A digital library for independent reading
0-to-1 product design - SplashLearn.
The product: 0-to-1 digital reading library: from finding a suitable book to reading it independently, with teachers assigning books and following reading activity across their class.
Three decisions carry the story: Two ways to read; measured activity instead of self-reported completion; recommendations before categories.
My role: Worked on the design charter, guided the team's research into reading, and defined the problem statement and user needs for the digital library as a whole, beyond the interface. With two other designers, drafted the web, tablet and mobile experience.
Outcome: Built an audience of 500K Monthly active learners with 47% classroom retention.
The problem was bigger than a shelf of books
• Teachers wanted students to become independent readers; making books available was only one part of that.
• Students needed material matched to their interests and reading ability, support when they could not read alone, and a way to keep going without constant teacher help.
• Teachers needed a workflow to find the right material, assign it, and see what students had read.
• The opportunity: connect discovery, reading and follow-through, not ship a standalone catalogue.
What the research showed
• Reading happens in different settings - daily reading, small groups, classroom centres - each with different needs for finding and assigning books.
• Choice and support both matter: nonfiction for research projects, comics for reluctant readers, read-to-me books for fluency and independence.
• Assignments need to fit the learner: interests, reading level and curriculum objectives, not one book for everyone.
• Self-reported reading logs are not always trusted: teachers and parents reported they can be unreliable, since children may say they read when they have not. This directly shaped.
Three decisions that shaped the library
Decision 1: two ways to read, because readers differ
• A classroom mixes children still learning to read with fluent readers; one experience cannot serve both.
• Every book supports two modes: read-to-me (listen first, then tackle the words) for early readers; read-by-myself for confident readers.
• The choice is visible everywhere - teacher introduction, filter, student toggle, badge on book cards - not buried in settings.
• Caveat: Reading that prominence as a deliberate commitment to the fluency benefit the research links to read-to-me is a design interpretation to confirm with the team.
Decision 2: measure reading activity, don't ask children to report it
• Rejected the obvious "mark as complete" button: self-reported logs can be unreliable, and we did not want to build a negative connotation into the product.
• Built the log on tracked activity instead: the system records time in a book; a book counts as read at 50% of its estimated reading time (confirmed as the actual threshold used).
• What it means: A working signal that the child read rather than only flipped pages - not proof of comprehension.
• Why it matters: It gives a teacher something concrete and tamper-resistant to discuss, instead of a checkbox a child ticks to end the conversation.
Decision 3: recommendations first, categories second
• A school library made digital, not a curriculum tool - and teachers often do not know what a particular child will want.
• Starting from categories forces teacher and child to answer that question before they can begin.
• So the experience leads with a "For you" recommendation start that works even when nobody knows what to look for.
• Categories stay one step behind, with a "pick your favourite category" lane for children who do know.
The experience
One tension runs through every surface: children choose and read on their own, while teachers stay informed and in control of what is assigned. The teacher experience and the student experience was designed for the MVP with mobile experience for next phase.
For teachers: introduce, find, assign: Launch modal leads with the value proposition - read-to-me books, leveled readers, diverse genres, a daily 20-minute reading routine - plus a permanent home in the teacher navigation.
Discovery, two ways: "By reading skills": start from what the class is working on, with curated shelves and filters for grade, format and assessment.
"By categories": start from interest. Quiz badges and the has-assessment filter let teachers worried about comprehension pick books that come with a check.
