Role
Product Designer
Timeline
Oct. 2024 - Jan. 2025
Team
2 Product Managers
3 Product Designers
6 Engineers
1 Marketing Lead
Skills
UX Research
Product Strategy
Product Thinking
Prototyping
User Interviews
Usability Testing
CONTEXT
Turning Technical Prep Into a Game, Not a Grind
THE PROBLEM
How might we make coding practice more motivating and build confidence in technical interviews?
Low Motivation
Many users struggle with consistency, leading to gaps in their learning progress
Unclear Progress
Existing metrics like streaks or badges often fail to reflect true skill development
Lack of Verbal Practice
Most learners want to build up their confidence explaining solutions in technical interviews
THE GOAL
Design a coding prep tool that trains not just the brain — but the voice, too
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Customized Onboarding
• Avatar selection
• Diagnostic quiz to customize learning path
Explore Exercises via "Worlds"
• Themed coding "worlds" grouped by topic
• Assessments to skip ahead based on skill
AI Voice-Based Interviews
• Users record voice responses to interview-style questions
• AI gives instant, rubric-based feedback
Community & Quests
• Quests, streaks, and leaderboards
• Friend connections and collaboration
Starting From Scratch: How did we create this APP?
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Understanding the Gamified and Educational Market
There is not really an existing app like AlgoAce, but we conducted market research and SWOT analysis on similar gamified and educational apps to further understand their strengths and weaknesses.
✅ Strengths:
• Effective use of gamification elements (e.g. virtual pets, streaks, karma points)
• Habit and progress motivation
• Personalization and adaptability
• Community and social motivation
❌ Weaknesses:
• Paywalls block core features
• Weak progress communication
• Disjointed onboarding and vague progress indicators
• Heavy reliance on extrinsic motivators
USER INTERVIEW
Uncovering What’s Frustrating in Coding Prep for Users
Most aspiring software engineers use coding platforms and problem banks to prepare for technical interviews — but the experience often feels like grinding through problems without meaningful progress or fun.
To better understand how the process is like, I interviewed 10 undergrads and grads to uncover learning patterns, and unmet needs that current tools overlook.
USER FLOW
Navigating Like Users
USABILITY TESTING & ITERATIONS
Going Through with Users and Iterating Over and Over
After conducting usability testing with users, we identified opportunities to enhance the user experience and design. We focused on understanding where users struggled and how we could improve the app.
Change #1
Most users mentioned that they prefer to see their progress and want the answers to be the same size as the others. I added a progress bar and experimented with different color choices.
Change #2
I added a short tutorial for the AI interview after users had trouble navigating it during testing sessions. This gives users a brief overview of the format.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Refining with Cool Tones and Retro Type for an Immersive Feel
We expanded our universe theme with a cool-toned palette and retro-inspired typography to balance playfulness with a polished, game-like design system.
NEXT STEPS
On the APP Store
Our development team is actively preparing for a public launch on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, targeted for Q4 2025. On the design side, we’ll continue refining the user experience based on feedback and usage data, while exploring opportunities to expand core features.
TAKEAWAYS
Collaboration and communication spark great design.
This app wouldn’t be what it is without all the late-night work sessions, tiny debates over button placements, and constant “wait… does this actually make sense for the user?” moments. Building something meaningful is never a linear path - it’s full of trials, errors, and unexpected breakthroughs. And honestly, that’s what made it fun.
Empathize with users and consider different perspectives.
Testing features, analyzing competitors, and stepping into users' shoes made me realize product design isn’t just about making something look cool - it’s about making intentional decisions that genuinely improve user experience. Every button, flow, detail, and iteration needs to serve a functional purpose.