interactive features, such as puzzles, quizzes, and storytelling elements, to engage young minds and promote learning across multiple subjects like math, reading, and science. The game adapts to the individual learning pace and style of each child, ensuring a personalized educational experience that keeps them motivated and challenged.
"Research shows that Amira accelerates reading growth as much or more than hiring a certified human tutor."
Key description of the project
This project involves defining the key student experience changes needed to make Amira a success as a parent-purchased subscription. Areas of design focus include the
nature of the Amira Avatar, the degree of gamification, the balance of oral reading versus other activities, and overall engagement/user experience.
Target Audience:
a.) The need to make Amira dramatically more engaging, with
b.) The goal of shipping in the early fall and attaining an MVP by EOY, with
c.) A constrained set of development resources, with
d.) The advantages and disadvantages inherent in having a working platform.
Design Process
Defining the characters
Tracking The Team's Progress
Moble + User Flow
