InsightMath Core Curriculum
2020-2025
Product Type｜Comprehensive Math Program for K–6
Role｜Senior Visual Designer and Illustrator
In the past five years, I have had the opportunity to be part of an innovative, neuroscience-based math core curriculum that supports teachers and students' classroom experience. This K-6 Mega-Pack program introduces a learning mode different from traditional math programs, where students get to think about math deeply and follow a natural learning method, as our brain learns.
InsightMath integrates multimodal learning experiences, collaborative discussions, and neuroscience-based principles in both digital and printed formats to support a deep conceptual understanding of math.
Where it started
Expanding Business into the Core Curriculum
From 2019 to 2020, MIND started investing in a different strategy in the InsightMath Project since MIND offers only one supplemental program, ST Math. While other EdTech companies have expanded to provide core curriculum programs, MIND's limited offering puts us at a competitive disadvantage, as feedback from teachers shows a demanding request in core curriculum vs supplemental programs.
DEI
As an equality-focused and inclusive organization, MIND applies the DEI framework to InsightMath from its earliest stages. We incorporated storytelling into student workbooks and learning experiences throughout all grades, focusing on showcasing the growth of diverse representatives, while creating real-life application problems and scenarios with engaging visuals for students to explore and learn. This asset-based approach design ensures students envision their own success, grow together with the characters, identify themselves, and believe in their potential for high achievements.
Stage 1: Pioneering the Visual Foundation
Role: Visual Development and Prototypes
During the product's early development, I was the sole visual designer and illustrator focused on one of the three central learning layers. I worked closely with CRO, project leads and VP, curriculum designers, and subject matter experts to:
- Define product (Playbook) concepts
- Explore and identify visual direction and styles
- Develop and iterate on early prototypes based on testing feedback
Identified Problem:
Initially, the original concept of a playbook featured a busy 'comic book' style with implied math puzzles spreading around in the universe. Through a few observations and testing, we find that this may lead to low student recognition of math representations, overloaded cognitive loads, posing a risk to user engagement and market viability.
Solution:
By leveraging insights from previous successful projects, I pivoted to a vibrant, uplifting color palette and optimized visual hierarchy to ensure math content prominence and reduce cognitive load.
This strategy proved by positive student engagement and experience during testing, along with favorable feedback from parents and teachers, ultimately contributed to the program winning the 2025 ISTE Best of Show award and securing its visual foundation.
Prototype Iteration v2 shows a more vivid color style.
Stage 2: Scaling and developing with Strategy
Role: Senior Visual Designer and illustrator
As the InsightMath project scaled, I stepped into a senior role to guide the newly expanded 9-person design team, driving the visual and production strategy in close collaboration with the Art Director and VP of Curriculum.
- Characters, critters, and story design.
- Plan and support project timeline and deliveries.
- Led the creation of comprehensive style guides that set the visual standard across the program.
- Initiated the use of OneDrive (SharePoint) as a team collaboration platform to support efficient and organized workflows across multiple designers.
- Mentored and coached junior designers and illustrators, fostering both creative growth and delivery efficiency.
Design Approach:
We focused on creating characters and critters that would enrich the learning experience in the playbook. Our goal was to develop stories and characters that are diverse, well-represented, and authentic—ones that grow with the students. We wanted to ensure students could see themselves in these stories, helping them reflect on their own potential and believe in their limitless abilities.
I conducted basic research into what makes characters unique—the people themselves. Some of the characters I designed were through observations and real-life examples: my friends, family, former students, and people I knew. Arman, who has a hearing implant, was one of these characters. This character became one of the favorites within the company because he was the first to represent people who are often underrepresented in our daily lives. He was also featured most frequently in both internal and external presentations.
Character concept designed by me and final outcome by artist Blake Lannom
Critters concept design
Final critter production by artist Lime Roberson
Stage 3: Production lead & UXR Testing
Role: Lead digital graphic designer & UXR support
Other than the characters and creatures that support the storyline and learning experience, we also implement cognitive controls in the overall design to ensure information and math concepts are presented clearly, are easy to read, have a cohesive visual flow, and possess a delightful aesthetic.
During the final stage of the product development cycle, I took the lead on a new area - visual production for the digital lesson platform, supporting the successful delivery of the curriculum. My key responsibilities included:
- Facilitating cross-team communication and developing strategic production flows while supporting production.
- Collaborating with UX researchers to support summative research and improve the overall user experience through direct observations, interviews, and online surveys.
- Initiating a centralized SharePoint Library to synchronize resources, enhance cross-team collaboration, and streamline workflow and asset management.
Sample sheet of asset production
