UX Research & Design Case Study:
Reflectable
Scaling a Social Emotional Learning Reflection App for Early Childhood Educators
“Thank you, again, for including us in the pilot testing of this. Our participants pretty much all work in settings that don’t have the additional resources that come from [highly funded programs], so they often don’t have access to this sort of thing. Equity and access are things we’re super passionate about here, and it’s really cool to get a lovely, high-quality, thoughtful (and PRETTY!) tool like Reflectable in their hands.”
- Reflectable Pilot Tester
🧠 My Role
As the Lead UX Researcher on the Early Learning Lab team at Start Early, I led research and experience strategy for Reflectable over 3.5 years. My work supported the evolution of Reflectable from an early prototype used by 20 educators to a fully scaled digital tool reaching over 1,600 users. I also contributed to UX/UI design, copy editing, and successfully procured the onboarding of a UX Writer and Illustrator to ensure a cohesive, emotionally resonant user experience.
🎯 The Problem
Despite heavy investment in social emotional learning professional development, many educators struggle to implement new strategies in their daily routines. Training is often episodic, abstract, and disconnected from the realities of the classroom—especially for teachers dealing with behavioral challenges, limited time, and under-resourced settings.
Our central challenge was clear:
How might we help early childhood educators build social emotional learning skills for their students through regular, accessible reflection—without adding to their stress or workload?
🛠️ Our Research & Design Process
1. Discovery: Listening First
I conducted user interviews, focus groups, and surveys with educators, coaches, and administrators who were our target users. After various methods and rounds of qualitative data analysis, key insights revealed that while teachers deeply value social emotional learning and reflection, they often deprioritize it due to time pressures and lack of supportive systems.
These voices laid the foundation for Reflectable’s core design principles: bite-sized, behaviorally-informed, emotionally supportive, and accessible.
2. Co-Design and Iteration
We co-created paper prototypes and digital mockups with real educators. Through my guidance of usability testing and iterative design sprints with a design and development partner, Yeti.co, we refined the app to:
Use 10-minute weekly reflection flows to reduce cognitive load
Offer choice-driven prompts aligned with social emotional learning goals
Emphasize small, actionable changes grounded in behavior science
Use warm visuals and plain language to build trust and ease
3. Pilot & Scale-Up (V1 → V2)
After a successful V1 pilot with 20 users, we launched a scaled V2 implementation that reached over 1,600 educators. Research during this phase focused on:
Testing mobile responsiveness and accessibility
Analyzing engagement drop-offs and refining onboarding
Supporting copy, visual tone, and coach integration to increase retention
We built data dashboards, feedback systems, and behavioral metrics to guide future iterations.
🔧 Key Artifacts Produced
Educator Personas & Journey Maps
Weekly Reflection Flow Wireframes & branded UI
Usability Test Scripts & Synthesis Reports
Tone & Copy Matrix for UX Writing
Data Dashboards with “Got-it” and Engagement Metrics
Implementation Feedback Briefs
Design alignment with Yeti’s development updates
Updated, consistent UI on brand with Reflectable’s nurturing tone
📊 Outcomes & Impact
For Educators
Teachers who used Reflectable alongside a coach scored 19 points higher on social emotional learning fidelity than those receiving coaching alone. Focus group participants emphasized the value of its structure and emotional support.
For the Product
35% increase in app adoption after implementing UX/UI improvements
Reached 1,600+ users in V2 implementation
Added 600+ users from Save the Children in underserved programs
Mobile-first design yielded 86% account creation rate
79% action completion ("got-it") rate
“Reflectable helps me stay focused and be mindful of the strategies I’m using in the classroom.”
“I know reflection is important, but I just don’t have time.”
“It’s high-quality, thoughtful, and pretty—such a rare combo for tools available in underfunded programs.”
🔁 Learnings & Reflections
Small actions create sustained impact: Educators embraced the bite-sized nature of Reflectable, reinforcing our behavior science-informed design.
Emotion matters: Teachers responded positively to the tone, illustrations, and warmth—showing that trust-building design is just as important as functionality.
Coaching amplifies tech: The most significant improvements came when Reflectable was embedded within a coaching relationship. Digital tools work best when paired with human connection.
📍 Next Steps
Expand mobile optimization and offline access for rural and under-resourced users
Add multilingual support for greater inclusivity
Develop coach-facing dashboards with growth visualizations
Explore AI-generated prompts to increase personalization
Continue research with equity-focused partners like Head Start
“Professional development feels theoretical—I need help applying it to real kids, right now.”
Real-World, Teacher-Driven Results
A powerful PD booster: A promising 3rd party pilot study shows that teachers using Reflectable alongside a coach scored 19 points higher on fidelity to their SEL PD than teachers receiving just individual coaching.
