Role: Sole UX/UI Designer
Timeline: 1 year (2024–2025)
Main Tools: Figma, Figjam, Mobbin
Key Skills: Design systems, Accessibility, Usability testing, Developer collaboration
UX/UI Foundation & Webapp design at Edkimo
TL;DR
Goal:
Establish UX/UI foundations at Edkimo, a Berlin-based EdTech startup, by redesigning the app experience and introducing scalable design practices.
Key contributions:
Designed intuitive, accessible interfaces for main app features
Created a modular, WCAG-compliant design system in Figma
Initiated and ran usability testing to validate key user flows
Introduced design as a tool for smoother developer collaboration
Advocated for the value of design across the organization.
Impact
First structured UX/UI process implemented at Edkimo
Reduced design/dev friction with reusable components
Improved user experience through evidence-based design
Elevated the role of design within product decision-making
Project overview
When I joined Edkimo, a Berlin-based startup developing a feedback tool that aims to help teachers get feedback from students, the product lacked a cohesive UX/UI direction. Their app was functional but reflected a developer-led approach, which presented opportunities to improve usability and design cohesion.
As their first in-house UX/UI designer, my mission was to bring structure, improve usability, incorporate more usability testings to the workflow and lay the groundwork for a scalable design practice.
Context and challenge
Edkimo helps teachers create and distribute surveys to students, visualize feedback, and improve classroom experiences. While the product concept was strong and provided clear value to its users, the interface had been developed without a dedicated design role—resulting in a layout and experience shaped primarily by technical implementation rather than user-centered principles. This led to inconsistencies in visual language, limited accessibility, and a lack of structured user testing to validate design choices and guide improvements.
My Role & Responsibilities
As the first in-house Designer, my responsibilities included:
Audited the existing app to identify usability issues and design gaps
Researched best practices in UX for education tools and mobile platforms
Redesigned the core user flows with a focus on clarity and usability
Created a foundational design system from scratch
Considered accessibility from the start (color contrast, typography, spacing)
Initiated and conducted regular usability testing sessions
Maintained continuous collaboration with developers and stakeholders
Process & Approach
Understanding the product
My work began with a thorough UX audit of the existing platform. Edkimo had no in-house UX/UI designer before, so the interface had evolved without a clear design vision. I started by reviewing the product as a whole, mapping existing flows, and identifying pain points.
I held collaborative discussions with the CEO, CTO, and developers to understand concerns about the user journey, platform limitations, and business goals. This gave me clarity on what was already working and where the product needed improvement.
With a clearer picture of the product's core functions and bottlenecks, I began refining user personas to reflect the real needs and behaviours of Edkimo’s primary audience: teachers and school staff.
Designing a foundation
To bring clarity and consistency to the interface, I created a design system in Figma, grounded in Material Design 3 principles. I made accessibility a priority—selecting WCAG-compliant colors, establishing typographic hierarchy, and defining spacing and layout guidelines.
The system was designed to be scalable, ensuring that as new features and pages are added, design and development teams can move faster while staying consistent. This provided a clear structure for future growth and simplified handoffs to developers.
We identified key screens early on, and I began working on wireframes and screen sketches, continuously iterating based on internal feedback and user input.
Usability Testing
Even though the team initially felt there was “no time” for usability testing, I strongly advocated for integrating it into our process. I ran lightweight, focused usability tests on key flows—survey creation, results viewing, navigation—ensuring we stayed user-centered.
These sessions helped uncover issues with copy clarity, button behavior, and flow logic, leading to simpler, clearer designs validated by real users.
Collaboration
Ongoing communication with developers and product stakeholders was held via weekly product meetings, async comments in Figma, and Trello tickets.
Key Screens & Features
Login
Library
The redesigned login screen swaps a busy layout for a clean, focused experience. By simplifying the background, tightening up spacing, and using clearer typography, the new design puts the spotlight on what matters: logging in. It’s easier to read, quicker to navigate, and more accessible—with better contrast, aligned fields, and just the right amount of whitespace.
The redesigned library screen is all about making things easier and more enjoyable to use. Instead of overwhelming users with dropdowns and dense text, the new layout introduces clear categories, a prominent search bar, and colourful, consistent cards that are easy to scan. Visual cues like icons and color blocks help users quickly understand and browse the content. Overall, the update brings a lighter, more organised feel—making it simpler to explore and find the right templates without the clutter.
Dashboard
The redesigned dashboard shifts from a dense, cluttered layout to something much more approachable and easy to navigate. While the original version packed in a lot of information without much breathing room, the new design introduces more white space, a softer color palette, and a clearer visual hierarchy to help users focus on what matters most. By simplifying the main call to action, adding a friendly welcome and a personalised approach to the user, the experience feels lighter and more personalised. It’s not just a visual change—it’s a more user-focused dashboard that helps people get where they need to go faster and with less effort.
Survey editor
The redesign of the survey editor turned out to be one of the most challenging tasks, transforming a functional yet somewhat rigid layout into a dynamic, intuitive, and significantly more efficient workspace. Following user research and an analysis of successful editor patterns across leading applications, my aim was to standardise the design, making the task of building surveys feel instantly familiar and intuitive for users.
The redesign aimed to create a clearer, more efficient experience, establishing a clear hierarchy and flow. This foundation allowed for the implementation of a modern, modular, card-based system for individual questions, enhancing readability and organisation. This provides a more intuitive layout, in-context editing controls, and distinct top-level tabs for 'Editor,' 'Preview,' 'Settings,' and 'Responses' for a clear navigation.
Impact
Introduced Edkimo’s first structured UX/UI process
Built a design system that sped up developer handoff and improved consistency
Made the product easier to use, backed by real feedback from usability testing
Helped the team see the value of design as part of the product conversation
Laid a scalable foundation for future features and iterations
Takeaways
This experience challenged me in the best possible ways. Starting from scratch meant building structure, organising what already existed, and constantly adapting to shifting priorities—all while advocating for the value of design in a product-led team. I learned I’m not only capable of creating clarity in chaos, but also of stepping into leadership: delegating when needed, and encouraging more open, focused communication with stakeholders.
Working closely with a team that didn’t reflect the product’s core users brought its own set of challenges. I often had to explain and defend even the smallest design decisions, which at times was frustrating—but it also pushed me to become a stronger advocate, both for the user and for myself as a designer.
When the direction is clear, I found I can really hit my stride—researching, designing, testing, and iterating with energy and purpose. I naturally approach design from a user-centered mindset, always looking for ways to help people navigate the product with clarity and freedom. What I leave behind is more than a new interface—it's a scalable system and a design culture that can hopefully grow with the team.