Study Guides

Launching a new AI product offering for Quizlet

Launching a new AI product offering for Quizlet

Role

Lead product designer

Platforms

Web, iOS, Android

Timeline

2023-2024

For the biz

For the biz

For the biz

Grow business with a big swing. Quizlet is the industry leader in flashcards, but we needed to sustain our competitive edge by expanding into new study spaces. The opportunity area was in creating and reviewing notes.

Grow business with a big swing. Quizlet is the industry leader in flashcards, but we needed to sustain our competitive edge by expanding into new study spaces. The opportunity area was in creating and reviewing notes.

Grow business with a big swing. Quizlet is the industry leader in flashcards, but we needed to sustain our competitive edge by expanding into new study spaces. The opportunity area was in creating and reviewing notes.

For the user

For the user

For the user

Help the user save time and study more effectively by using AI to create tailored, high-quality study material.

Help the user save time and study more effectively by using AI to create tailored, high-quality study material.

Help the user save time and study more effectively by using AI to create tailored, high-quality study material.

The impact

The impact

The impact

The team I grew the product to 1.3M MAU (distinct from existing flashcards audience) in 18 months. The product expanded the business by offering new and distinct value for users. The v2 of the product saw a 160% increase in subscriptions billings over the v1.

AI can supercharge this big swing

Research & prioritization

We conducted user interviews with 20 students across different majors to better understand note-taking habits. Three themes of jobs emerged: (1) Prioritize key concepts; (2) Organize source material; (3) Rework information to make it stick

We conducted user interviews with 20 students across different majors to better understand note-taking habits. Three themes of jobs emerged: (1) Prioritize key concepts; (2) Organize source material; (3) Rework information to make it stick

We conducted user interviews with 20 students across different majors to better understand note-taking habits. Three themes of jobs emerged: (1) Prioritize key concepts; (2) Organize source material; (3) Rework information to make it stick

Based on user research, feasibility, and quality, the Machine Learning engineers and I prioritized these 5 artifacts to generate for the v1 launch:

Based on user research, feasibility, and quality, the Machine Learning engineers and I prioritized these 5 artifacts to generate for the v1 launch:

Based on user research, feasibility, and quality, the Machine Learning engineers and I prioritized these 5 artifacts to generate for the v1 launch:

(1) Summary

(2) Outline

(3) Flashcards

(4) Sample essay questions

(5) Practice test

(1) Summary

(2) Outline

(3) Flashcards

(4) Sample essay questions

(5) Practice test

(1) Summary

(2) Outline

(3) Flashcards

(4) Sample essay questions

(5) Practice test

Launched the V1 in 4 months

Key questions I considered during the design process: How do we encourage users to upload materials? Does the user have any say in what is created for them? What input methods are most useful on your phone vs. computer? How do we present the 5 artifacts in a way that promotes discovery?

Key questions I considered during the design process: How do we encourage users to upload materials? Does the user have any say in what is created for them? What input methods are most useful on your phone vs. computer? How do we present the 5 artifacts in a way that promotes discovery?

Key questions I considered during the design process: How do we encourage users to upload materials? Does the user have any say in what is created for them? What input methods are most useful on your phone vs. computer? How do we present the 5 artifacts in a way that promotes discovery?

The initial feedback blew us away

But digging deeper, we found that all 5 artifacts together created a confusing experience. The summary and outline were too similar, practice test quality was inconsistent, sample essay questions didn't make sense for STEM subjects. This user quote was personally very memorable:

But digging deeper, we found that all 5 artifacts together created a confusing experience. The summary and outline were too similar, practice test quality was inconsistent, sample essay questions didn't make sense for STEM subjects. This user quote was personally very memorable:

But digging deeper, we found that all 5 artifacts together created a confusing experience. The summary and outline were too similar, practice test quality was inconsistent, sample essay questions didn't make sense for STEM subjects. This user quote was personally very memorable:

“This experience feels like chaos mode. It’s too confusing when it gives me all these options at once.”

“This experience feels like chaos mode. It’s too confusing when it gives me all these options at once.”

“This experience feels like chaos mode. It’s too confusing when it gives me all these options at once.”

Looking at the quantitative data, it's no surprise Flashcards comes first in engagement. We are Quizlet after all, and it's the most recognizable artifact on the page. The outline surprised expectations. The Summary was disappointing, especially given that it was at the top of the screen.

Looking at the quantitative data, it's no surprise Flashcards comes first in engagement. We are Quizlet after all, and it's the most recognizable artifact on the page. The outline surprised expectations. The Summary was disappointing, especially given that it was at the top of the screen.

Looking at the quantitative data, it's no surprise Flashcards comes first in engagement. We are Quizlet after all, and it's the most recognizable artifact on the page. The outline surprised expectations. The Summary was disappointing, especially given that it was at the top of the screen.

Flashcards

Flashcards

Flashcards

Outline

Outline

Outline

Practice test

Practice test

Practice test

Summary

Summary

Summary

Sample essay questions

Sample essay questions

Sample essay questions

68%

68%

68%

36%

36%

36%

29%

29%

29%

25%

25%

25%

17%

17%

17%

The V2 — Give the user choice and focus on the outline

  • Instead of creating all 5 artifacts, we removed everything on the page except for the outline, creating a more focused experience. The outline had the highest engagement after flashcards, qualitative feedback told us there was a lot of potential, and it aligns with the initial research.

  • Gave user choice on which study artifact they wanted to create

  • Added editing and highlighting capabilities (top user feature request), images from the original upload, and inline AI explanations

  • Instead of creating all 5 artifacts, we removed everything on the page except for the outline, creating a more focused experience. The outline had the highest engagement after flashcards, qualitative feedback told us there was a lot of potential, and it aligns with the initial research.

  • Gave user choice on which study artifact they wanted to create

  • Added editing and highlighting capabilities (top user feature request), images from the original upload, and inline AI explanations

  • Instead of creating all 5 artifacts, we removed everything on the page except for the outline, creating a more focused experience. The outline had the highest engagement after flashcards, qualitative feedback told us there was a lot of potential, and it aligns with the initial research.

  • Gave user choice on which study artifact they wanted to create

  • Added editing and highlighting capabilities (top user feature request), images from the original upload, and inline AI explanations

I worked hard to rally stakeholders toward this vision

Product stakeholders were hesitant about removing other artifacts (especially flashcards) from the page because of perceived engagement drops, even though they agreed it was a better user experience. I was bullish on the more focused outline experience. I devised a series of A/B tests that validated the approach of focusing on the outline.

A/B test: Removing every thing on the page except for flashcards and the outline

A/B test: Removing every thing on the page except for flashcards and the outline

A/B test: Removing every thing on the page except for flashcards and the outline

+8.1%

in time spent on the page

in time spent on the page

in time spent on the page

+6.2%

in users returning the page

in users returning the page

in users returning the page

A/B test: Unbundling flashcards and study guides at the point of creation

A/B test: Unbundling flashcards and study guides at the point of creation

A/B test: Unbundling flashcards and study guides at the point of creation

+47%

in conversion on Upload screen

in conversion on Upload screen

in conversion on Upload screen

+15%

in creation with AI

in creation with AI

in creation with AI

Overall impact of the v2

+160%

In total subscription billings after shipping the v2, despite having generous amount of free features

+81%

Growth in monthly engaged users despite decoupling it from Flashcards.

Growth in monthly engaged users despite decoupling it from Flashcards.

Growth in monthly engaged users despite decoupling it from Flashcards.

+36%

Increase in 1-30D retention

Increase in 1-30D retention

Increase in 1-30D retention

71%

Would be “very disappointed” if they could no longer use the product

Would be “very disappointed” if they could no longer use the product

Would be “very disappointed” if they could no longer use the product

Other case studies

Other case studies

Improving pathing + navigation

Clearer paths helped students find what they needed on the app — boosting deep studying by 10%.

Information architecture

iOS + Android

The social experiment

A bold experiment in social studying, created in 2 weeks, demonstrated real user value.

Vision work

Web

Improving pathing + navigation

Clearer paths helped students find what they needed on the app — boosting deep studying by 10%.

Information architecture

iOS + Android

The social experiment

A bold experiment in social studying, created in 2 weeks, demonstrated real user value.

Vision work

Web

Improving pathing + navigation

Clearer paths helped students find what they needed on the app — boosting deep studying by 10%.

Information architecture

iOS + Android

The social experiment

A bold experiment in social studying, created in 2 weeks, demonstrated real user value.

Vision work

Web

Julie Xie © 2025

Julie Xie © 2025

Julie Xie © 2025

Julie Xie © 2025

Julie Xie © 2025