NovaTutor
An integrated learning dashboard and marketplace connecting students with expert tutors globally.
ROLE
Product Designer
DURATION
4 months
TEAM
1 Designer, 4 Engineers
PLATFORM
Web Application & Progressive Web App (PWA)
OWNERSHIP & SCOPE
Two-sided Marketplace Design · Search & Filtering UX · Calendar & Scheduling Interface · Video Call UI layout
DESIGN STACK
THE PROBLEM
High friction in the discovery and booking process led to significant drop-offs. Tutors were leaving the platform due to poor calendar management tools.
MY ROLE & CONTRIBUTION
A seamless two-sided marketplace that handles discovery, scheduling, payments, and live video.
Designing for two distinct user groups (Students and Tutors) with conflicting needs regarding scheduling and flexibility.
TARGET USER
Learner — Prefers booking 30-minute trial sessions before committing.
CORE FRICTION
Timezone confusion during scheduling Complex filtering requirements (subject, price, rating, availability)
BUSINESS DRIVER
The tutoring market was highly fragmented. NovaTutor wanted to build a centralized platform where students could discover tutors, schedule sessions, and conduct video lessons all in one place.
KEY CONSTRAINTS
Timezone confusion during scheduling
Complex filtering requirements (subject, price, rating, availability)
Building trust between strangers before a paid session
Evidence & Insights
Approach: Surveys sent to 500 existing users, followed by 10 deep-dive interviews (5 students, 5 tutors). Mapped the core loop: Search -> Review Profile -> Message/Book -> Session -> Review.
USER INSIGHT
Students care more about a tutor's accent/communication style than their formal degrees.
DESIGN IMPLICATION
Auto-convert all times to the user's local timezone.
USER INSIGHT
Tutors hate the admin work of managing schedules and chasing payments.
DESIGN IMPLICATION
Introduce short introduction videos on tutor profiles.
USER INSIGHT
Cancellations are the biggest source of friction.
DESIGN IMPLICATION
Implement a 1-click booking flow with saved payment methods.
Core Architecture & Trade-Offs
Every major interface decision was evaluated against real enterprise constraints, user cognitive load, and accessibility standards.
DECISION 01
Integrating the calendar directly onto the search results card so students don't have to click into a profile just to see availability.
A friendly, highly engaging UI that feels more like a modern consumer app (like Airbnb) rather than a rigid educational tool.
EXECUTIVE IMPACT SUMMARY
NovaTutor successfully removed the friction from online tutoring, creating a marketplace where educators can thrive and students can learn seamlessly.
WORKFLOW SIMPLIFICATION
Transformed a multi-screen, multi-step provisioning process into a guided 3-step wizard with progressive disclosure.
ACCESSIBILITY & OBSERVABILITY
Redesigned status indicators with shape, color, and text — meeting WCAG 2.1 AA and eliminating ambiguity.
SYSTEM SCALE
Contributed storage-specific UI patterns back to the global HPE GreenLake design system.
Senior Practitioner Insights
Handling the edge cases of calendar syncing (e.g., Daylight Savings Time changes across different hemispheres).