SAYABC: Volume control feature Project

Results

Noise Reduction: After implementing the notification feature, there was a significant drop in background noise during classes. The noise levels decreased from around 8-9% to about 4%, enhancing the overall class experience for both teachers and students.

8-9% background noise to 4% background noise in all classes from 2017 week 41 to 2017 week 44.

Introduction

At SayABC, a sub-company of VIPKID, a series D education startup valued at 4.5 billion USD, I was involved in the development of new features and product improvements. One such feature was the volume control improvement.

Total Time

2 Weeks

Background & Problem

The primary challenge was the disruption caused by noisy backgrounds or students using speakers, which led to their microphone picking up and amplifying classroom sounds. This was a common issue in the virtual classroom setting.

Goals

  • Decrease background noise in the classroom by 25%.

  • Empower teachers to manage and control the classroom environment more effectively.

Design Constraints & Challenges

  • Overcoming the immature state of UX processes within the company.

  • Time limitations for gathering qualitative feedback.

  • Establishing a robust ideation phase in the design process.

  • Developing a consistent design language across various platforms.

  • Technical constraints related to the classroom's existing code base.

Ideation

Initial ideas revolved around volume equalizing features in existing voice calling software. A three-sprint plan was proposed:

  1. First Sprint: Implement a notification for teachers when a student’s volume consistently exceeds others'.

  2. Second Sprint: Develop a volume control feature allowing teachers to adjust individual student volumes.

  3. Third Sprint: Introduce automatic volume adjustment in the backend for minimal teacher intervention.

The focus was on automating as much as possible to reduce the cognitive load on teachers, who already manage several tasks simultaneously during teaching.

Wireframes

I designed a notification and volume control slider, integrating these features with existing UI elements. The notification was linked to the mute button, and care was taken to ensure teachers could identify which student was causing noise issues.

Concluding Thoughts

The notification was successfully integrated into the teacher client. However, the volume slider was implemented later. Reflecting on this project, I would have advocated more strongly for the earlier introduction of a direct volume control feature. Feedback from teachers later confirmed the demand for such a setting.