Class Companion: Content Library
Exploring and defining needs for teachers seeing their and others’ assignments and rubrics
Class Companion: Content Library
Exploring and defining needs for teachers seeing their and others’ assignments and rubrics
Class Companion: Content Library
Exploring and defining needs for teachers seeing their and others’ assignments and rubrics
Class Companion: Content Library
Exploring and defining needs for teachers seeing their and others’ assignments and rubrics
Product Design
Content Strategy
User Research
Product Management
Class Companion is an AI EdTech platform that enables students to receive instant AI feedback on their written assignments. Through Class Companion, teachers add assignments, and students complete those assignments.
The teacher activation funnel included four key steps: sign up, create a class, create an assignment, and assign to students. We strategically concentrated our efforts on the assignment creation stage after discovering that less than 30% of teachers who signed up actually created assignments—meaning over 70% weren't actively using the platform.
Activities
UX Design, UI Design, Rapid Iteration, Prototyping, User Interviews, Funnel Optimization, Design System Expansion
Activities
UX Design, UI Design, Rapid Iteration, Prototyping, User Interviews, Funnel Optimization, Design System Expansion
Activities
UX Design, UI Design, Rapid Iteration, Prototyping, User Interviews, Funnel Optimization, Design System Expansion
Timeline
6 weeks
Timeline
6 weeks
Timeline
6 weeks
Team
Avery Pan (CEO)
Team
Avery Pan (CEO)
Team
Avery Pan (CEO)
Company Type
EdTech
AI
B2B
B2C
Series A Startup
Company Type
EdTech
AI
B2B
B2C
Series A Startup
Company Type
EdTech
AI
B2B
B2C
Series A Startup
Hypothesis
Teachers who haven't added an assignment would be more likely to do so if they accessed the Assignment Library.
Hypothesis
Teachers who haven't added an assignment would be more likely to do so if they accessed the Assignment Library.
Hypothesis
Teachers who haven't added an assignment would be more likely to do so if they accessed the Assignment Library.
The existing Assignment Library had potential to be a powerful resource.
However, significant barriers limited its effectiveness: poor discoverability, an overly simplistic table interface that failed to showcase content depth, and quality control issues with approximately 20% of teacher submissions being substandard.
The Assignment Library contained hundreds of high-quality assignments that teachers loved using, with active contributions from power users and Class Companion.
The existing Assignment Library had potential to be a powerful resource.
However, significant barriers limited its effectiveness: poor discoverability, an overly simplistic table interface that failed to showcase content depth, and quality control issues with approximately 20% of teacher submissions being substandard.
The Assignment Library contained hundreds of high-quality assignments that teachers loved using, with active contributions from power users and Class Companion.
The existing Assignment Library had potential to be a powerful resource.
However, significant barriers limited its effectiveness: poor discoverability, an overly simplistic table interface that failed to showcase content depth, and quality control issues with approximately 20% of teacher submissions being substandard.
The Assignment Library contained hundreds of high-quality assignments that teachers loved using, with active contributions from power users and Class Companion.
The existing Assignment Library had potential to be a powerful resource.
However, significant barriers limited its effectiveness: poor discoverability, an overly simplistic table interface that failed to showcase content depth, and quality control issues with approximately 20% of teacher submissions being substandard.
The Assignment Library contained hundreds of high-quality assignments that teachers loved using, with active contributions from power users and Class Companion.
Existing flow: When teachers add an assignment, they are prompted to select a creation method. If they selected “Duplicate from Content Library”, they saw a modal with a table of assignments.
Through user testing, we learned that teachers desired a better library viewing experience.
We tested this concept with 16 high school teachers through Zoom interviews, presenting a feature-rich prototype that allowed them to evaluate a potential marketplace model alongside improved browsing experiences.
During our brainstorms, we explored a revenue model inspired by Teachers Pay Teachers where our network of super users could monetize their exceptional assignments, earning compensation while the platform received a commission.
Through user testing, we learned that teachers desired a better library viewing experience.
We tested this concept with 16 high school teachers through Zoom interviews, presenting a feature-rich prototype that allowed them to evaluate a potential marketplace model alongside improved browsing experiences.
During our brainstorms, we explored a revenue model inspired by Teachers Pay Teachers where our network of super users could monetize their exceptional assignments, earning compensation while the platform received a commission.
Through user testing, we learned that teachers desired a better library viewing experience.
We tested this concept with 16 high school teachers through Zoom interviews, presenting a feature-rich prototype that allowed them to evaluate a potential marketplace model alongside improved browsing experiences.
During our brainstorms, we explored a revenue model inspired by Teachers Pay Teachers where our network of super users could monetize their exceptional assignments, earning compensation while the platform received a commission.
Through user testing, we learned that teachers desired a better library viewing experience.
We tested this concept with 16 high school teachers through Zoom interviews, presenting a feature-rich prototype that allowed them to evaluate a potential marketplace model alongside improved browsing experiences.
During our brainstorms, we explored a revenue model inspired by Teachers Pay Teachers where our network of super users could monetize their exceptional assignments, earning compensation while the platform received a commission.
Prototype: We focused heavily on the main Content Library page and the subject-specific page, which was broken down into units and topics, a standard across all high school curriculums.
We categorized findings based on the key questions from users, allowing us to quickly determine focus areas for the new design.
Iterations on the modal allowed us to meet scope and user needs.
We simplified the design while maintaining essential preview functionality, creating an intuitive experience that encouraged teachers to explore and utilize the library's resources without requiring a marketplace model or complete platform redesign.
Based on user research, we implemented targeted improvements to the assignment discovery interface, focusing on what teachers valued most. Teachers strongly preferred the visual card layout over the existing table view for browsing assignments.
Iterations on the modal allowed us to meet scope and user needs.
We simplified the design while maintaining essential preview functionality, creating an intuitive experience that encouraged teachers to explore and utilize the library's resources without requiring a marketplace model or complete platform redesign.
Based on user research, we implemented targeted improvements to the assignment discovery interface, focusing on what teachers valued most. Teachers strongly preferred the visual card layout over the existing table view for browsing assignments.
Iterations on the modal allowed us to meet scope and user needs.
We simplified the design while maintaining essential preview functionality, creating an intuitive experience that encouraged teachers to explore and utilize the library's resources without requiring a marketplace model or complete platform redesign.
Based on user research, we implemented targeted improvements to the assignment discovery interface, focusing on what teachers valued most. Teachers strongly preferred the visual card layout over the existing table view for browsing assignments.
Iterations on the modal allowed us to meet scope and user needs.
We simplified the design while maintaining essential preview functionality, creating an intuitive experience that encouraged teachers to explore and utilize the library's resources without requiring a marketplace model or complete platform redesign.
Based on user research, we implemented targeted improvements to the assignment discovery interface, focusing on what teachers valued most. Teachers strongly preferred the visual card layout over the existing table view for browsing assignments.
Iterations: We removed the subject menu since teachers already accessed the library through specific classes. We also simplified the header structure after finding we had insufficient assignments to justify detailed topic breakdowns.
The modal that was ultimately launched as an MVP.
A refined assignment preview let teachers quickly add assignments.
Previously, previewing an assignment showed teachers the student's view with all required inputs, but this approach had several flaws: the preview opened as a new page that disrupted the assignment creation workflow, it incorrectly encouraged teachers to answer questions as students rather than simply reviewing the assignment, and it failed to display important metadata such as Rubric, Creator, Unit, and Topic information.
A refined assignment preview let teachers quickly add assignments.
Previously, previewing an assignment showed teachers the student's view with all required inputs, but this approach had several flaws: the preview opened as a new page that disrupted the assignment creation workflow, it incorrectly encouraged teachers to answer questions as students rather than simply reviewing the assignment, and it failed to display important metadata such as Rubric, Creator, Unit, and Topic information.
A refined assignment preview let teachers quickly add assignments.
Previously, previewing an assignment showed teachers the student's view with all required inputs, but this approach had several flaws: the preview opened as a new page that disrupted the assignment creation workflow, it incorrectly encouraged teachers to answer questions as students rather than simply reviewing the assignment, and it failed to display important metadata such as Rubric, Creator, Unit, and Topic information.
A refined assignment preview let teachers quickly add assignments.
Previously, previewing an assignment showed teachers the student's view with all required inputs, but this approach had several flaws: the preview opened as a new page that disrupted the assignment creation workflow, it incorrectly encouraged teachers to answer questions as students rather than simply reviewing the assignment, and it failed to display important metadata such as Rubric, Creator, Unit, and Topic information.
Fast-follow: A week after launching the new modal, we followed with a launch of the new preview.
Outcomes
These initial modal changes did increase class creation. The research insights gathered throughout this process led to several improvements that would be made later, including a more comprehensive Content Library focused on categorizing assignments and rubrics into your content, teachers’ district’s content, and community content.
Outcomes
These initial modal changes did increase class creation. The research insights gathered throughout this process led to several improvements that would be made later, including a more comprehensive Content Library focused on categorizing assignments and rubrics into your content, teachers’ district’s content, and community content.
Outcomes
These initial modal changes did increase class creation. The research insights gathered throughout this process led to several improvements that would be made later, including a more comprehensive Content Library focused on categorizing assignments and rubrics into your content, teachers’ district’s content, and community content.
Outcomes
These initial modal changes did increase class creation. The research insights gathered throughout this process led to several improvements that would be made later, including a more comprehensive Content Library focused on categorizing assignments and rubrics into your content, teachers’ district’s content, and community content.
7%
increase in teachers who added at least 1 class (from 29% to 36%)
7%
increase in teachers who added at least 1 class (from 29% to 36%)
7%
increase in teachers who added at least 1 class (from 29% to 36%)
7%
increase in teachers who added at least 1 class (from 29% to 36%)
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© Courtney Sabo, 2025