Realize Teacher Drawer

Role: Product Designer (Lead UX)
Platform: Web (Savvas Realize)
Timeline: 6 months
Tools: Figma, Adobe Creative Cloud
Partners: Platform Engineering, Product Marketing Management, UX Design, Instructional Design

Overview

The RLZ Teacher Drawer project focused on improving the teaching experience by embedding highly desired teacher tools directly inside the Savvas Realize platform. The tools are available inside the teacher guidance panel at point-of-use during all lessons.

Through extensive teacher research and cross-functional collaboration, we designed an in-context tool drawer that reduced workflow disruption, improved usability during instruction, and supported broader platform adoption goals. The tools include: reward animations, brain breaks, number generators, and a customizable timer.

I led UX design and user flows in collaboration with one other designer, partnering closely with Instructional Desing, Platform and Product Management to ensure technical feasibility and alignment with product strategy.

Problem

Teacher research revealed a major usability gap:

Educators frequently needed to leave Realize during instruction to access tools and resources elsewhere. This disrupted classroom flow, increased cognitive load, and weakened engagement with the core platform.

Key issues:

  • Critical tools were not accessible while presenting, so educators went elsewhere

  • Teachers were forced to context-switch mid-lesson

  • Existing workflows reduced efficiency and satisfaction

  • Platform “stickiness” suffered as teachers outsourced functionality

We needed to keep teachers inside Realize while providing them with fast access to what they needed in real-time.

My Role

I served as a lead designer for the Teacher Drawer experience, responsible for:

  • Designing end-to-end UX and user flows

  • Co-leading ideation and tool prioritization with another product designer on my team

  • Translating teacher research into actionable design requirements

  • Collaborating directly with platform engineering, instructional design, and product management to validate feasibility

  • Adapting designs to existing platform constraints

  • Applying Savvas brand guidelines for a consistent experience

  • Managing design handoff and collaboration in Figma

The draggable timer and stopwatch gadget in action.

Research & Insights

Testing

  • Initial research revealed that teachers were using external websites to access essential tools needed to teach their lessons

  • The tool is currently in development. Once available, it will be tested with teachers across the country to ensure it’s meeting their needs

Key Insights

  • We know from initial research that teachers want tools available inside the platform while presenting

  • Leaving Realize breaks instructional momentum

  • High-demand tools must be discoverable and easy to access

  • Visual consistency builds trust and usability

  • Teachers value efficiency over novelty during live instruction

These insights shaped both the structure and interaction model of the Teacher Drawer.

Solution

Design Approach

We designed a Teacher Drawer that is embedded directly within RLZ, providing educators with immediate access to essential tools without leaving their current context.

The experience focused on:

  • Minimal disruption to existing workflows

  • Clear entry points and intuitive navigation

  • Seamless integration within RLZ UI

  • Consistent Savvas branding

  • Efficient interactions optimized for live classroom use

I worked closely with Platform and product management throughout design to adapt concepts based on technical constraints and product priorities, ensuring solutions could work within our current system.

Key Features

  • In-platform Teacher Drawer entry point

  • Curated set of high-demand tools (See domino randomizer GIFs to the right :)

  • Streamlined tool access during presentation

  • Integrated UI patterns aligned with RLZ structure

  • Branded visual system consistent with Savvas guidelines

Each design decision prioritized speed, clarity, and classroom usability.

Impact

  • Directly informed by the teacher user testing we conducted

  • Designed to increase platform “stickiness” by keeping workflows inside RLZ

  • Anticipated to improve teacher satisfaction and adoption

  • Supports Savvas “grow/dominate core business” objectives

  • Strengthened internal collaboration between Design, Platform, and PMM

  • Reinforced the “Advocate for our users” KPI by prioritizing teacher needs

  • While long-term metrics are still developing, early feedback indicates improved usability and alignment with educator expectations.