Retrospective
Designing for trust in an AI assistant was a key challenge. Parents were wary of automated interactions, fearing they might undermine human connections. This led me to focus on transparency—clearly explaining data sources, reasoning, and giving users control. I learned that trust in AI requires more than accuracy; it demands clarity, user agency, and alignment with real-world values.
6 out of 8 users expressed difficulty managing a glut of apps, information, and fragmented communications
Information Overload
7 out of 8 users expressed a desire for a unified, consolidated platform
One-Stop-Shop
More children meant more platforms — and greater frustration.
Numbers Game
My team combined transcription, coding, and affinity mapping (using Condens, TextCortex, and FigJam) to turn scattered interview data into clear, actionable themes that shaped design priorities and solution framing.
SYNTHESIS
Key Insights
8 out of 8 users are open to using an AI product if a direct benefit is demonstrated
Cautious Optimism
THEME
INSIGHT
EVIDENCE
RECOMMENDATIONS
Info overload
Parents miss
key updates
Powerful search functionality: A robust, intuitive search that spans all integrated sources with filters.
Consistent formatting: Uniform structure and visual hierarchy across content types (e.g., events, grades, messages).
6/8 users overwhelmed by volume
Platforms switching
frustrates users
Results in abandoned
user journeys
All 8 users toggle between multiple apps
Single hub experience: All core school-related tools, updates, and actions are accessible in one interface.
Multi-platform integration: Seamless API connections to consolidate data and actions in one place.
Fragmentation
AI agent prioritization: An intelligent assistant surfaces only the most relevant, time-sensitive information.
All 8 expressed openness with caveats
Open if functionality can be proven
AI trust
Insights to Opportunities
END STATE USER JOURNEY
View Full User Journey
Naly, an AI assistant handles:
Task management
Calendar syncing
Communication tools
Key features included:
Seamless access to school updates through a single hub
Smart notifications
Auto-filled calendars
We designed a streamlined, AI-assisted experience that unified fragmented tools into a single hub, helping parents access school-related information quickly and confidently, without platform switching.
Accesses school platforms
via hub assisted by AI
Sync dates and reminders
in personal calendar
Ask AI for specific info
Complete and confirm forms
Views notifications and
can summarize updates
Initiation
Engagement
Usage
Logs in platform
Anticipation
Serenity
Peace of Mind
Trust
Acceptance
These features created a more efficient and personalized experience, guiding parents from initial anticipation to growing trust and ultimately peace of mind.
BEGINNING STATE USER JOURNEY
The map revealed frustration and repetition.
Parents frequently bounced between multiple disconnected platforms.
Many abandoned official tools altogether, relying on WhatsApp groups for reliable updates.
Key pain points identified included:
Platform overload creates unnecessary friction.
Poor navigation leads to repeated searches.
Fragmented communication causes parents to miss critical updates.
We mapped the current parent journey to visualize pain points in finding school-related information, highlighting where frustration, inefficiency, and abandonment occur.
View Full User Journey
Sifts through cluttered messages for key info
Turns to WhatsApp for
accurate answers
Overwhelmed, stops
engaging
Switches platforms,
repeats search
Entry
Search
Repetiton
Abandonment
Logs in platform, seeking
updates
Neutral/Hopeful
Annoyance
Resignation
Overwhelm
Frustration
Actionaly for Parents
A Smarter Parent Portal:
Unifying School Communication with AI
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Actionaly is a platform that streamlines communication and coordination between schools and families, supporting PreK–12 communities with tools for managing events, forms, payments, and school-wide engagement.
Since it’s conception, Actionaly shifted from a parent focus to serving school districts.
Now, it's refocusing on parents with a tool to simplify fragmented school communications and support greater parent engagement.
Problem
We proposed a mobile-first, AI-powered hub that unifies school communication and daily tasks, giving parents one clear, reliable channel for everything school-related.
Solution
Principal User Researcher and UX Designer
Discovery Research, Interaction, Visual Design, Prototyping and Testing
My Role
4 cross-functional UX designers and researchers
Team
9 weeks sprint covering discovery through refinement.
Timeline
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
How effective is Actionaly in supporting parent-school communication?
What are the most common pain points for parents when engaging with school communication tools?
What expectations and concerns do parents express regarding the use of AI in school communications?
Research Questions
Our objective was to uncover the pain points parents face with Actionaly and competing communication platforms, identify opportunities for improvement, and understand their expectations and concerns about AI in school communication.
Objective
Interviewed 8 parents of K–12 students and 2 Actionaly stakeholders representing diverse levels of digital literacy, age, ethnicity, and English fluency.
Comprehensive interviews exploring user experiences, pain points, and needs
Conducted remotely via Google Meet
Methodology
Participants expressed common frustrations:
"I'm so sick of it and whiplash is real. Just give me one thing and just consolidate it. I don't know why that isn't possible with them. It really does my head in."
“Less surprises, less mistakes, less. 10:00 PM Have to read 60 pages of a book about World War 2 situation. That would be really nice.”
“If there's any way to figure out how to make communication better and easier for people to action to take part in something, I think that would be an an amazing win.”
“Even just finding the bell schedule— it's kind of buried in a page somewhere, you know. The search doesn't work… it's just not easy. It's just not easy actually finding the information.”
Reduced app fragmentation: Cut average logins by 75%, helping parents access information faster.
Introduced AI assistant: Prioritizing key updates and streamlined tasks, cutting in-app time by 66%.
Shifted parent time from navigating tools to supporting their children, boosting overall satisfaction and trust.
66%
Less In-app Time
Overall
Boosted
Satisfaction & Trust
75%
Reduced Logins
IMPACT
EARLY STAGE PROTOTYPE
We turned research insights into a low-fidelity prototype that tackled parents’ frustrations with fragmented platforms, missed updates, and unclear priorities.
Grade Summary:
Grades paired with teacher context and recommended resources.
App integration:
Unified hub reduces platform switching with connected APIs.
Prioritized dashboard:
Centralized dashboard surfaces urgent tasks parents can’t miss.
USABILITY TESTING
These tests revealed that while parents valued consolidation, poor hierarchy and unclear AI roles undermined confidence guiding our next iteration toward simplicity, clarity, and trust.
Objective
We ran usability testing to ensure the prototype effectively addressed parents’ pain points: simplifying communication, reducing overload, and clarifying AI’s role.
Test Group
7 of our original interview participants returned
Methodology
Moderated remote sessions with 7 returning participants (via Google Meet + Maze prototype).
Parents completed core tasks while we observed interactions in real time.
Follow-up questions probed pain points, expectations, and perceptions of AI support.
Too many options cluttered the screen; unclear icons and badges confused parents.
Overwhelming Layout
Unclear Task Flow
Messaging Confusion
Parents struggled to follow a clear path, causing hesitation and errors.
Parents weren’t sure who received their messages or how Naly (AI) was involved.
Key Insights
Messages sent to AI felt directionless, reducing trust.
Meaning of number badges was unclear
Dashboard Iteration
Simplified the layout and removed confusing elements in the second iteration.
Identified most important elements and elements causing confusion or overwhelm.
Redesigned notifications using familiar list-style cards and labeled sections to support quick scanning.”
Key Changes
Primary CTA moved up:
Improves visibility and quick access.
AI Agent Iteration
Bottom sheet visually separates AI replies, making them more prominent and accessible.
The first iteration revealed that Naly’s role and presence within the interface were not immediately clear to users.
Used color contrast to differentiate between the AI and messaging interactions.
Clarifying Naly’s Role
Enhancing Visual Differentiation
Optimizing AI Interactions
Key Changes
Greyed-out background:
Directs attention to active interaction.
Layout Simplification
Notification Redesign
Prioritization
We refined the dashboard to reduce clutter, surface priority alerts, and turn scattered data into actionable next steps.
The refinement stage focused on addressing the most critical usability issues identified in testing while strengthening parent trust in the AI assistant.
We clarified Naly’s role with clear labeling, visual separation, and choice-based responses to build trust and control.
STRENGTHENING USABILITY & TRUST
