A.I.M. Institute

Creative direction for a Literacy Diagnostic Tool6–8 Weeks | Education | Research, Strategy, UX, Design Oversight

Overview

AIM Institute is a leader in literacy-focused professional development, delivering digital learning rooted in the Science of Reading. They asked us to design a diagnostic tool that evaluates educators’ expertise and matches them with the right AIM Pathways™ courses.

My Role: As Creative Director, I led research interpretation, design direction, and strategy—delivering three distinct, high-fidelity prototypes for different user types.

The Challenge

Design a digital diagnostic experience tailored to three audiences:

Individual Teachers: who discover the tool independently

Administrators: assessing their own instructional knowledge

System-Level Educators: completing a school- or district-wide diagnostic

Each pathway needed a unique UX flow while maintaining visual and structural unity across the experience.

My Role

As Creative Director, I was responsible for:

• Leading stakeholder workshops to define user journeys and goals

• Translating research into a scalable interaction model

• Directing the UX and UI of three distinct but cohesive pathways

• Overseeing usability testing, synthesis, and design iteration

• Ensuring brand alignment and accessibility throughout

• Presenting milestones and final deliverables to AIM’s leadership.

Process

1. Discovery & Flow Mapping

• Analyzed pre-existing empathy interviews

• Facilitated collaborative working session with AIM

• Defined 3 user flows based on educator roles

2. MVP Design (Individual Teacher)

• Directed layout, tone, and interaction strategy

• Designed to reduce cognitive load and maximize usability

• Incorporated brand elements with a modernized visual style

3. Usability Testing

• 7 user tests (5 teachers, 1 media specialist, 1 literacy specialist)

• Led synthesis and refined questionnaire based on feedback

• Findings shared in a comprehensive research report

“Quick, easy, but thorough… warm and inviting.”
— User Test Feedback

4. Multi-Pathway Expansion

• Oversaw design of two additional flows (Admin & System-Level)

• Ensured UX consistency while adapting to each user’s role

• Maintained modular design system for scalability

5. Finalization & Delivery

• Refined content structure and navigation based on AIM feedback

• Delivered 3 clickable prototypes + research documentation

• Facilitated handoff to AIM’s development team for implementation

Outcome

• 3 tailored, high-fidelity prototypes

• Iterative UX informed by 7 real users

• Research-backed content refinements

• Phase 2 engagement secured (Development phase)

• User feedback praised clarity, tone, and design polish

“It has a nice feel to it, graphically.”
“Friendly and usable.”

Deliverables

• 3 high-fidelity, role-specific prototypes

• Usability testing plan, session recordings, synthesis report

• Visual system aligned to AIM’s brand identity

• Research-driven recommendations for questionnaire content

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