Dory.

Bridging the Gap Between Reflection, Emotion, and Engagement: How Dory Redefines Student Interaction in the New Era of Blended Learning

EdTech

Emapthy Deisgn

Data-driven Design

Duration

5 Months

Team

Michelle Gao

Michael Eisen

Alice Zheng

Michelle Gao

Michael Eisen

Alice Zheng

My Role

User Research

UX Design

UI Design

Organization

Sponsored by Quest Labs and advised by Ryan Gerber

Design Problem

Context

Imagine you’re a middle school teacher, navigating the sudden shift to remote learning. Instead of a lively classroom, you’re met with silence—cameras off, microphones muted. Every question is followed by crickets, leaving you unsure if anyone is listening. Then, one day, all students turn on their cameras, and you tear up from finally seeing their faces—something that’s become rare.

This is a real story from a teacher, and it highlights a pressing challenge: How can teachers keep students engaged and accurately assess their progress when remote learning removes the personal connection they once had in the classroom?

Design Solution

What is Dory

Dory is a digital platform designed to tackle the challenges of remote learning, where traditional classroom connections are lost. It enables mood check-ins and reflective activities, allowing teachers to engage students and assess their emotional and educational states. This tool helps maintain student engagement and adapt teaching strategies, ensuring that educators can effectively connect with and support their students, even from a distance.

Create a Reflection Prompt

Dory has the flexibility allowing teachers to determine the period of time that students need to do self-reflection based on their teaching plan or pedagogy, such as weekly, biweekly, or after each unit. Each self-reflection contains one or more reflection prompts for students to answer, and teachers can decide the number of prompts they would like to include in one reflection.

Self-Reflection Activities

Teachers like to use different self-reflection methods under different scenarios and purposes. Therefore, we designed two reflection activities which are 1) Mood Check-in Activity and 2) Written Reflection.

For each reflection activity, students will be prompted to choose an emoji based on their mood. Having two different types of reflection activities, teachers can have a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding of their students.

Reflection Overview

Teachers can see a big picture of how students have been feeling over time and explore historical student reflections. They can reach out to individual students to offer encouragement and support when needed.

Mood Space

Mood Space is a shared common space where both teachers and students can get access to. It shows the overall classroom moods in a circular layout. The circular visualization divides into four quadrants and each quadrant has its own emoji representing a category of moods. It provides a holistic view of the mood check-in results, which allow teachers to get the feeling of the room at a glance. Also, the anonymous environment can provide students with a more secure and comfortable environment and encourage them to express their real feelings without worrying about if anyone can recognize them.

Create a Reflection Prompt

Self-Reflection Activities

Reflection Overview

Mood Space

Highlights in the Research & Design Process

User Research

Research Methodology

Literature Review

Subject Matter Expert Interview

Field Observation

Contextual Inquiry

Competitive Analysis

Literature Review

Subject Matter Expert Interview

Field Observation

Contextual Inquiry

Competitive Analysis

Literature Review

Subject Matter Expert Interview

Field Observation

Contextual Inquiry

Competitive Analysis

User Research

Research Insights

Remote learning environments have magnified the problem of students’ disengagement for a variety of reasons including students feeling self-consciousness and lack of structure.

Teachers have to use different criteria when evaluating student engagement compared to in-person teaching due to the limitations posed by online education such as missing multi-sensory levels of communication beyond a webcam.

Creating a well-thought curriculum is a refining process that requires teachers to take into consideration the context where learning takes place, and with whom. In this process, technology serves as an empowering tool to allow teachers to have more configuration of curriculum design.

Remote learning environments have magnified the problem of students’ disengagement for a variety of reasons including students feeling self-consciousness and lack of structure.

By integrating educational technology into the existing curriculum, teachers are able to harness online learning as a powerful educational tool to create more adaptive learning environments that fulfill the needs of students who previously struggled in person.

User Research

Design Principles

Evaluate Student Engagement

Relationships and Unique Bonds

Our design should enable the growth of personal relationships between students and teachers. (Driven by insight 4)

Relationships and Unique Bonds

Our design should enable the growth of personal relationships between students and teachers. (Driven by insight 4)

Relationships and Unique Bonds

Our design should enable the growth of personal relationships between students and teachers. (Driven by insight 4)

Give Students More Agency

Our design should allow students to have more flexibility on picking different learning methods and enable teachers to create a customizable learning experience that accommodates students’ different needs. (Driven by insight 3)

Give Students More Agency

User Research

Design Outcomes

Assist learners in becoming less self-aware and more at ease in expressing themselves in mixed and distant learning settings. (Informed by insight 1)

Provide multiple evaluation methods that allow teachers to have a better recognition of different levels of engagement. (Driven by insight 2)

Leverage the flexibility of online education and the existing assistive technologies to build a more adaptive learning environment that is able to accommodate students’ different needs. (Driven by insight 3, 5)

Provide a safe and easily accessible space for students and teachers to discuss student interests, activities, concerns, and goals. (Driven by insight 4)

Help students find structure and balance while managing their academic and personal lives. (Driven by insight 3)

Design Highlight

Design Statement

How might we help 6th to 9th grade teachers better understand how students are progressing so they can tailor their teaching methods to the individual needs of virtual and in-person students and improve engagement?

Design Highlight

Design Statement

How might we help 6th to 9th grade teachers better understand how students are progressing so they can tailor their teaching methods to the individual needs of virtual and in-person students and improve engagement?

The narrowed-down target audience we decided to focus on based on our user research results.

The context where learning takes place and with whom (Insights 1,3) ; Their interests, thoughts, and needs (Insights 1,4)

Multiple evaluation methods (Insight 2); Technology educational tool (Insights 3,5); Flexible, adaptive, accessible (Outcomes)

Our design goal

Design Highlight

Design Statement

Design Highlight

Ideation & Down-selection

As a team, we generated 80 ideas through brainstorming. We then used affinity clustering and went through several rounds of narrowing down to spot common patterns and major themes. At the same time, we ensured that the design directions we chose align with our design principles and outcomes.

Design Highlight

Concept Design

After several pivots, we finally stumbled upon a solution that truly resonated with us - helping students develop a growth mindset. This concept aligns perfectly with our core values, which emphasize a process-oriented approach to individual development. Moreover, we found that self-reflection is a key tool to achieve this goal.

The concept of a growth mindset was originally introduced by a psychologist at Stanford University. It basically says that individuals can improve and enhance their abilities through hard work and effort, rather than relying solely on their natural talents. People who embrace this mindset are more inclined to take on challenges, learn from their experiences, and persist in pursuing their goals. So, promoting a growth mindset felt like a solid foundation for us.

In addition, self-reflection plays an important role in fostering this growth mindset. It involves looking back at our personal experiences and emotions. This introspective process not only helps children understand their own feelings but also allows teachers and others to better comprehend what children might be going through.

We believed that asking students to do self-reflections (for both written reflection and mood check-in) would allow them to think retrospectively and help themselves and their teachers to better understand their feelings. For mood check-in, we leveraged the RULER method (recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, regulating), which is a systematic approach to help people better unpack their emotion.

Design Highlight

Storyboard

This is Cynthia. She teaches 6th grade English to remote and in-class students. One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
While discussing this concern with a colleague, Cynthia learns about Dory.
Dory is a digital platform that uses in-class mood check-ins and take-home reflections to empower students to recognize and safely communicate their feelings.
Cynthia is introducing a new learning unit today on story plot elements. She is curious to learn how students feel about the topic, so she uses Dory to create an in-class and take-home reflection prompt.
During class, Cynthia introduces the topic and conducts her check-in. Students access the check-in through MS Teams. She waits for 2-3 minutes while students indicate a mood color and feeling word on their computers.
Once check-ins are complete, Cynthia uses Dory’s Mood Space to share results with the class.
She watches excitedly as students begin to realize they are not alone in their feelings. She is not concerned about exposing anyone’s feelings because the information shared is anonymous.
Responses, however, indicate a recognizable amount of students in the class are feeling nervous about this new topic.
Cynthia acknowledges this feeling and starts a discussion. She learns many students are lacking background and decides to slow the lesson pace to help them get caught up and comfortable. She shares her plan with her students.
After class, Cynthia adjusts her lesson plan. She views the past several weeks’ take-home reflections to learn how students are doing.
Cynthia notices one student, Ben, has been feeling down lately and looks at his reflections more closely. She learns he is feeling lonely and leaves a note to tell him he is not alone.
At the end of the trimester, Cynthia does another in-class reflection asking how students feel about the same topic. She is pleased to see students feeling more positive and confident than they did in the beginning.
She feels more informed, in-control, and optimistic moving into the next trimester.
This is Cynthia. She teaches 6th grade English to remote and in-class students. One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
While discussing this concern with a colleague, Cynthia learns about Dory.
Dory is a digital platform that uses in-class mood check-ins and take-home reflections to empower students to recognize and safely communicate their feelings.
Cynthia is introducing a new learning unit today on story plot elements. She is curious to learn how students feel about the topic, so she uses Dory to create an in-class and take-home reflection prompt.
During class, Cynthia introduces the topic and conducts her check-in. Students access the check-in through MS Teams. She waits for 2-3 minutes while students indicate a mood color and feeling word on their computers.
Once check-ins are complete, Cynthia uses Dory’s Mood Space to share results with the class.
She watches excitedly as students begin to realize they are not alone in their feelings. She is not concerned about exposing anyone’s feelings because the information shared is anonymous.
Responses, however, indicate a recognizable amount of students in the class are feeling nervous about this new topic.
Cynthia acknowledges this feeling and starts a discussion. She learns many students are lacking background and decides to slow the lesson pace to help them get caught up and comfortable. She shares her plan with her students.
After class, Cynthia adjusts her lesson plan. She views the past several weeks’ take-home reflections to learn how students are doing.
Cynthia notices one student, Ben, has been feeling down lately and looks at his reflections more closely. She learns he is feeling lonely and leaves a note to tell him he is not alone.
At the end of the trimester, Cynthia does another in-class reflection asking how students feel about the same topic. She is pleased to see students feeling more positive and confident than they did in the beginning.
She feels more informed, in-control, and optimistic moving into the next trimester.
This is Cynthia. She teaches 6th grade English to remote and in-class students. One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
While discussing this concern with a colleague, Cynthia learns about Dory.
Dory is a digital platform that uses in-class mood check-ins and take-home reflections to empower students to recognize and safely communicate their feelings.
Cynthia is introducing a new learning unit today on story plot elements. She is curious to learn how students feel about the topic, so she uses Dory to create an in-class and take-home reflection prompt.
During class, Cynthia introduces the topic and conducts her check-in. Students access the check-in through MS Teams. She waits for 2-3 minutes while students indicate a mood color and feeling word on their computers.
Once check-ins are complete, Cynthia uses Dory’s Mood Space to share results with the class.
She watches excitedly as students begin to realize they are not alone in their feelings. She is not concerned about exposing anyone’s feelings because the information shared is anonymous.
Responses, however, indicate a recognizable amount of students in the class are feeling nervous about this new topic.
Cynthia acknowledges this feeling and starts a discussion. She learns many students are lacking background and decides to slow the lesson pace to help them get caught up and comfortable. She shares her plan with her students.
After class, Cynthia adjusts her lesson plan. She views the past several weeks’ take-home reflections to learn how students are doing.
Cynthia notices one student, Ben, has been feeling down lately and looks at his reflections more closely. She learns he is feeling lonely and leaves a note to tell him he is not alone.
At the end of the trimester, Cynthia does another in-class reflection asking how students feel about the same topic. She is pleased to see students feeling more positive and confident than they did in the beginning.
She feels more informed, in-control, and optimistic moving into the next trimester.
This is Cynthia. She teaches 6th grade English to remote and in-class students. One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
One of the main concerns Cynthia has had during the ongoing pandemic is how to assess and engage students who have turned their cameras off.
While discussing this concern with a colleague, Cynthia learns about Dory.
Dory is a digital platform that uses in-class mood check-ins and take-home reflections to empower students to recognize and safely communicate their feelings.
Cynthia is introducing a new learning unit today on story plot elements. She is curious to learn how students feel about the topic, so she uses Dory to create an in-class and take-home reflection prompt.
During class, Cynthia introduces the topic and conducts her check-in. Students access the check-in through MS Teams. She waits for 2-3 minutes while students indicate a mood color and feeling word on their computers.
Once check-ins are complete, Cynthia uses Dory’s Mood Space to share results with the class.
She watches excitedly as students begin to realize they are not alone in their feelings. She is not concerned about exposing anyone’s feelings because the information shared is anonymous.
Responses, however, indicate a recognizable amount of students in the class are feeling nervous about this new topic.
Cynthia acknowledges this feeling and starts a discussion. She learns many students are lacking background and decides to slow the lesson pace to help them get caught up and comfortable. She shares her plan with her students.
After class, Cynthia adjusts her lesson plan. She views the past several weeks’ take-home reflections to learn how students are doing.
Cynthia notices one student, Ben, has been feeling down lately and looks at his reflections more closely. She learns he is feeling lonely and leaves a note to tell him he is not alone.
At the end of the trimester, Cynthia does another in-class reflection asking how students feel about the same topic. She is pleased to see students feeling more positive and confident than they did in the beginning.
She feels more informed, in-control, and optimistic moving into the next trimester.

Design Highlight

UI Design Exploration

We then began creating wireframes to explore appropriate interactions and visual designs in various ways. Below are examples of the different visual styles we explored for Mood Space:

After several rounds of design exploration, we finalized the Version 1 visual style:

Design Highlight

Usability Testing

Following that, we proceeded with usability testing using this version of our design. We asked several teachers to participate in our research. While they initially appreciated the direction of our design, they also brought up several concerns. Taking into account the feedback from the teachers, we started to make improvements.

For instance, some teachers noted that it was challenging to keep track of the moving orbs on a single page, especially when managing a large number of students in one class. Additionally, the orbs in the Mood Space varied in size, making it difficult for teachers to interpret their meaning consistently.

Our first attempt was to make all the orbs the same size to clear up any confusion, but that seemed to take away some of the visual impact. Plus, considering a corner case where everyone picked the same emoji, it ended up filling the screen with all the identical emojis, which didn't look great.

At that point, we decided to explore a different approach. We shifted to an infographic-style design and softened the color palette to create a calmer, more peaceful experience for the users.

Design Highlight

Final UI Design

Through continuous refinement and iteration, we eventually arrived at the final version of our UI design. Our choice of a light blue background was deliberated by research and data. Blue is a color that's universally appreciated by people. And the subtle shade of blue has a calming effect without being overly distracting, ensuring that users can stay focused on the main content. Also, to create a more cohesive look with the predominant blue color, we decided to shift the colors of the emojis from vibrant and saturated hues to a softer pastel style.

Design Highlight

Design Elements

Color

Our color choices reflected calmness, playfulness, and encouragement.

Color

Our color choices reflected calmness, playfulness, and encouragement.

Color

Our color choices reflected calmness, playfulness, and encouragement.

Color

Our color choices reflected calmness, playfulness, and encouragement.

Typography

To provide a calm and pleasant feeling for students, a round san-serif typeface is used for titles and headings. For the body text, we chose another san-serif typeface to increase the readability and legibility.

Typography

Atoms & Components

When designing atoms and components, I carefully considered their consistency with the product’s visual design and the preferences and tones that appeal to children.

Atoms & Components

When designing atoms and components, I carefully considered their consistency with the product’s visual design and the preferences and tones that appeal to children.

Post-reflection

What I Learned

This project taught me the value of always having a backup plan—because let’s face it, things don’t always go as expected. Flexibility became key when unexpected challenges popped up. I also realized just how important it is to pick the right approach to user research. There’s no one-size-fits-all method, and finding the best fit for each problem makes a world of difference. Getting hands-on with the research was a game-changer for me as a designer. It allowed me to make informed, user-centered design decisions that truly shaped the next phase of the product. Overall, this experience reminded me how vital research is in crafting meaningful, impactful designs.

Easyword

Microsoft Updates

2025 ❤ Created with love by Yimeng Hou

Easyword

Microsoft Updates

2025 ❤ Created with love by Yimeng Hou

Easyword

Microsoft Updates

2025 ❤ Created with love by Yimeng Hou