Making Reading Feel Natural and Rewarding.
A mobile app built for readers navigating dyslexia, empowering their reading journey.
Role
Duration
Tools
Target Audience
Product Designer & Front-End Developer
Mar 2026 – Jun 2026
Figma, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, R
Mobile readers experiencing dyslexia
User Research
Accessibility Study
We investigated core cognitive accessibility principles for iRead, identifying optimal typographic settings, line spacing, and assistive tools, such as reading rulers and syllable guides, to minimize visual strain for readers with dyslexia.
Design Framework Alignment
We adopted a Backward Design approach to define core user goals, determine progress evaluation strategies, and map out the interactive reading experience for iRead.
User Personas and Archetypes
Mapping user journeys across two primary age cohorts helped us balance early multisensory phonics reinforcement with dignified, age-respectful adolescent reading tools.
Information Architecture
System Architecture
I structured the app’s information architecture into four core functional pillars to eliminate cognitive clutter, allowing readers with dyslexia to transition seamlessly from sensory calibration to focused reading and strategy review.
Core User Flows
I diagrammed the step-by-step user flows to eliminate decision fatigue during reading sessions, ensuring learners encounter continuous scaffolding with clear recovery paths at every turn.
Wireframing
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Based on the system architecture, I designed six core screens focused on dyslexia accessibility—testing layout density, intuitive tap targets, visual tracking rulers, and distraction-free decoding interactions.
Early Usability Testing
Through early usability testing with dyslexic users, we evaluated how readers interacted with background tints, font variations, and spacing presets—iterating rapidly to isolate the cleanest, least fatiguing configuration for our users.
Data Visualizing
Impact Analysis
Tracking 8 weeks of session telemetry, I analyzed the trajectory of scaffold fading: the reader's Scaffold Independence Ratio (SIR) rose from 65% to 96%, while word-decomposition dwell time dropped from 6.7s to 1.8s.
Phonics Heatmap
I developed a phonemic miscue taxonomy to analyze in-app decoding telemetry at Baseline, Mid-Point, and Benchmark stages. I pinpointed which phonetic rules required deeper scaffolding.
User Improvement Data Engine
I engineered a data tracker to monitor reading sessions, scaffold fading, and 48-hour cold-transfer retention. Meanwhile, I created a progress-monitoring system that bridges in-app student telemetry with clinical literacy benchmarks.
UI Design Guideline
To establish visual comfort and low-fatigue navigation for dyslexic readers, I designed an accessible design system anchored in calming deep blues, gentle neutrals, and soft pastel accents, ensuring consistent typography hierarchies and touch-friendly components.
Prototyping
High-fidelity Mockups
Integrating dyslexia-friendly typography, calming contrast themes, and generous touch targets, I developed high-fidelity mockups spanning personalized visual calibration, distraction-free reading, and strategy mastery.
Interactive Prototype
I built this interactive prototype to simulate realistic reading flows, micro-interactions, and seamless navigation—enabling learners to effortlessly resume in-progress decodables, filter by phonetic patterns, and access reading scaffolds without cognitive friction.
Usability Testing
I tested the interactive prototype with 7 target participants, gathering hands-on feedback on reading comfort and task flow efficiency. Their input guided essential updates to typography presets, tap-to-decompose interactions, and progress tracking.
Iterating on Vocab Affordances
I added sub-syllable chips for each word, turning static recap words into active phonological review tools, and replaced the generic speaker icon with explicit "Replay" action buttons.
Iterating on My Journey
I removed the dense bar chart from the top, and introduced a dedicated call-to-action banner at the bottom, directly connecting user journey tracking with active 48-hour cold-retention review.
