ROLE
TIMELINE
TEAM
PROCESS
Lead UX Researcher, Designer & Project Manager
July 2024 – May 2025 (10 months)
Worked with CS students specializing in HCI, data science, and front-end development & ECE
Led interviews and observations, mapped insights, designed AR widget prototypes in Figma, and ran SUS evaluations
ROLE
Lead UX Researcher, Designer & Project Manager
TIMELINE
July 2024 – May 2025 (10 months)
TEAM
Worked with CS students specializing in HCI, data science, and front-end development & ECE
PROCESS
Led interviews and observations, mapped insights, designed AR widget prototypes in Figma, and ran SUS evaluations
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SUMMARY
This project was part of my research-driven UX Capstone at WPI, where I led an end-to-end design process to create smart glasses widgets that improve lecture delivery for professors. Our team explored pain points through interviews and classroom observations, synthesized findings via affinity mapping, and developed three AR widget concepts to support memory recall, student engagement, and lecture flow. I contributed as the Project Lead, driving user research, prototyping, and SUS-based evaluation, while ensuring clarity, impact, and team alignment throughout the project.
SUMMARY
This project was part of my research-driven UX Capstone at WPI, where I led an end-to-end design process to create smart glasses widgets that improve lecture delivery for professors. Our team explored pain points through interviews and classroom observations, synthesized findings via affinity mapping, and developed three AR widget concepts to support memory recall, student engagement, and lecture flow. I contributed as the Project Lead, driving user research, prototyping, and SUS-based evaluation, while ensuring clarity, impact, and team alignment throughout the project.
As AR technology continues to reshape classrooms, most tools have focused on students. But what about the educators at the front of the room?
As AR technology continues to reshape classrooms, most tools have focused on students. But what about the educators at the front of the room?
Through user interviews and classroom observations, we uncovered a pattern: professors were constantly juggling time, attention, and participation cues — often at the cost of smooth delivery and engagement.
Through user interviews and classroom observations, we uncovered a pattern: professors were constantly juggling time, attention, and participation cues — often at the cost of smooth delivery and engagement.
Our goal was to design lightweight AR widgets that improved lecture flow, student engagement, and recall — without adding complexity or disrupting the teaching rhythm.
Our goal was to design lightweight AR widgets that improved lecture flow, student engagement, and recall — without adding complexity or disrupting the teaching rhythm.
Research Insights
I conducted a series of user interviews and classroom observations to better understand the pain points professors experience during live teaching. These sessions helped me identify areas where AR glasses could meaningfully enhance focus and flow.
Journey Mapping
Journey Mapping
The mapped journey reveals key breakdowns in timing, student engagement, and information recall. After introducing the AR widgets, the flow became smoother, with clearer milestones, more equitable participation, and easier access to essential cues.
The mapped journey reveals key breakdowns in timing, student engagement, and information recall. After introducing the AR widgets, the flow became smoother, with clearer milestones, more equitable participation, and easier access to essential cues.
Before
Before
After
After
Affinity Mapping
Affinity Mapping
Key patterns from interviews and observations were synthesized using affinity mapping to prioritize user needs.
Key patterns from interviews and observations were synthesized using affinity mapping to prioritize user needs.
Student Engagement
Professors found it hard to read the room. Visual cues like eye contact and group responses helped, but tech use and large classes made this unreliable. This showed the need for real-time engagement feedback that’s easy to glance at.
Student Engagement
Professors found it hard to read the room. Visual cues like eye contact and group responses helped, but tech use and large classes made this unreliable. This showed the need for real-time engagement feedback that’s easy to glance at.
Active Recall
Many professors struggled to remember student names and who asked what. They wanted a way to track these during and after class. This pointed to the need for in-class memory cues for names and questions.
Active Recall
Many professors struggled to remember student names and who asked what. They wanted a way to track these during and after class. This pointed to the need for in-class memory cues for names and questions.
Time Management
Instructors often ran out of time or felt rushed. Switching tools slowed them down, and few had a clear way to pace their lectures. This led to the idea of simple timers and pacing markers built into their view.
Time Management
Instructors often ran out of time or felt rushed. Switching tools slowed them down, and few had a clear way to pace their lectures. This led to the idea of simple timers and pacing markers built into their view.
Technical Challenges
Classroom setups varied and were often clunky. Projectors, remotes, and laptops caused delays and broke focus. Professors needed a streamlined, hands-free setup that reduces disruption.
Technical Challenges
Classroom setups varied and were often clunky. Projectors, remotes, and laptops caused delays and broke focus. Professors needed a streamlined, hands-free setup that reduces disruption.
Other Concerns
Some professors forgot what they just said or felt unsure about cold calling students. Others wanted help encouraging participation. These insights supported subtle prompts and reminders to guide lectures smoothly.
Other Concerns
Some professors forgot what they just said or felt unsure about cold calling students. Others wanted help encouraging participation. These insights supported subtle prompts and reminders to guide lectures smoothly.
Hardware
Hardware
Before ideating, I ensured the team understood key hardware constraints, which shaped how we designed for display size, visibility, and user comfort.
Before ideating, I ensured the team understood key hardware constraints, which shaped how we designed for display size, visibility, and user comfort.
Ideation
Ideation
I conducted a design sprint with my team using Crazy 8s to rapidly sketch ideas. We used dot voting to select the most promising concepts.
The goal was to create lightweight AR widgets that supported professors with recall, engagement, and timing, while maintaining smooth lecture flow.
I conducted a design sprint with my team using Crazy 8s to rapidly sketch ideas. We used dot voting to select the most promising concepts.
The goal was to create lightweight AR widgets that supported professors with recall, engagement, and timing, while maintaining smooth lecture flow.
Widget Concepts
Widget Concepts
Based on our design sprint, we narrowed down to three AR widgets that addressed key teaching challenges: memory recall, student engagement, and pacing. Each widget was designed to be lightweight, glanceable, and unobtrusive, helping professors stay focused on teaching.
Based on our design sprint, we narrowed down to three AR widgets that addressed key teaching challenges: memory recall, student engagement, and pacing. Each widget was designed to be lightweight, glanceable, and unobtrusive, helping professors stay focused on teaching.
1. Student Recall Widget
Professors often forgot which students asked questions or struggled to remember names in large classes.
This widget included a small in-view name recall panel that surfaced recent interactions to support follow-up and memory.
2. Student Engagement Widget
Professors found it difficult to read the room, especially in larger or tech-heavy classrooms.
This widget provided a live participation tracker to highlight who was engaged, helping instructors adjust delivery in real time.
2. Student Engagement Widget
Professors found it difficult to read the room, especially in larger or tech-heavy classrooms.
This widget provided a live participation tracker to highlight who was engaged, helping instructors adjust delivery in real time.
3. Slide Summary + Timer Widget
Time management and pacing were recurring issues.
This widget combined a visual countdown and slide summary to help professors track progress while keeping milestones visible throughout the lecture.
3. Slide Summary + Timer Widget
Time management and pacing were recurring issues.
This widget combined a visual countdown and slide summary to help professors track progress while keeping milestones visible throughout the lecture.
Usability Testing & Evaluation
To evaluate the effectiveness of each widget, I conducted structured usability tests using website-based simulations due to technical limitations with AR hardware. I gathered both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback from professors to assess how well each prototype supported real classroom tasks.
System Usability Survey
Standardized 10-item questionnaire to measure perceived usability.
Performance Metrics
Task time, error rate, and accuracy measured across mock lecture sessions.
Post-Test Surveys
Captured satisfaction, clarity, and instructional value of each widget.
Results
System Usability Scores (SUS)
Student Recall
Student
Recall
88.75
88.75
Excellent
Excellent
Student Engagement
Student
Engagement
78.93
78.93
Good
Good
Slide Summary
Slide
Summary
86.25
86.25
Good
Good
Engagement: 6.6s → 3.4s
Recall Errors: 23% → 7%
Glancebacks: ↓ 32%
Overview
Project Focus & Impact:
This capstone focused on designing AR widgets to support live teaching without disrupting flow or focus.
Delivered a fully interactive website-based prototype simulating AR widget use in real lecture tasks
Validated how lightweight HUD-style tools can reduce friction in real-time teaching scenarios
Developed a repeatable UX evaluation process tailored for simulated AR environments
Positioned the project to guide future wearable classroom tools for educators
This capstone focused on designing AR widgets to support live teaching without disrupting flow or focus.
Delivered a fully interactive website-based prototype simulating AR widget use in real lecture tasks
Validated how lightweight HUD-style tools can reduce friction in real-time teaching scenarios
Developed a repeatable UX evaluation process tailored for simulated AR environments
Positioned the project to guide future wearable classroom tools for educators
Presenting our capstone project
Project Showcase with the Team
Presenting our capstone project
Project Showcase with the Team
TAKEAWAYS
Learned how to lead end-to-end design across research, ideation, and prototyping in a cross-functional team
Discovered how to design and run user studies, and turn real-world observations into measurable outcomes
Gained confidence using SUS surveys and usability metrics to evaluate early prototypes
Practiced fast ideation techniques like Crazy 8s to move from insight to concept quickly
Developed a stronger sense for designing minimal, glanceable interfaces that support real-time needs
Learned how to design for wearable AR, focusing on clarity without distraction
Realized the importance of balancing usability with technical feasibility early in the design process
TAKEAWAYS
Learned how to lead end-to-end design across research, ideation, and prototyping in a cross-functional team
Discovered how to design and run user studies, and turn real-world observations into measurable outcomes
Gained confidence using SUS surveys and usability metrics to evaluate early prototypes
Practiced fast ideation techniques like Crazy 8s to move from insight to concept quickly
Developed a stronger sense for designing minimal, glanceable interfaces that support real-time needs
Learned how to design for wearable AR, focusing on clarity without distraction
Realized the importance of balancing usability with technical feasibility early in the design process
Learn More
To dive deeper into my work, here are the final project deliverables (Click Below)
To dive deeper into my work, here are the final project deliverables (Click Below)
