Google Classroom, Reorganized
Aligning digital course organization with real classroom rhythms.
ROLE
Product Design
UX Research
DURATION
3 weeks
PROJECT TYPE
Speculative solo project
1 mentor review
TOOLS
Figma
UX Research
Information Architecture
UI Systems
CONTEXT
THE TENSION
But the digital structure didn't follow the same rhythm.
Coursework was often organized by chronology, content type, or individual instructor habits rather than the weekly structure students remembered.
The 3 friction points:
RESEARCH
FINDINGS
FINDING 01 · MENTAL MODEL MISMATCH
Students recalled coursework by learning moment, not content type.
Students remembered weeks, critiques, and projects, while the system used streams, topics, posts, and attachments.
FINDING 02 · CROSS-INSTRUCTOR INCONSISTENCY
The same task required a different navigation strategy in every course.
Students first had to understand each instructor’s structure before finding content.
SYNTHESIS
Three recurring patterns emerged from the research.
The issue was not missing content.
It was a misalignment between classroom rhythm and digital organization.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
How might we reorganize coursework around how students already remember it without adding complexity to an existing product?
Constraint:
Improve predictability for students without turning course setup into a rigid or burdensome workflow for instructors.
STRATEGY
Three structural shifts guided the redesign.
DESIGN DECISION 01
Make time the primary entry point.
Students recalled coursework through weeks and learning moments, while the existing structure separated content across Stream and Classwork.
IDEATION
Explore weekly navigation and visible post-type labels so students can return by week and scan Stream faster.
BEFORE
Split, location-first navigation
Students had to guess where content was posted and scan through mixed posts or lists to find it.
AFTER
Time-first navigation with scannable posts
Students can return to the week they remember and quickly identify assignments and announcements in Stream.
DESIGN DECISION 02
Standardize the structure without standardizing the teaching.
Course organization varied across instructors, making it difficult for students to predict where materials and assignments would appear.
IDEATION
Overview → Materials → Assignments
Explore a recurring weekly structure that keeps materials and assignments in predictable locations while preserving instructor flexibility.
BEFORE
Instructor-specific organization
Course naming, grouping, and posting logic changed from class to class.
AFTER
A predictable weekly structure
The recurring hierarchy standardizes where content appears while leaving course content and teaching approach flexible.
DESIGN DETAILS
01_Predictable weekly hierarchy
Week-based navigation gives students a consistent way to move through the course.
02_Related content stays within each week
Overview, materials, and assignments remain grouped within the same weekly context.
DESIGN DECISION 03
Make long-term project progression visible.
Studio projects unfold across multiple weeks through research, iteration, critique, and presentation,
but the existing structure presents these phases as separate items.
IDEATION
Explore a dedicated project hub that connects milestones, materials, and weekly progress in one place.
BEFORE
Project work as separate items
Separate project items made the overall sequence difficult to follow.
AFTER
Milestone-based project progression
A dedicated project hub brings progress, milestones, and project resources into one predictable structure.
DESIGN DETAILS
01_Progress and milestones stay visible
Progress and milestone states clarify what is complete, current, and next.
02_Project resources and guidance stay connected
Materials, instructions, and the full project brief remain accessible within each project.
WHAT CHANGED
A course structure built around weekly rhythm and progression.
REFLECTION
Working with an existing product
Reorganizing existing SaaS components around a clearer mental model can create meaningful change without adding new features.
Product trade-off
Faculty feedback revealed a tension between student predictability and instructor setup. Templates, defaults, and migration support would be essential to preserve flexibility and keep setup lightweight.
What I would validate next
01. Instructor setup
Where can consistency be introduced without increasing setup burden?
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Templates and defaults

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Flexible course elements

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Migration from existing courses
02. Student navigation
Does the redesigned structure improve findability?
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Time to locate content

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Scroll distance

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Cross-course predictability
03. Responsive & Accessible use
Does the structure remain clear across devices and interaction modes?
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Mobile weekly navigation

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Keyboard and screen-reader use

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​Status cues beyond color