Redesigned the CommonLit 360 digital curriculum experience to improve usability, curriculum alignment, and planning workflows for teachers.

As the lead UX and visual designer, I introduced structural changes to the learning experience that clarified task flow, aligned the system with real classroom needs, and modernized the visual design to support both comprehension and action. The redesign launched to over 2,500 schools in the first release cycle.

Product

Web • Responsive • LMS-integrated curriculum platform

Skills

UX design
Visual design
Information architecture
Design systems
User research
Interactive prototyping

Timeline

Q3 2020 – Q2 2021

Team

Qasim Brown (Lead UX & Visual Designer)
2 Product Managers
3 Engineers

Why Redesign?

CommonLit 360 is a free, comprehensive ELA curriculum used by thousands of schools across the U.S. While beloved for its academic rigor, the digital experience was outdated and difficult to navigate for time-strapped teachers.

The existing interface was built for static documents, not dynamic classroom planning. Teachers struggled to preview lessons, manage pacing, and differentiate support for their students. At the same time, CommonLit was investing in LMS partnerships and new instructional formats that needed a more flexible and scalable design foundation.

As the UX and visual design lead, I partnered with educators, curriculum experts, and engineering to reimagine how the curriculum could feel more actionable, accessible, and aligned with everyday classroom realities.

I identified five key focus areas:

01
Redesign for instructional flow
We needed to support how teachers actually move through planning—from unit to week to lesson—with options to adapt for different student needs. The old experience forced them to jump between static pages.

02
Clarify student-facing vs. teacher-facing content
It was difficult for teachers to preview what students would see vs. what background materials were intended for teachers. This led to confusion, errors in pacing, and ineffective classroom prep.

03
Support curriculum flexibility
Teachers wanted the ability to customize pacing or skip certain lessons while still meeting standards. The platform needed clearer affordances for optional content and planning pathways.

04
Modernize the UI for cognitive clarity
The original system used dense text, poor hierarchy, and inconsistent visual patterns. I introduced visual groupings, simplified card designs, and a responsive grid system for different devices.

05
Build for scale and LMS integration
With district adoption growing and LMS integration on the roadmap, the new system had to be modular, API-friendly, and responsive across platforms.

Restructured layout: Curriculum, Weekly Plan, and Lesson View

I introduced a 3-level navigation system to reflect how teachers think:

• The Curriculum View provides a high-level map of the unit's structure

• The Weekly Plan View gives a snapshot of what to teach when

• The Lesson View surfaces all necessary materials in one scrollable experience, with clear tabs for Teacher Materials and Student View

Designed for clarity and speed

We optimized the new design to reduce decision fatigue and prep time:

• Visual status indicators show whether a lesson is required, optional, or teacher-assigned

• Hover states and inline previews reduce the need to open new tabs

• Pinned action bar allows quick assign/preview/copy actions

Visual Design Enhancements

• Introduced modular card system and icon set for consistent lesson types

• Standardized spacing and type scales across breakpoints

• Used color purposefully: warm tones for action, cool tones for info, neutral for scaffolding

• Applied motion states to improve transitions between curriculum levels

Tradeoffs & Collaboration

We balanced ambitious design goals with technical feasibility. For MVP, we prioritized clarity and planning alignment over lesson-level editing tools. Partner teachers helped us prioritize which visual changes mattered most for reducing confusion and improving pacing.

Outcomes

The redesigned CommonLit 360 experience launched to over 2,500 schools. In early surveys:

• 86% of teachers said it was easier to find and plan lessons

• Time spent creating weekly lesson plans dropped by 30% for pilot classrooms

• Teachers reported fewer student-facing errors due to preview mode clarity

Impact

This redesign helped shift CommonLit 360 from a static PDF-based platform to a dynamic instructional system. As both UX and visual design lead, I delivered a flexible, modular design system that gave teachers more control and students a clearer path.

The result is a platform that supports real-world teaching, reduces prep time, and positions CommonLit for continued growth in digital curriculum delivery.