Inkwell
2024
Making education more accessible through design
Inkwell is a nonprofit educational platform designed to improve access to high-quality educational resources for learners in Nigeria and Kenya. The MVP brings together curated Creative Commons educational content into a single digital learning platform.
Working alongside the Design Lead, product managers, and developers, I translated research insights into accessible, high-fidelity designs. My goal was to create a learning experience that remained simple, intuitive, and usable despite real-world technical constraints.
Problem area
Designing for real-world constraints
Building Inkwell meant designing for the environments where learners actually accessed education—not ideal conditions. Research revealed that limited internet connectivity, older devices, and varying levels of digital literacy all influenced how users interacted with the platform. These weren't edge cases; they became fundamental constraints that shaped the product experience from the start.
Limited digital accessibility
Different levels of digital literacy and accessibility needs
Limited device capabilities
Older devices with limited memory and processing power
Design decision 01
Making accessibility part of the experience
Accessibility wasn't treated as a final validation step — it became one of the principles that guided visual and interaction design throughout the project. The goal was to create an interface that felt familiar, readable, and easy to navigate for a broad range of users.
1. Visual accessibility
Refined the color palette, typography, and contrast while validating designs with accessibility and color blindness checks to improve readability
2. Familiar interactions
Used familiar navigation patterns, consistent layouts, and clear hierarchy to reduce cognitive effort and help users navigate confidently
Design decision 02
Designing for relevance and performance
Designing for slower connections and lower-performance devices required every screen to stay focused and efficient. Rather than overwhelming users with unnecessary content, the experience prioritized relevant resources while keeping the interface lightweight and responsive.
1. Relevant content
Personalized recommendations surfaced the most relevant resources, helping users find content faster while reducing unnecessary browsing
2. Balanced visual design
Every visual element served a purpose, balancing visual quality with technical constraints to keep the interface both engaging and responsive
Retrospective
Design creates opportunities
Working on Inkwell reminded me that great design is not only about creating better products — it is about creating better opportunities. When thoughtfully applied, design can remove barriers, expand access, and make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
"Every learner deserves access to quality educational resources. At Inkwell, design is treated as an essential part of that mission — helping make learning more accessible, intuitive, and inclusive for people regardless of their location, device, or connectivity"
