Sequential Questions
Overview
Sequential Questions is a question type developed for Smartwork, W.W. Norton's online learning assessment tool used by over one million college students and instructors. The question type allows students to work through complex, multi-step problems sequentially, where each step builds on the previous one—functionality that didn't exist in Smartwork or any competitor platform at the time.
My Role
End-to-end UX design for Sequential Questions, from proof-of-concept to production launch.
I designed for three distinct user types—students, instructors, and media editors—ensuring the question type integrated seamlessly into Smartwork's existing framework while introducing new functionality. My work included concept exploration, high-fidelity prototyping, stakeholder presentations, and developer handoff through UI specs and Zeplin.
Problem
Chemistry professors and Norton's editorial team identified a critical gap: no platform—ours or competitors'—offered a way for students to work through complex, multi-step problems sequentially, where each step builds on the previous one. This was a major opportunity to differentiate Smartwork and give instructors a tool to guide students through scaffolded learning.
Research & Discovery
Before design work began, the Digital Development Studio and chemistry team validated demand through an instructor survey testing three versions of the same activity. The gated multistep prototype (which later became Sequential Questions) significantly outperformed existing formats and ranked as the highest "delighter" data point the chemistry team has recorded using the Kano method.
Key Research Findings:
64% of instructors said it would be "better" or "much better" than current offerings
Strong competitive advantage in a saturated edtech market where competitors lacked this functionality
Top instructor requests included answer-specific feedback after each step, dynamic visuals, and control over attempts and grading
These findings validated the opportunity and informed design priorities, particularly around instructor customization and clear student progress indicators.
Design Challenges
01 / Creating an Intuitive Multi-Step Experience Within a Legacy Product
The biggest challenge was designing a multi-step question from scratch that clearly communicated its unique functionality without overwhelming students. I was working within the constraints of a legacy product used by over 1 million users—I had limited design flexibility and needed to match Smartwork's existing patterns so students wouldn't feel disoriented. The question needed to integrate with established features while introducing new navigation patterns students had never encountered, all while making its purpose immediately clear.
Solution
Working within Smartwork's design constraints, I focused on adding visual clarity to distinguish Sequential Questions from standard questions without breaking familiar patterns. I designed a Start Page that explained the new question type upfront, added a prominent stepper at the top showing total steps and current progress, and included a question steps sidebar for quick navigation. A new bottom navigation bar with clear borders around step content made the multi-step nature immediately apparent while staying consistent with Smartwork's existing interface.
02 / Seamless Integration for Instructors and Media Editors
While students needed a new experience, instructors and media editors required seamless integration into their existing workflows. Instructors needed to select, manage, and grade Sequential Questions within Assignment Settings. Media editors needed to efficiently write and build these complex questions in the Authoring Management System (AMS).
Solution
I integrated Sequential Questions directly into the question table and Question Library. A dropdown revealed all steps and their details at a glance. I made a key decision to disable editing for Sequential Questions—media editors write these steps to build on each other intentionally, and editing could break the scaffolded flow. Instructors retained universal control over points, attempts, and grade penalties.
For media editors, I added Sequential Questions to the AMS with a step-by-step workflow in the Question Metadata. Clear messaging explained that only main question data would be visible in the Question Library, while individual step metadata would remain hidden, setting proper expectations about the authoring process.
Visual Design
After finalizing the interaction design and user flows, I developed the visual design for Sequential Questions, ensuring it integrated seamlessly with Smartwork's existing design system while introducing new components specific to multi-step navigation.
I created a comprehensive design system for Sequential Questions that included:
Header variations for different screen sizes and states
Stepper component showing progress across multiple steps with various interaction states
Bottom navigation bar with contextual buttons that adapt based on student progress
Button styles for primary, secondary, and disabled states across the multi-step experience
Frame layouts showing how content adapts across different attempt states and screen widths
These design specifications were documented in Zeplin to ensure pixel-perfect implementation and maintain consistency with Smartwork's broader design language.
Development Handoff
After finalizing the prototype and gathering stakeholder feedback, I delivered a comprehensive UI spec detailing all functionality and uploaded visual designs to Zeplin for developer reference. The handoff included detailed documentation of interaction patterns, edge cases, and design rationale for each user type.
I remained actively involved throughout the 8-month development cycle, participating in regular check-ins to answer questions and resolve design questions as they arose. Before the December 2024 production launch, I performed final Visual Quality Assurance to ensure the implementation matched the design intent and functioned correctly across all three user experiences.
Outcomes & Impact
Sequential Questions launched successfully in December 2024 and is now live for all Smartwork users. The chemistry team has already created two activities using the new question type, and other disciplines like Geology are exploring adoption for their content. The framework's flexibility and strong instructor validation position it for continued growth across Norton's editorial disciplines.
Key Results:
Delivered a competitive differentiator in a saturated edtech market where no competitor offered this functionality
Enabled B2B2C design serving students, instructors, and content creators seamlessly
Created a scalable framework applicable across multiple academic disciplines
Successfully launched on schedule after 13 months of design and development
Key Deliverables:
User stories and user flows
Low-fidelity wireframes and concept exploration
High-fidelity prototypes for student, instructor, and media editor views
UI specifications and Zeplin design handoff documentation
