Vitalii Avdeev

Designing the online education platform at Strelka Institute

Role
Product Designer
Company
Strelka Institute
Scope
Web, Mobile web
Duration
2020 – 2021
Team
Institute design team, producers and web developers
Contributions
New institute platform • Online courses
• from research to launch
Strelka online courses on a laptop

The problem

Strelka Institute is a non-profit international project that educates the next generation of architects, designers and media professionals. It needed one web platform for all its projects and activities, and a new online product that would open its unique knowledge base to everyone.

My role

I worked in the institute’s design team under art director Anna Kulachek, together with the management and producers. With the team, I worked on the new platform and its design language. My main focus was the online education platform: I designed it from the first research and customer journey map to prototypes, final design and support during development.

1. One platform for all the institute’s projects

Together with the design team, I worked on a platform that brings all the institute’s projects and activities into one place: programmes, courses, the library, the events calendar and more.

We created a new architecture and user journeys, and a visual language that reinterprets the institute’s signature style in a fresh, modern way. The system is fully flexible and adapts to every screen size, with a user-friendly mobile version.

Architecture of the new platform
Fig. 1.1 Architecture of the new platform
Fig. 1.2 Main page
Library
Fig. 1.3 Library
Calendar, podcast and lecture pages on mobile
Fig. 1.4 Calendar, podcast and lecture pages on mobile
Fig. 1.5 Conference page
Research project page
Fig. 1.6 Research project page

2. Courses built on Strelka’s knowledge

The core of the education project was interactive courses based on the institute’s knowledge base, free and open to everyone.

We started with brainstorming sessions. I drew the first customer journey map, studied existing education platforms and ran internal studies on how people learn online and use these interfaces. Then I built the prototypes that became the base of the final design.

I worked closely with the producers, who wrote the course scenarios and content, and later with the web developers to bring the product to life.

Early prototypes of the course pages
Fig. 2.1 Early prototypes of the course pages
Course chapter with lessons and video
Fig. 2.2 Course chapter with lessons and video
Lesson and contents on mobile
Fig. 2.3 Lesson and contents on mobile
Final test and results
Fig. 2.4 Final test and results

3. A first step towards a learning community

The next stage was an MVP of a social layer: a discussion where students talk to curators and experts. It launched as an early version, laying the groundwork for the platform’s growth.

Course discussion with curators and experts
Fig. 3.1 Course discussion with curators and experts
Mobile menu and discussion
Fig. 3.2 Mobile menu and discussion

Outcome

• The institute launched its new platform, which brought together its projects, from the architecture bureau to the education platform.
• The online education platform launched with interactive courses open to everyone.
• A new architecture, user journeys and visual language, with a responsive system for every screen size.
• In 2022 Strelka Institute stopped its activities as a non-profit educational organisation, and the platform closed with it.

Deeply grateful to the team for the invaluable experience: Anna Kulachek, Sofya Elterman, Karina Golubenko, Vladislav Novoseltsev, Anna Bondarenko, Artyom Mirolyubov, Nadezhda Savina, Alexander Sirotin & more