kea UG
Founder: Philipp Niedermeyer
Product Designer: Max Kahls
Funding Advisor: Steffen Poralla
Developers: Christoph Bosch, Daniel Joost
Research, Design Sprints, User Testings, UI Design, Brand Design, Market Strategy
*The app is currently in beta mode and not public yet. Please reach out to me if you'd like to try it out.
The client, a full-fledged lawyer from Berlin, who knows the ups and downs of the law studies from personal experience, thought he knew what an app must deliver to meet the special requirements of law studies.
A comprehensive library, interactive quiz modes, complex evaluation, linking of legal texts and much more were demanded. At the same time, a way had to be found to transfer the typical duality of legal texts and case studies into a mobile learning app.
The goal was to build on surveys conducted in advance with over 1,000 students. The challenge was to develop a functional MVP with a limited budget. It was also necessary to acquire a development team that could cost-effectively develop a multi-platform app based on React or Flutter.
Initially, a significant amount of time was dedicated to project and team setup. Together with the client and an external service provider, we established the project in a way that fully utilized the "Go Digital" funding program and implemented specific VSOP agreements.
We quickly found two master's students of computer science who met the requirements for the project through Upwork.
The actual development of the app was propelled forward through three design sprints that took place in my office in Berlin. During these sprints, we discussed assumptions, defined long-term goals, and created roadmaps. Within just five days each, we developed interactive prototypes that were tested on the final day by five participants.
All user interviews were conducted remotely, which was a new setup for me but turned out to be highly effective. We incorporated the insights gained from these interviews into the planning, and the product was iteratively improved based on feedback.
After sprints one and two, it became apparent that the participants were interested but not entirely convinced. We had initially aimed too high by incorporating too many features. However, we gradually refined the product until we developed a highly focused unique selling proposition (USP). By the end of the third sprint, all five user interviews were consistently positive. The participants were impressed with the proposed solution and completely understood our approach.
Our solution centered on reducing complexity and introducing "quizcasts": interactive, short knowledge and learning units that allow students to solidify their university learnings. These snackable content pieces can be consumed quickly and follow a didactic structure that enables short on-the-go learning units. A simple evaluation that indicates the level of understanding for a topic, combined with gamification elements, supports efficient learning with the app.
We are currently in discussions and testing phases with universities throughout Germany. The acceptance has been overwhelmingly positive, and all indications suggest that we are on a good path towards achieving market fit with the product in its current form.
This project once again demonstrated the strength of design sprints. The Framework is ideal for testing new ideas quickly, efficiently, and based on user feedback. The use of a comprehensive UI kit also enabled us to accelerate our work and deliver a high-quality product in record time.
However, the bulk of our time on this project was consumed by bureaucracy, particularly the funding process. The process is excessively protracted, and the relevant agency's processing times are painfully slow. While it's commendable that such opportunities exist in Germany, if product development is time-critical, it's advisable to avoid them.