Overview
I led the design of a new assessment player to support online examinations within the Century platform. The goal was to create a scalable experience that could handle increasing curriculum complexity, government requirements, and different assessment formats, while remaining clear and low-stress for students.
The project evolved over time as requirements changed, requiring continuous iteration across navigation, progress tracking, and assessment structure.
Key Challenges
Supporting assessments ranging from 10 to 80+ questions without overwhelming users
Designing navigation that allows flexibility without compromising exam rules
Handling increasing complexity (sections, timing, grading requirements)
Reducing cognitive load for students in a high-stress environment
Ensuring scalability for different subjects and assessment formats
Design Approach
The assessment player needed to balance clarity, flexibility, and control. I focused on reducing distractions while ensuring students could easily understand their progress and navigate complex assessments.
The visual design followed the existing product language, while introducing gradual updates such as improved colour usage, clearer hierarchy, and updated components to modernise the experience.
Version 1 — Foundation
Adapted existing patterns and ISEB features into the core product, aligning them with the platform’s visual style.
Version 2 — Navigation & Progress
Introduced improved progress tracking for long assessments
Explored better navigation beyond simple back/next patterns
Addressed limited screen space without blocking content
Version 3 — Sections & Structure
Introduced assessment sections with separate rules and grading
Prevented back navigation across sections where required
Designed transitions between sections
Added clearer progress visibility and breakdowns
Version 4 — Finalisation
Supported additional assessment types
Refined flows and edge cases
Delivered a flexible system capable of handling custom exam formats
Key Design Decisions
Minimal interface during exams
Reduced visual noise to help students stay focused under pressure
Flexible but controlled navigation
Allowed movement within sections while enforcing exam constraints
Improved progress visibility
Reduced visual noise to help students stay focused under pressure
End-of-assessment review
Allowed movement within sections while enforcing exam constraints
Impact
The assessment player expanded the platform’s ability to support formal examinations, making it suitable for a wider range of educational and corporate use cases.
Its flexibility allowed different organisations to configure assessments based on their needs, contributing to improved product adoption and retention.