Ticmas is an educational technology company that develops digital solutions for schools, teachers, and students. Its platform seeks to transform the way we teach and learn by offering interactive content, management tools, and personalized experiences for different educational levels.
Role:
Product Designer
Client:
Ticmas
Industry:
Education
Context
Ticmas asked us to develop the MVP of an app for 3rd and 4th grade students, with the aim of helping students practice reading fluency and comprehension in a digital, autonomous, and engaging environment.
The central concept was for students to play at being streamers, completing challenges related to different topics according to their interests. The app had to be integrated into the Ticmas educational ecosystem, but with a more playful and distinctive experience.
Need
Business: Design a gamified experience aligned with school content that motivates students to practice reading on their own.
Users: understand the needs of teachers, as key figures in the classroom, since it was not possible to test directly with younger students in the early stages.
Design: create a clear, functional, and visually appealing MVP, adapted to the target age group, using Ticmas' existing design system as a basis with specific adjustments for this app.
Process
Research and understanding of the context
I conducted interviews with teachers from schools that use Ticmas products to learn about their views on: their students' reading needs and what type of content and tools would be useful to support this process.
As it was not possible to include students at this stage, a representative view was constructed based on the teachers' experience.
Co-creation and definition of the MVP
We facilitated a workshop together with the PM and PO, where:
Key functionalities of the MVP were defined.
Each team member designed a proposal for the home page in sketch format.
This opportunity allowed us to align our visions and begin to translate pedagogical ideas into concrete product proposals.
Benchmark and user flows
I benchmarked digital products that combine learning with gamification dynamics, analyzing tone, navigation, engagement, and visual language.
Based on these lessons, I worked on:
The information architecture of the app.
The design of user flows, considering different possible scenarios within the MVP.
Exploration and design decisions
We started with the design system previously developed for Ticmas products as a structural and visual foundation.
I applied style adjustments to make the app feel more playful and gamified: vibrant color palette, illustrative icons, components with greater visual dynamism.
I first designed the screens in medium fidelity, which we validated together with the team, and then we evolved them to high fidelity, adapted to the tone and age of the audience.
Prototype and validation
We built an interactive prototype with the MVP screens.
The prototype was tested at the Ticmas stand at the Book Fair, where students were able to interact with the app in a controlled environment.
This early validation allowed adjustments to be made before moving on to development.
Result
The MVP of a gamified reading app was designed and launched, and is now active in schools that work with Ticmas.
The visual experience combines consistency with the Ticmas ecosystem and a playful identity of its own, tailored to elementary school students.
The app was promoted during the Book Fair, with streamer Luquitas Rodríguez participating as a special guest, in line with the product's theme.
The iterative approach, collaborative design, and early validation ensured a result aligned with the project's pedagogical, technical, and commercial objectives.