As Senior Product Designer, I led the design and user experience for E-Learning Studios UK’s eXtended Reality (XR) Leadership program, a pioneering VR training platform funded by the European Union Erasmus+ initiative. The challenge was to design an immersive, accessible, and intuitive learning environment for corporate clients new to VR, within tight deadlines and high stakeholder expectations.
- Led end-to-end product design, from discovery to launch
- Conducted user research and stakeholder interviews
- Defined information architecture and user flows
- Developed low-to-high fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes
- Established a scalable design system for future expansion
- Collaborated closely with engineering, project management, and client teams
- Drove accessibility compliance and usability testing
Understanding User Needs
I began by interviewing E-Learning Studios’ program directors, VR instructors, and several potential end-users (corporate L&D staff) to uncover pain points with existing e-learning solutions:
- Many were apprehensive about complex interfaces in VR
- Accessibility for diverse user backgrounds was a priority
- Onboarding needed to be frictionless, as most learners were new to VR
I analyzed direct competitors and related platforms to identify best practices in virtual training and to find opportunities for differentiation.
Problem Statement
How might we create an immersive VR training experience that feels welcoming, accessible, and effortless for first-time users, while reinforcing E-Learning Studios’ brand as an innovator in corporate learning?
Key Design Principles
Simplicity: Minimalist UI with clear calls-to-action
Guided Onboarding: Step-by-step orientation for new users
Consistency: Cohesive visual language across all touchpoints
Accessibility: Color, contrast, and type choices compliant with WCAG 2.1
Immersion: Visuals and interactions that leverage VR’s unique strengths
Mapped Out User Flows: For onboarding, course navigation, and certification
Low-Fidelity Wireframes: Rapidly iterated concepts to align stakeholders
Interactive Prototypes (Figma): Used for internal reviews and client walkthroughs
Design System & UI Development
Established a Design System: Created reusable UI components, a standardized icon set, and a color palette reflecting both the client’s brand and VR accessibility needs
High-Fidelity Mockups: Developed detailed screens for onboarding, course modules, progress tracking, and user dashboards
Hand-off: Documented design specifications and assets for the development team using Zeplin and Figma
Collaboration & Agile Delivery
Cross-Functional Workshops: Ran regular design reviews with engineering and client teams to gather feedback and course-correct quickly
Agile Sprints: Synced design milestones with development sprints to ensure continuous delivery and early detection of potential issues
Remote Usability Testing: Conducted virtual user testing sessions with target users to observe pain points, measure time to task, and validate key interactions
Accessibility Audits: Used tools like Stark and manual keyboard navigation checks to ensure the product was usable for all
Key Insights:
- Users loved the guided onboarding and visual progress tracking
- Navigation was rated as “very easy” by 90% of testers
- Stakeholders praised the platform’s modern yet approachable visual identity
Launched On-Time: Platform delivered ahead of schedule, supporting a successful program rollout to corporate clients
Increased Engagement: Early feedback showed higher course completion rates compared to previous e-learning initiatives
Reusable Design System: Framework enabled faster iteration and scalability for future modules
Drive growth through thoughtful product design and strategic vision.
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