UX Research

Interaction Design

Usability Testing

Visual Design

Prototyping

Quizlet Redesign

An unsolicited redesign of Quizlet.com, focused on consolidating information architecture and simplifying the path to finding a study set.

    ROLE
    UX Designer + Researcher
  
    TEAM
    Julia Reel (research)

    TIMELINE
    Oct - Nov 2022

    Quizlet
    is
    one
    of
    the
    world's
    most
    widely
    used
    learning
    platforms,
    evolving
    from
    a
    simple
    flashcard
    tool
    into
    a
    comprehensive
    study
    ecosystem
    used
    by
    millions
    of
    students.
    Despite
    its
    scale,
    core
    usability
    issues
    were
    making
    it
    difficult
    for
    users
    to
    efficiently
    find
    and
    use
    study
    sets—the
    platform's
    primary
    task.
  

    The
    goal
    was
    to
    evaluate
    and
    simplify
    the
    study
    experience,
    making
    it
    easier
    for
    users
    to
    discover
    and
    access
    relevant
    study
    sets
    while
    reducing
    friction
    in
    core
    navigation
    and
    search
    flows.
  

    This
    began
    as
    a
    class
    research
    project
    at
    the
    University
    of
    Michigan
    and
    evolved
    into
    an
    independent
    redesign
    based
    on
    the
    insights
    uncovered.
  

[ Research ]

Understanding Quizlet users and evaluating the existing experience

Distributed through a student messaging platform, the survey reached 25+ Quizlet users and focused on how students approach studying, how they use online tools, and what frustrations they had with Quizlet specifically.

Laptop / desktop

93%

Tablet

53%

Smartphone

37%

Other devices

7%

N/A — I don't study online

Which devices do you use for online learning?

Create Q&A lists 56.67%

Test practice 26.67%

Study term lists 6.67%

Create flashcards 10%

What are you looking for in an online study tool?

Building on the survey, we designed a usability test to pinpoint where users were getting stuck on the Quizlet website. Participants were asked to complete core tasks: finding a specific study set, using search filters, and navigating the homepage.

Research revealed four key pain points

      / 01
      Confusing homepage
      Users struggled to orient themselves due to minimal information and poor organization. One participant couldn't find anywhere to locate a study set.
    

      / 02
      Difficulty finding study sets
      Users who searched for specific sets got lost in cluttered results and overwhelming filter options, making it hard to land on the right set.
    

      / 03
      Cluttered search results
      Poorly organized results made it difficult to identify what a study set was or how to navigate to it. The page lacked clear visual hierarchy.
    

      / 04
      Ineffective filters
      50% of participants had difficulty finding and using search filters. Some didn't notice them at all. One user said they wished there was one.
    

[ Defining the problem ]

How might we simplify the experience of finding a study set on Quizlet for both new and returning users?

[ Design scope ]

Narrowing the project scope to the study set search journey

Based on the research, I narrowed scope to the homepage and search flow, prioritizing desktop given that 90%+ of survey respondents studied on a laptop or desktop and began exploring different ideas.

[ ideation ]

Mapped the journey to uncover where the experience broke down and inform the redesign

I created a user flow for the core task: finding a specific study set, to identify where the experience broke down and what the redesign needed to address.

[ interaction design ]

Developed mid-fidelity wireframes from the flow, prioritizing usability and content organization

[ Final design ]

3 key changes

/ 01

Clear and prominent search

Added a large search bar directly on the unauthenticated homepage, giving users an immediate and obvious path to finding study sets. A Browse by Subject option below provides an alternative entry point for users who prefer browsing over searching.

Before

After

/ 02

Simplified search results

Removed the large set preview panel and replaced it with a Quick View button per result, making the page significantly easier to scan. Filter options were repositioned and simplified so users could actually find and use them.

Before

After

/ 03

Enhanced authenticated experience

Added a Subjects tab to the authenticated navigation and a Browse by Subject button on the homepage — giving returning users a feature that was entirely absent from the original design.

Before

After

Final Experience

Unauthenticated user

Using the search bar and filters to find a Spanish vocabulary study set.

Authenticated user

Using the subjects tab to locate a Spanish vocabulary study set.

Takeaways

      Research shapes scope as much as direction
      The survey pointed to search as the core problem, but the usability test revealed exactly where users were getting stuck. Without both, the scope would have been too broad to execute well.
    
      Unsolicited work requires extra discipline
      Without a client to define constraints, I had to set my own. Desktop-first, two user types, three core screens. Scoping tightly made it possible to go deep rather than spread thin across the whole product.
    
      The existing design system is a constraint, not a shortcut
      Working within Quizlet's visual language meant every decision had to be justified on usability grounds rather than aesthetic preference. That constraint actually made the design stronger.
    
      Small structural changes drive the biggest gains
      The most impactful fixes were adding a prominent search bar and repositioning filters. The content was never the problem, how that content was organization was.

Note: I am not affiliated with Quizlet. This research and unsolicited redesign was done as a class project and further learning experience for myself to explore redesigning a product I frequently interact with.

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