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Edtech - AI

Simplifying SOP Creation with AI-Powered Personalization

Intuitive AI-powered tool that streamlines SOP creation for students, with a user satisfaction score of 84%.

Role

Lead Designer - End to end design, working closely with product managers and engineers

Product

Consumer - Web

Duration

3 months

Context

The company (name retracted), is a mid-sized EdTech offering a variety of vertical-specific products designed to help students succeed in their academic journeys. Recognizing the growing reliance on AI to enhance the student experience, the team wanted to go after a bold vision: to launch a new product vertical leveraging AI to address critical student pain points.

As part of this initiative, the company wanted to tackle a specific problem many students face: writing an effective Statement of Purpose (SOP). The team saw this as an opportunity to experiment with AI to streamline the SOP-writing process, providing students with a faster, more personalized way to create impactful SOPs.

Objective

🎯

The objective of this project was to design an MVP SOP generation tool that leveraged AI to help students craft SOPs effortlessly while addressing common pain points. Specifically, we aimed to -

• Empower students to get started quickly by generating an AI-driven first draft of their SOP.

• Provide users with tools to customize their SOP to align with their personal voice & program.

• Validate the potential of this product vertical as a scalable EdTech solution.

🎯

The objective of this project was to design an MVP SOP generation tool that leveraged AI to help students craft SOPs effortlessly while addressing common pain points. Specifically, we aimed to -

• Empower students to get started quickly by generating an AI-driven first draft of their SOP.

• Provide users with tools to customize their SOP to align with their personal voice & program.

• Validate the potential of this product vertical as a scalable EdTech solution.

🎯

The objective of this project was to design an MVP SOP generation tool that leveraged AI to help students craft SOPs effortlessly while addressing common pain points. Specifically, we aimed to -

• Empower students to get started quickly by generating an AI-driven first draft of their SOP.

• Provide users with tools to customize their SOP to align with their personal voice & program.

• Validate the potential of this product vertical as a scalable EdTech solution.

Insights

Since we didn’t have the timeline or resources to conduct new research, I collaborated closely with the product team to extract insights from their prior discussions with students. Here are the key insights that shaped our design decisions

Students struggle to get started

Many students found starting an SOP to be the hardest part of the process. They often faced writer’s block because they didn’t know how to structure their thoughts or what to include.

Students struggle to get started

Many students found starting an SOP to be the hardest part of the process. They often faced writer’s block because they didn’t know how to structure their thoughts or what to include.

Students struggle to get started

Many students found starting an SOP to be the hardest part of the process. They often faced writer’s block because they didn’t know how to structure their thoughts or what to include.

Editing tools matter

While students wanted help generating the first draft, they also wanted control to refine it. Many expressed the need for editing tools to adjust tone, length, and grammar to better align the SOP with their personal voice.

Editing tools matter

Clarity and alignment are critical

Students wanted their SOPs to feel tailored to specific program requirements. However, they often struggled to understand how to position their achievements and goals in ways that would resonate with admissions committees.

Clarity and alignment are critical

Opportunity

Based on these insights, I identified several opportunities to make the SOP generation process seamless and effective. These opportunities were framed as How Might We (HMW) statements to guide the design process:

🎯

How Might We

make it faster to get the first draft of their SOP?
simplify the process of tailoring the SOP to specific programs?
give them editing superpowers to help them craft the SOP to their preferences?

🎯

How Might We

make it faster to get the first draft of their SOP?
simplify the process of tailoring the SOP to specific programs?
give them editing superpowers to help them craft the SOP to their preferences?

🎯

How Might We

make it faster to get the first draft of their SOP?
simplify the process of tailoring the SOP to specific programs?
give them editing superpowers to help them craft the SOP to their preferences?

Solution

User Flow Architecture Explorations

To design the optimal user experience for the SOP creation application, we explored three distinct user flows, each offering a different approach to how users interact with the interface and complete their SOP.

Design Decision

After evaluating all three options, we decided to proceed with Option 3. The key reasons were -

1. Real-Time Feedback
Showing users how their answers directly contribute to the SOP in real time keeps them engaged and reduces the likelihood of drop-offs.

2. Progressive Engagement
By breaking the process into smaller sections with immediate outputs, users are motivated to continue as they see their SOP taking shape.

3. Seamless Experience
Users don’t have to wait until the end to see the results of their effort, providing a sense of accomplishment at every step.

First Step in SOP Creation – Providing Program Details

The first step of the SOP creation process collects key information about the program the user is applying to. This helps tailor the questions and set the right tone for the SOP.

Usability Study Insights

Feedback from usability studies highlighted key areas for improvement

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Usability Study Insights

Feedback from usability studies highlighted key areas for improvement

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Usability Study Insights

Feedback from usability studies highlighted key areas for improvement

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Improved Final Design

The redesign focuses on minimizing friction, simplifying the interface, adding progress indicators, and improving instructions. This streamlined flow ensures users can provide program details quickly and move seamlessly into the SOP creation process.

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Improved Final Design

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Improved Final Design

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Editor Layout

The SOP Editor is the central screen of the user experience. This is where users:

Answer questions to provide relevant information about their academics, work experience, and future goals.
See their Statement of Purpose (SOP) dynamically generated in real-time.
Use powerful AI-powered editor actions, like adjusting tone, fixing grammar, and optimizing content, to refine their SOP effortlessly.

The success of the product relies on making this experience intuitive, focused, and efficient for users to progress seamlessly.

Version 1: Usability Feedback

In the initial version (refer to the image below), several usability issues were identified based on user feedback from studies -

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Version 1: Usability Feedback

In the initial version (refer to the image below), several usability issues were identified based on user feedback from studies -

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Version 1: Usability Feedback

In the initial version (refer to the image below), several usability issues were identified based on user feedback from studies -

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Improved Final Design

The updated design addresses the issues with a clearer structure, improved guidance, and better visual hierarchy:

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Improved Final Design

The updated design addresses the issues with a clearer structure, improved guidance, and better visual hierarchy:

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Improved Final Design

The updated design addresses the issues with a clearer structure, improved guidance, and better visual hierarchy:

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Questions Panel

The Questions Panel is where users provide information that helps generate their SOP. Questions are personalized based on the user’s program details, making this a critical part of the UX as it directly impacts the quality and relevance of the SOP.

Version 1: Pre-Filled Checkbox Approach

In the first version, the team aimed to simplify the process by offering pre-filled options for each question, where users could check the ones applicable to them. This approach was intended to make completing the panel faster.

Version 1: Pre-Filled Checkbox Approach

Improved Final Design

The improved design resolves key issues from the initial version, offering a clearer layout, smoother navigation, and a more focused experience for completing questions.

Improved Final Design

The improved design resolves key issues from the initial version, offering a clearer layout, smoother navigation, and a more focused experience for completing questions.

Improved Final Design

The improved design resolves key issues from the initial version, offering a clearer layout, smoother navigation, and a more focused experience for completing questions.

In-line Actions

The In-Line AI feature empowers users to enhance their SOP content seamlessly by selecting text and applying AI-powered actions, such as adjusting tone, improving grammar, or modifying length. These features ensure the writing process is intuitive, efficient, and tailored to individual needs.

Tool Bar Actions

The Tool Bar Actions feature provides users with powerful, intuitive tools to refine and enhance their SOP seamlessly. From adjusting tone and word count to polishing content, these actions empower users to maintain control and achieve their desired writing style effortlessly.

Success Metrics

To measure the validation of the product, we focused on two key metrics

1️⃣

User Satisfaction Rate

Calculated through post-interaction surveys where users rated their experience on a scale of 1 to 5. Success was defined as achieving a satisfaction rate of 80% or higher.

1️⃣

User Satisfaction Rate

Calculated through post-interaction surveys where users rated their experience on a scale of 1 to 5. Success was defined as achieving a satisfaction rate of 80% or higher.

1️⃣

User Satisfaction Rate

Calculated through post-interaction surveys where users rated their experience on a scale of 1 to 5. Success was defined as achieving a satisfaction rate of 80% or higher.

2️⃣

Navigation Success Rate

Measuring the percentage of users who successfully completed all sections of the SOP editor.

2️⃣

Navigation Success Rate

Measuring the percentage of users who successfully completed all sections of the SOP editor.

2️⃣

Navigation Success Rate

Measuring the percentage of users who successfully completed all sections of the SOP editor.

Impact

The Compass SOP Generator made a significant impact during its private beta, validating the design and proving the potential of AI-powered tools in EdTech.

84%

User Satisfaction

90%

Navigation success rate

The success metrics validated the MVP and demonstrated its potential for scaling as a key component of the company’s EdTech offerings.

Takeaways

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Designing for AI Requires a Balance of Automation and Control

While users appreciated the speed of AI-generated drafts, they valued the ability to customize and refine their SOPs to reflect their personal voice. This emphasized the need for tools that balance automation with flexibility.

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Designing for AI Requires a Balance of Automation and Control

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Designing for AI Requires a Balance of Automation and Control

👥

Collaboration Drives Better Outcomes

Leveraging insights from the product team’s prior research was crucial in designing a user-centered experience within tight timelines. This reinforced the importance of cross-functional collaboration in delivering effective solutions.

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Collaboration Drives Better Outcomes

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Collaboration Drives Better Outcomes

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Feedback Loops Validate Design Decisions

Constant feedback, whether through usability studies or internal reviews, reinforced the importance of early validation. For example, shifting from checkbox-driven responses to more open-ended input made the experience more flexible and intuitive, directly addressing user concerns.