Turning a crucial assessment into a fun on-boarding experience

Exponenciel had an on-boarding experience that consisted of a dry list of multiple-choice questions, it fell short on accurately determining clients level and convert them into long time students.

Turn the boring dry assessment into a fun and frictionless language assessment experience that's narrative driven, engaging and effective. Clients would get immediate results and recommendations to upgrade their current level through custom 1:1 or group lessons.

The test had to include 20 mixed format questions so structuring the test around bite-sized cutscenes was the ideal approach. This would divide the narrative into small, engaging chunks that hold the user's focus.

Since we are in the era where short-form content is king, It made sense to make each cutscene run for 15~30 seconds (the sweet spot for short-form video platforms), keeping the full experience under 10 minutes to prevent burnout and time waste.

This approach ensures smooth flow between questions and leverages modern viewing habits for better retention.

One of the key requirements was completing the 20-question assessment in one uninterrupted session, this raised challenges like handling external disruptions beyond our control.

Even the most engaging journey can't guarantee against interruptions from hardware failures, software glitches, or life events. Those are factors that's entirely out of our hands.

My proposal to auto-save progress to the cloud from the start made sense, so I proceeded to add reconnect options for disconnects and made sure to at least capture essential user info like email for resumption reminders in case the user decides to postpone the assessment.

The original brief called for showing levels using CEFR levels (like A1 or A2), but I advocated to add a 100-point score alongside it for greater user motivation.

This encourages users to self-challenge and peer competition, pushing users to invest effort, enroll in classes, and track real progress. It visualizes growth from start to mastery, turning assessment into an inspiring journey.

After refining the core experience, the final push was convincing clients to enroll in online lessons.

I designed clear plans screens with essential elements: illustrations highlighting offerings, paired with real client reviews and FAQ section dedicated to answer client's questions. This makes the value clear and trustworthy to potential clients.

I always prioritize care in my designs, so I wove micro-animations across multiple screens to bring the app to life with a unique, polished touch.

These subtle motions reduce user uncertainty by providing clear feedback, guide attention to important elements, and infuse the product with a warm, human feel.

For the final screen before having access to the platform, I thought it would be better to illustrate a student card instead of having a simple "welcome screen". This gives the feeling that the user is part of a real learning platform by giving them a unique number and the option to add their own picture if they want to.