Overview
Project Context.
One of my earliest tasks at IBM was to improve 'Guided Projects' and its labs to create a more engaging online learning experience. As the only designer on the team, I collaborated with a group of developers to create the final product you see today. Working on the team has helped me refine my Enterprise Design Thinking skills and was a valuable learning experience. For added context about the team, Skills Network creates customized educational portals for companies. The team's most successful platform, Cognitive Class, offers online courses and produces organic growth within the team. With the recent batch of interns available, the stakeholders were looking to advance the platform even further. Our stakeholders wanted to capitalize on the significant interest in AI by creating suitable content. We even wanted to have our own AI-powered assistant, which is how Tai came to be. Prompt engineering gained popularity, and we aimed to adapt our learning environment to meet this demand. This led to the creation of a special lab environment for users to build and test prompts for Large Language Machines (LLMs). At the end of the roadmap, our aim was to create the most intuitive Prompt Engineering course that stands out from the rest. The challenge was to consider the bigger picture and how these two UIs combine for the user's benefit.
This case study covers my contributions to Tai and AI Classroom. As a UX/UI designer at IBM, I learned the value of collaboration and working alongside developers to create a product that will benefit thousands of students worldwide.
On the left. Tai, is your helpful AI teaching assistant that can awnser questions and guide learners throughout the lab.
On the right. AI Classroom is a new tool type option in a lab that teaches learners how to build prompts for LLMs.
Brief
Understanding the Product
So around the time I joined the team, a working prototype of Tai was already made. Our first goal was to create our AI teaching assistant that would accompany our learners through each course. The coding environment would load on their browsers and allow them to begin learning without any resistance. I had suggested that we take a step back from the project and focus on our problem statement, and generate some "why's". So we asked ourselves...
What are some ways for learners to seek help and feel supported while learning?
PROBLEM ✦
Most online learning platforms are predictable and overuse boring text and videos. This can make learners feel uninterested and feel that they haven't learned anything.
Complicated topics like prompt engineering can be intimidating and leave learners feeling overwhelmed.
Adding to the challenge, learners lack a quick way to ask questions and often find themselves waiting for their instructor, which can be frustrating.
SOLUTION ✦
Hands-on learning creates a more fun and practical way to learn, helping students understand things better.
Students can rely on Tai to answer personalized questions that the user may have. Thus reliving the stress of trying to find an answers.
The Prompt engineering part must be broken into steps, making it simpler and easier for students to follow and understand. The interface needs to adapt to and work with the many possibilities presented in the guided project instructions.
Make the learning experience feel like an interactive class with a teacher and a project.
WHAT
AI Classroom and Tai are innovative educational tools by Skills Network IBM that add valuable functionalities to improve online learning experiences. Tai is an advanced AI teaching assistant that can be accessed when a learner opens up a lab in their guided project. AI Classroom is a helpful tool that instructors can include in their guided projects that engages learners with hands-on learning with AI prompting.
WHY
By adding AI Classroom to guided projects, learners can better understand complex concepts, and Tai, the advanced AI teaching assistant, guides them personally, making online learning more engaging and enjoyable. Guided Projects will become equipped to create a more approachable and supportive environment for individuals of varying skill levels and backgrounds.
WHO
These tools, are for learners who are interested in tech all over the world. Learners from high school to college can use them to make learning easier. Guided projects keep learners up-to-date with the latest industry trends, helping them develop skills that can advance their careers ahead of the competition. These tools can also benefit instructors by making it easier for them to create lessons that leave a bigger impact for learners.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
So around the time I joined the team, a working prototype of Tai was already made. Our first goal was to create our AI teaching assistant that would accompany our learners through each course. The coding environment would load on their browsers and allow them to begin learning without any resistance. I had suggested that we take a step back from the project and focus on our problem statement, and generate some "why's". So we asked ourselves...
What are some ways for learners to seek help and feel supported while learning?
PROBLEM ✦
Most online learning platforms are predictable and overuse boring text and videos. This can make learners feel uninterested and feel that they haven't learned anything.
Complicated topics like prompt engineering can be intimidating and leave learners feeling overwhelmed.
Adding to the challenge, learners lack a quick way to ask questions and often find themselves waiting for their instructor, which can be frustrating.
SOLUTION ✦
Hands-on learning creates a more fun and practical way to learn, helping students understand things better.
Students can rely on Tai to answer personalized questions that the user may have. Thus reliving the stress of trying to find an answers.
The Prompt engineering part must be broken into steps, making it simpler and easier for students to follow and understand. The interface needs to adapt to and work with the many possibilities presented in the guided project instructions.
Make the learning experience feel like an interactive class with a teacher and a project.
WHAT
AI Classroom and Tai are innovative educational tools by Skills Network IBM that add valuable functionalities to improve online learning experiences. Tai is an advanced AI teaching assistant that can be accessed when a learner opens up a lab in their guided project. AI Classroom is a helpful tool that instructors can include in their guided projects that engages learners with hands-on learning with AI prompting.
WHY
By adding AI Classroom to guided projects, learners can better understand complex concepts, and Tai, the advanced AI teaching assistant, guides them personally, making online learning more engaging and enjoyable. Guided Projects will become equipped to create a more approachable and supportive environment for individuals of varying skill levels and backgrounds.
WHO
These tools, are for learners who are interested in tech all over the world. Learners from high school to college can use them to make learning easier. Guided projects keep learners up-to-date with the latest industry trends, helping them develop skills that can advance their careers ahead of the competition. These tools can also benefit instructors by making it easier for them to create lessons that leave a bigger impact for learners.
It was a great experience working with an awesome team on a unique and fun project. This project marked my first publication with IBM, and I learned a lot from it. Before this, I enjoyed collaborating with a group of talented developers, which helped me test my ability to create user-friendly designs without causing issues for the developers. Looking back, I wish I had documented my process better. Even though we didn't need extensive user research, having clear documentation would have been easy to refer to. Most importantly, this experience has also improved my ability to present ideas and communicate changes.