How a User-Centered Redesign Saved a School $180k
J A R V I S
Product Designer
StakeholdersĂ—2, ManagersĂ—2, Software EngineersĂ—1
3 Months
Background
Jarvis, an EdTech company's school management tool, was powerful but bloated. After 8+ years of added features with no designer, the staff responsible for student onboarding were drowning in a sea of fragmented workflows, relying on sticky notes and spreadsheets to manage critical tasks. This operational chaos was leading to staff burnout, frustrated parents, and significant revenue loss from missed student enrollments.
I led the redesign of the core admin experience, transforming the chaotic, multi-platform process into a single, guided workflow. The new system reduced cognitive load, eliminated missed steps, and gave admins hours back in their week, allowing them to focus on people, not platforms.
The $180k problem
Jarvis was built to be an all-in-one solution, but in reality, it was only half a solution. For critical tasks like enrolling a new trial student, admins were forced to navigate a maze of external tools, manual data entry, and verbal handoffs. There was no single source of truth, which created a system that was not just inefficient, but exhausting.
“This whole process feels like duct taping six platforms together and hoping nothing slips.” — Admin Team Member
Mapping user journeys revealed a 7-step, 5-tool onboarding process
Through shadowing and contextual interviews, I mapped the trial student onboarding flow. What should have been a simple process was a brittle, 7+ step journey that required admins to switch between Jarvis, Google Sheets, Mailchimp, Google Contacts, and paper forms.
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This fragmented system meant critical steps were frequently forgotten, especially during busy periods or when handing off tasks between shifts. Follow-up emails weren't sent, evaluations were misplaced, and data was entered incorrectly.
“If someone else starts the flow and I pick it up halfway, I have no idea what's done or not.” — Front Desk Admin
The cumbersome flow had a heavy cost on the business
This wasn't just a UX issue; it was a major business risk. The operational drain and enrollment leakage had a quantifiable impact on the bottom line.
| Problem | Business Impact |
|---|---|
| Operational Drain | The workflow took 15-20 minutes per student. Across the team, this added up to 3-5 hours of wasted staff time every week on redundant, manual tasks that could be automated. |
| Lost Revenue | The school manager estimated 1-3 potential students per week dropped off due to missed follow-ups. This translated to $60k-$180k in potential lost revenue annually. |
“We invest in marketing to bring students in the door, but we struggle with conversion.” — School Owner
My research revealed a core insight
Admins didn't need more features. They needed clarity, guidance, and a system that could think one step ahead of them. This understanding allowed us to reframe the problem and explore solutions that would provide structure and reduce cognitive load.
Framing with "How might we..." helped to push us in the right direction
I translated the research insights into actionable questions to guide our ideation:
How might we...
turn fragmented workflows into one seamless, guided system?
How might we...
support admins in remembering every step without relying on memory?
How might we...
ensure every family receives the same high-quality onboarding experience?
Exploring solutions allowed us to effectively weigh tradeoffs
With a clear goal, I explored several concepts for the new trial workflow, moving from paper prototypes to mid-fidelity Figma mockups. The goal was to find the right balance between structure and flexibility.
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| Concept | Description | Pros & Cons |
|---|---|---|
| A: The Super-Checklist | A simple, linear checklist embedded on the student's profile. |
Pro: Simple to build and understand. Con: Too rigid; didn't account for variations in the workflow or help with prioritization. |
| B: The Card Board | A visual, Trello-like board where each student was a card that moved through columns (e.g., "New Trial," "Evaluation," "Follow-up"). |
Pro: Excellent for at-a-glance visibility. Con: User testing revealed it felt like "one more thing to manage" and was potential overkill. |
| C: The Guided Flow | A smart, wizard-like interface that prompted the admin for the next step based on the student's current status. |
Pro: Radically reduced cognitive load. Users felt confident and supported. Con: More complex to engineer. |
We decided engineering complexity was worth it for a better user experience
The Guided Flow (Concept C) was the clear winner in user testing. At first, the team was apprehensive about the increased complexity, but, in the end, I convinced them this was the right choice for the user and the business based on the research data. As one admin said, “This already feels easy to follow, even in prototype form.”
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To make it feasible for development, I collaborated closely with engineering and stakeholders. We made strategic trade-offs, such as keeping teachers' preferred handwritten evaluations but building in smart upload reminders for admins, and using modular email templates for follow-ups instead of complex AI-generated copy. This allowed us to ship a high-impact solution quickly.
The Solution: A System That Works For You
OLD / NEW
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The final design is a centralized, guided system that automates redundant tasks, provides at-a-glance clarity, and ensures no student falls through the cracks.
1. A centralized, guided trial workflow
The 7+ step manual process is now a simple, guided flow inside Jarvis. The system automatically prompts admins for the next step, pre-fills information, and queues up follow-up tasks, turning a chaotic process into a calm, controlled one.
2. All of your tasks clearly tracked in one place
To help admins prioritize, I introduced a color-coded task system with urgency markers (e.g., red for urgent, yellow for follow-up). This visual logic helps admins immediately see what needs their attention, reducing decision fatigue and ensuring important tasks get done.
3. Unified student profiles for instant actions and context
The redesigned student profile consolidates notes, attendance history, and trial status into one unified view and allows you to easily take actions like marking attendance. This gives teachers and admins quick access to a student's full context without having to switch between different tools or tabs.
4. A design system built for clarity and fun
I created a playful, high-contrast design system with clear color logic, bold typography, and friendly iconography. It follows WCAG 2.1 AA / AAA contrast standards. This ensured admins could quickly scan for urgent tasks, while the visual style made the experience feel approachable and less intimidating, matching the energy of a school.
The Resolution: Admins got back their time (and sanity)
The ultimate goal was to change behavior and drive business results. The new workflow demonstrably improved admin efficiency and happiness while directly addressing the revenue leakage from the old system.
“I finally feel like the system works with me, not against me.” — Admin after using the new workflow
Quantifying the impact
$180k
Projected annual savings
50%
Reduction in onboarding time
>90%
Follow-up completion rate
Based on improved conversion rates and reduced missed enrollments, the redesign is projected to save the school up to $180,000 annually in previously lost revenue.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Task Success: Time per tryout | 15-20 minutes | ~5-10 minutes (50% reduction) |
| Retention: Follow-up email completion | ~50-60% | Over 90% (internal audit) |
| Happiness: Admin feedback | High stress, lack of confidence | High confidence, reduced stress |
| Adoption: System usage | Relied on external tools | New workflow is the single source of truth |
Some takeaways
This project was a powerful reminder that sometimes the most impactful design isn't about adding features, but about removing friction and providing clarity.
- Look for the "Duct Tape." When users are patching together multiple tools to complete a single job, it's a clear sign of a broken system-level experience. The solution isn't another tool, but a unified workflow.
- The Best Solution is Both Usable and Feasible. Close collaboration with engineering wasn't just a step in the process; it was essential. By understanding technical constraints, we could make smart trade-offs that delivered 90% of the user value for a fraction of the development effort.