The educational market is crowded, especially in the design field. Before jumping into the product design phase, we recommend that our clients find out first: Is there still a niche to claim? Are there pain points that existing platforms haven’t solved? The in-depth research is how we uncover real opportunities — and avoid building on guesswork.
Problem: The client wasn’t sure if there was still room in the market for a new gamified educational app, or which learning approach would work best.
Solution: We conducted a research to identify unmet needs, explored how competitors engage and retain learners. We analyzed educational models and gamification approaches.
Result: We uncovered valuable insights that will guide strategic decisions in the upcoming design phase — with a clear understanding of both the users and the landscape.
Timeline
We followed a flexible, adaptive process designed to surface insights early and iterate quickly. Some stages overlapped and influenced each other, helping us move faster without losing depth.
Market Research
We analyzed 6 key competitors to understand the current landscape. What we found was a market full of options.
Market Analysis
The current market offers a broad range of formats tailored to different learner types and needs. The opportunity lies in combining structured learning, guidance, flexible access, and an active community into one seamless experience.
Positioning
The startup can fill the gap between casual YouTube browsing and high-commitment platforms like Coursera. It can become the perfect entry point for curious learners looking for action, not lectures.
Competitor Advantages
What makes current platforms attractive to users:
Competitor Weaknesses
Where the current platforms fall short:
Approach Analysis
We broke down 10 gamified apps to extract the best educational practices and gamification approaches.
Analysis Takeaway
We identified proven patterns in gamification that keep users engaged and motivated. Here are the ones worth applying.
User Interviews
We spoke with a few potential users to better understand their goals, struggles, and learning habits.
User Verbatim
Here’s what users had to say when we asked them key questions about their learning experience.
Interview Analysis
We analyzed patterns across all interviews to uncover what truly motivates users in their learning journey.
User Preferences
User Expectations
Coming Next...
In the next phase, we will build an MVP prototype to validate ideas through user testing on a clickable mockup.