Digitized learning for students with dyslexia
Students worldwide were thrown into remote learning, the “new normal.” While all faced hurdles, those with dyslexia encountered greater challenges. I designed a customizable platform to reduce cognitive load and improve learning outcomes.
Role: UX Researcher and Designer
Date: Sep - Dec 2024
Sector: Edtech, Accessible Design
▮RESEARCH AND PROBLEMS
After 11 interviews with students (ages 16–21), instructors, and teaching assistants, four key barriers emerged:
Limited, text-heavy assignments
Overwhelmed students and reduced engagement
Low assistive tech awareness
Students and instructors often missed built-in TTS/STT tools.
Lack of instructor support
Students struggled without timely feedback.
Interface design causes cognitive overload
Layouts, colors, and fonts created distraction and eye strain.
For students with dyslexia, these challenges were more than minor disruptions—they slowed learning by days, turning manageable obstacles into significant barriers.
▮IDEATION
With the research insights in hand, I synthesized interview notes to explore how students:
Navigated assignments
Consumed content
Used tools
I translated these insights into interaction flows with visible accessibility options,
This formed the foundation for a functional, adaptable prototype tailored to the needs of students with dyslexia.
▮SOLUTION
Immediate access to instructors when support is needed.
Students can now reach instructors quickly. This real-time support reduces frustration, allows timely guidance, and helps students stay on track without unnecessary delays.
No eye strain! A simplified, customizable interface that eases cognitive load.
The interface used linear navigation, clear typography, and customizable displays with font size, color themes, and light or dark modes, easing eye strain and overload to create a calm space where students could focus on learning.
Assignments go beyond long, boring text.
Including video, audio, and interactive activities reduces reliance on long blocks of text. Adaptive layouts and dyslexia-friendly fonts made lessons easier to follow and more engaging.
Assistive tech, right where students expect it to be.
Text-to-speech (TTS) and speech-to-text (STT) tools were embedded directly into assignments, ensuring students could easily locate and utilize them.
▮IMPACT
The platform combined a clear, digital-library-style layout with simplified design, dyslexia-friendly fonts, multimedia content, and embedded assistive tools to make navigation intuitive.
All users located key resources without difficulty.
Readability improved by 50% in usability tests
Interface rated as clean, organized, and easy to navigate
Ready to turn your concepts into reality? Let’s work together.
Or email me hello@nguyentamn.com