TP Music / EdTech / Online learning
Bridging music and language.
Led product design and project management for a mobile platform connecting Chinese youth with American music tutors for real-time instrumental training and English-speaking practice — a dual-track system built for both goal-driven and exploratory learners, grounded in two contrasting personas.
Agency
Lanxin Tech
Role
Product Designer, Project Manager
Period
2019 - 2020
Engagement
Full-time
Industry
Education technology
Motivation
Supported both goal-driven and inspiration-driven learning
Flexibility
Designed a mobile journey that adapts to different learner behaviors
Connection
Linked learners and tutors through discovery, booking, and ongoing communication
A rigid curriculum could not serve both ambition and curiosity.
Traditional music and English instruction both struggled to hold young learners — lessons felt like obligations, not passions. Nothing supported casual, interest-led English practice outside a formal classroom, and a single rigid curriculum couldn’t serve an audition-track student and a casual hobbyist at once.
01
Lack of motivation
Traditional music and English learning felt like obligations, not passions kids chose for themselves.
02
No informal practice format
Nothing supported casual, interest-led English practice outside a formal classroom.
03
Mismatched confidence and goals
An audition-track violinist and a casual hobbyist needed opposite experiences from the same product.
Two tracks, one adaptable dashboard.
I designed a dual-track system — Goal-Oriented and Inspiration paths sharing one dashboard, switchable at any time — so the product flexed to a learner’s motivation instead of forcing everyone through the same curriculum. Real-time lessons were embedded in the app for cross-border tutoring, and English exposure happened incidentally, through music itself, rather than as a separate subject.
Strategic vision
“To reimagine music education as a creatively engaging and globally connected experience.”
Inspiration over Instruction
Empower learners to explore and express through music.
Cultural Storytelling
Foster emotional connection between tutors and learners.
Contextual Language Exposure
Real-time lessons embedded in the app for cross-border tutoring.
Flexible Learning Paths
Serve both goal-driven and exploratory learning styles.
Different motivations, one adaptable product
Ling Chen
Track A · Audition-focused
Needs structure, milestones, expert tutors.
Xiao Yu
Track B · Exploration-focused
Needs flexibility, fun, low-pressure progress.
View persona research
Ling Chen
Track A · Goal-Oriented Path
Age / Location
16, Beijing, China
Occupation
High school student
Instrument
Violin
Learning violin since age 8, now preparing to study music abroad — which demands both high-level instrumental skill and strong English proficiency. Her parents are supportive and willing to invest in professional overseas tutors.
“I’m preparing for an audition at an international music academy and improving my English communication skills.”
Pain points
- Struggles to find tutors who teach both technique and audition prep in English
- Hard to track progress across different apps and lessons
- Unstable video connections in past online lessons
Needs & goals
- Qualified American tutors who understand Chinese learners’ needs
- Stable, high-quality live video with clear audio
- Violin progress and English improvement tracked in one place
- Visible milestones and positive feedback
Xiao Yu
Track B · Inspiration Path
Age / Location
12, Shanghai, China
Occupation
Middle school student
Instrument
Keyboard
Started keyboard during the pandemic as a hobby. Unlike peers preparing for graded exams, she’s more interested in exploring music casually — pop songs, experimenting with sounds, connecting with cool musicians. Parents encourage her creative side but want some structure.
“I’m finding inspiration to enjoy playing music casually and explore different instruments.”
Pain points
- Gets bored with traditional lesson formats focused only on scales and technique
- Hard to stay motivated without exciting, real-world applications
- Parents worry about finding tutors who keep her engaged while still teaching fundamentals
Needs & goals
- Young, energetic tutors with fun songs and creative challenges
- Live demonstrations and mini-performances to stay excited
- Playful progress tracking — badges for songs and challenges completed
- Freedom to explore different instruments before committing
View competitive positioning
Yousician / Simply Piano
Strength
Great self-paced music instruction
Gap
Lacks human connection, English practice, or cultural context
VIPKid / italki
Strength
Strong for English speaking through live tutors
Gap
No music content, inspiration, or creative learning flow
Our positioning
- Merges creative learning, global connection, and language development
- Promotes music + storytelling
- Designed for young learners’ attention styles
One continuous mobile journey.
Onboarding, discovery, learning, and communication weren’t separate features — they were one path a learner moved through, from first sign-up to a certificate they could keep.
Join & Choose
Sign-up, biometric security, then instrument and track selection — the dual-track system starts on day one.
Discover
A Top Mentors list and Popular Courses browse, with a course detail page carrying ratings, class count, and tutor bio.
Learn & Progress
Curriculum broken into clear sections, a completion review prompt, and a downloadable Certificate of Completion.
Connect
An Inbox with Chat and Calls tabs keeps the tutor relationship alive between booked sessions.
Trust had to continue beyond the booking screen.
For live, cross-border tutoring, trust wasn’t a single moment — it had to hold up before a learner ever booked, through the ongoing relationship, and after each lesson ended.
01
Before the lesson
Tutor profile, ratings, course information.
02
During the relationship
Consistent access to the tutor and learning context.
03
After the lesson
Messaging, progress, review, and recognition.
The learner experience depended on the tutor experience.
Mapped for both perspectives — the learner booking and attending lessons, and the tutor managing matches, availability, and earnings.
What this project demonstrated.
Mobile UX
An end-to-end learning journey
Onboarding, discovery, communication, and progress connected into one continuous mobile experience across the app.
Service Design
Learner and tutor needs, one loop
Both sides of the two-sided marketplace — booking and attending, matching and earning — were mapped and connected rather than designed in isolation.
Adaptive Learning
One product, two motivations
Goal-driven and inspiration-driven learners were both supported by the same dual-track system, switchable anytime from one shared dashboard.
Cross-domain Design
Four domains, one product
Music education, language learning, marketplace discovery, and live communication combined into a single connected experience.
Additional process documentation and historical presentation material is available on Behance.
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