To understand the problem space better, I conducted a competitive analysis of Lido’s top competitors, primarily comparing value for the product and usability of the website.
I then explored the existing base of user interviews Lido has collected to synthesize user motivations and expectations into affinity maps for both parents and students. Next, I generated personas of both parent and student users. This all helped me establish a foundational and empathetic understanding of Lido’s user base.
Finally, I synthesized data from the competitive analysis and user research to uncover key insights as to how to improve the Lido website user experience, attract new users, and retain its current user base. These insights were used to generate sketches, wireframes, and a final prototype of the proposed changes to the Lido website.
I compared Lido against its main competitors, specifically evaluating each platform’s product value and website usability.
I compared the six top learning platforms (see matrix below) against one another by specifically looking at their taglines (which provides a good baseline understanding of how the company represents itself to users), features and content (to compare what each platform offers), which boards and exams their content prepares students for, and finally comparing the price (shown in Rupees and USD).
Currently, Lido’s top competitor is Toppr, which offers more subjects and Exam/Board curriculums for a lower price, but doesn’t offer the small, personalized live classes that Lido does.
To compare the overall usability of each of these platforms, I tested the discoverability of the following:
I tested these features by examining where they were located, how they were labeled, and how they were communicated on each competitor’s website.
Again, I found that Toppr leads with the best usability based on the discoverability of the site’s features and offers.
Due to the time-difference and potential language-barrier, instead of conducting live user interviews with Indian-based users, I accessed Lido’s collection of recorded interviews to assess user needs. I examined data from 11 interviews with parents and students located in India. I sought to understand student learning motivations as well as parental concerns when seeking online tutoring services for their children.
I wrote down key observations from the interviews on sticky notes then arranged them into affinity maps (see below).
In their interviews, students reported enjoying their classes more when engaging activities, fun games, and videos are involved. Students also expressed a preference for teachers who are kind, patient, and prioritize giving students personalized attention so that they understand school topics thoroughly (as they would say, having “no doubts” about a subject). Students are motivated by positive reinforcement such as their teacher’s praise and recognition, as well as by rewards.
These findings suggest that students associate positive learning experiences with high levels of attention, engagement, and reward.
Conversely, parents who participated in the interview sessions expressed very practical needs for an ideal tutoring experience for their children. Their primary concerns included proof of quality (regarding curriculums, teachers, and test scores of Lido students) and money (i.e. wanting value for what they pay). Understandably, parents also wanted their children to receive the best possible education from the best teachers so they gain overall development.
The first persona recognizes the motivations and needs of students who are in need of tutoring services.
The second persona captures the main concerns of parents seeking tutoring support for their children
Combining what I learned from the competitive analysis and user research, I uncovered the following insights:
I reframed understanding the challenge that Lido faces using the following How Might We statements:
I came up with a list of suggestions to improve the usability and communication design of the Lido website which I presented to the primary Lido stakeholder:
I worked on a solution to this challenge by creating and recreating a sitemap to understand the architecture of Lido’s website and to ensure that the navigation is structured intuitively for users.
The original sitemap places important content in unexpected places or uses unintuitive naming conventions -- for example, it may be unclear to some users that the navigation header “Learning Plans” is where pricing information can be found, or similarly that “Teach With Us” includes important information for parents to learn about the qualifications of Lido teachers.
I then sketched out what these design changes would look like visually. I’ll note that several of the original sketches were changed with the final prototype in order to better present important information on Lido’s website.
Next, I generated wireframes to establish a blueprint for the final design.
Check out the interactive Figma prototype here
I made several suggestions to improve the navigation headers in order to ensure clarity and best organization practices:
Because Lido is for kids, I wanted to bring some fun elements and personality to the homepage by introducing more color and a variety of shapes. Visually, this is more interesting than what the current site displays as well as what Lido’s competitors show.
The homepage tagline was changed from “India’s best online classes” to “Personalized Learning so every student can succeed” which better aligns with the Lido mission statement and stands out in the crowd of “best online classes” which many online tutoring platforms boast. This also embraces student success as the main theme of the page, bringing emphasis back to the user.
I rewrote the mission statement under "Why Choose Lido?" to emphasize the problem with current overcrowded classrooms and lack of personalized attention. I wanted to highlight that “Lido believes that every student deserves the resources to succeed in school and in life.”
Lido’s special features are now showcased directly on the homepage. I titled this section "The Lido Difference" to emphasis that Lido offers special features which the competition doesn’t.
A "Best in Class "section was added to close out the mission statement and reiterate that Lido offers the best of the best tutoring services and welcomes parents and students to join its wholesome education community.
The "See For Yourself" section was introduced to showcase exactly what makes Lido great -- educational videos and interactive games. Parents can now personally experience the engaging content that Lido offers right from the homepage.
Finally, the "Testimonials" and "News" sections were enlarged and presented as carousels to feature one quote at a time for readability.
I originally had a different idea for the "Features" page which can be seen in my initial sketches and wireframes. I wanted to compile the images and copy into a card formation. My thinking was that this would provide a short and quick overview of the Lido features, but it seemed too at-a-glance.
I recognized that the current "Features" page shows fantastic images of Lido’s product in action, but these images are too small to appreciate detail. I decided to keep the same layout but increase the image sizes and group the listed features closer together. This creates a more cohesive flow to showcase Lido’s main features.
Aside from changing this page name from "Syllabus" to "Courses," to ensure clarity for users, this page stayed roughly the same. It’s long but provides a detailed overview of the syllabus for each course that Lido offers.
I liked that the current homepage shows each learning plan in a separate card, so I wanted to maintain that format. However, I saw an opportunity to show everything side by side in order to better visually explain what users get with the free app vs with the paid Learning Plans.
Finally, the "Our Teachers" page showcases Lido’s awesome teachers front and center. On the current site the teacher bios are overshadowed by a CTA for new teachers to work at Lido.
I saw a missed opportunity on the teacher acquisition page where it could be leveraged to both showcase current teachers as well as give potential teachers a place to apply. The new layout better communicates Lido’s mission overall and brings focus back to the users.
Overall Lido stakeholders were pleased with the improved tagline and mission statement which better capture Lido’s values and bring focus to student success while also better aligning with branding and business goals.
This better represents Lido’s mission and stands out from our competitors
I love the 'See For Yourself' section! Parents can immediately experience Lido’s learning content straight from the homepage
Stakeholders also had some questions about several of the chosen naming convention and layout choices.
I would want us to highlight our course offerings higher on the page
The overall stakeholder feedback was positively received and Lido quickly went on to incorporate some of the changes I suggested to their website. This project's success can largely be attributed to taking Lido's business needs and feedback into equal consideration with user needs when redesigning the website in order to better communicate product quality.
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