Lindsey Shepherd
About
Work
SAT® Question of the Day
Product Design, College Board
Table of Contents
Overview
Question of the Day (QOTD) is a mobile-first, web-based application developed to offer students a low-pressure, gamified approach to SAT® practice. Delivered as a stand-alone experience, QOTD serves as a lightweight yet impactful daily touchpoint that builds engagement and consistency — especially for students who may feel intimidated by full-length test prep.
Through personalized content, performance tracking, and achievement rewards, QOTD meets students where they are and encourages daily interaction with official SAT® material.
The Challenge
The College Board needed a way to:
- Reduce friction for students beginning their SAT® prep journey
- Offer an accessible and repeatable experience that could complement the full My Practice platform
- Encourage daily engagement through motivating design and clear feedback
- Support a sense of progress, fun, and habit-building in a high-stakes test prep environment
Most importantly, the solution had to feel rewarding and informal, while still grounded in official SAT® content.
Approach
We designed QOTD to be an experience that felt simple and inviting — one question per day, instantly delivered and easily completed on mobile.
Key product strategies included:
- Gamification: Encourage engagement with streaks, badges, and user rankings
- Personalization: Provide subject choice and stats based on individual performance
- Flexibility: Make it functional on any device, with no need to navigate a full platform
- Fun-first framing: Reduce academic pressure by focusing on light, consistent participation
Key Features
Daily Interactive Dashboard
- One randomized SAT question per day
- Choose from Math or Reading & Writing
- Instant feedback with explanations and scoring
- Content drawn from the official SAT Question Bank
Streak Tracker + Calendar View
- Tracks daily participation — not correctness — to reinforce consistency
- Calendar heatmap visualizes progress over time
Achievement Badges
- Seven unique badge types with four tiers each (Bronze → Platinum)
- Earned for both engagement (e.g., streaks) and accuracy
- A “Recent Milestones” feed showcases latest accomplishments
Personal Stats Dashboard
- Lifetime questions answered
- Overall accuracy percentage
- Rank compared to all QOTD users
- Subject-specific accuracy in Math and Reading & Writing
- Snapshot of how today’s user base is performing overall
User Experience Highlights
- Low-friction onboarding: No app install, login optional for preview
- Micro-interactions: Progress bars, animation on badge unlocks, streak feedback
- Responsive design: Optimized for mobile-first use but equally functional on desktop
- Accessibility: Designed with screen reader compatibility and color contrast in mind
Impact
The launch of Question of the Day introduced a fresh way for students to engage with the SAT:
- Served as a gateway to deeper practice via My Practice
- Encouraged daily touchpoints with academic content
- Created a positive feedback loop through streaks, stats, and badges
- Enabled ongoing re-engagement without cognitive overload
QOTD became an effective model for how lightweight, gamified tools can support high-impact learning outcomes — especially in educational contexts where student motivation and sustained attention are critical.
Lindsey Shepherd
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Visual Design and Marketing
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SAT® Question of the Day
Product Design, College Board
Table of Contents
Overview
Question of the Day (QOTD) is a mobile-first, web-based application developed to offer students a low-pressure, gamified approach to SAT® practice. Delivered as a stand-alone experience, QOTD serves as a lightweight yet impactful daily touchpoint that builds engagement and consistency — especially for students who may feel intimidated by full-length test prep.
Through personalized content, performance tracking, and achievement rewards, QOTD meets students where they are and encourages daily interaction with official SAT® material.
The Challenge
The College Board needed a way to:
- Reduce friction for students beginning their SAT® prep journey
- Offer an accessible and repeatable experience that could complement the full My Practice platform
- Encourage daily engagement through motivating design and clear feedback
- Support a sense of progress, fun, and habit-building in a high-stakes test prep environment
Most importantly, the solution had to feel rewarding and informal, while still grounded in official SAT® content.
Approach
We designed QOTD to be an experience that felt simple and inviting — one question per day, instantly delivered and easily completed on mobile.
Key product strategies included:
- Gamification: Encourage engagement with streaks, badges, and user rankings
- Personalization: Provide subject choice and stats based on individual performance
- Flexibility: Make it functional on any device, with no need to navigate a full platform
- Fun-first framing: Reduce academic pressure by focusing on light, consistent participation
Key Features
Daily Interactive Dashboard
- One randomized SAT question per day
- Choose from Math or Reading & Writing
- Instant feedback with explanations and scoring
- Content drawn from the official SAT Question Bank
Streak Tracker + Calendar View
- Tracks daily participation — not correctness — to reinforce consistency
- Calendar heatmap visualizes progress over time
Achievement Badges
- Seven unique badge types with four tiers each (Bronze → Platinum)
- Earned for both engagement (e.g., streaks) and accuracy
- A “Recent Milestones” feed showcases latest accomplishments
Personal Stats Dashboard
- Lifetime questions answered
- Overall accuracy percentage
- Rank compared to all QOTD users
- Subject-specific accuracy in Math and Reading & Writing
- Snapshot of how today’s user base is performing overall
User Experience Highlights
- Low-friction onboarding: No app install, login optional for preview
- Micro-interactions: Progress bars, animation on badge unlocks, streak feedback
- Responsive design: Optimized for mobile-first use but equally functional on desktop
- Accessibility: Designed with screen reader compatibility and color contrast in mind
Impact
The launch of Question of the Day introduced a fresh way for students to engage with the SAT:
- Served as a gateway to deeper practice via My Practice
- Encouraged daily touchpoints with academic content
- Created a positive feedback loop through streaks, stats, and badges
- Enabled ongoing re-engagement without cognitive overload
QOTD became an effective model for how lightweight, gamified tools can support high-impact learning outcomes — especially in educational contexts where student motivation and sustained attention are critical.
SAT® Question of the Day
Product Design, College Board
Table of Contents
Overview
Question of the Day (QOTD) is a mobile-first, web-based application developed to offer students a low-pressure, gamified approach to SAT® practice. Delivered as a stand-alone experience, QOTD serves as a lightweight yet impactful daily touchpoint that builds engagement and consistency — especially for students who may feel intimidated by full-length test prep.
Through personalized content, performance tracking, and achievement rewards, QOTD meets students where they are and encourages daily interaction with official SAT® material.
The Challenge
The College Board needed a way to:
- Reduce friction for students beginning their SAT® prep journey
- Offer an accessible and repeatable experience that could complement the full My Practice platform
- Encourage daily engagement through motivating design and clear feedback
- Support a sense of progress, fun, and habit-building in a high-stakes test prep environment
Most importantly, the solution had to feel rewarding and informal, while still grounded in official SAT® content.
Approach
We designed QOTD to be an experience that felt simple and inviting — one question per day, instantly delivered and easily completed on mobile.
Key product strategies included:
- Gamification: Encourage engagement with streaks, badges, and user rankings
- Personalization: Provide subject choice and stats based on individual performance
- Flexibility: Make it functional on any device, with no need to navigate a full platform
- Fun-first framing: Reduce academic pressure by focusing on light, consistent participation
Key Features
Daily Interactive Dashboard
- One randomized SAT question per day
- Choose from Math or Reading & Writing
- Instant feedback with explanations and scoring
- Content drawn from the official SAT Question Bank
Streak Tracker + Calendar View
- Tracks daily participation — not correctness — to reinforce consistency
- Calendar heatmap visualizes progress over time
Achievement Badges
- Seven unique badge types with four tiers each (Bronze → Platinum)
- Earned for both engagement (e.g., streaks) and accuracy
- A “Recent Milestones” feed showcases latest accomplishments
Personal Stats Dashboard
- Lifetime questions answered
- Overall accuracy percentage
- Rank compared to all QOTD users
- Subject-specific accuracy in Math and Reading & Writing
- Snapshot of how today’s user base is performing overall
User Experience Highlights
- Low-friction onboarding: No app install, login optional for preview
- Micro-interactions: Progress bars, animation on badge unlocks, streak feedback
- Responsive design: Optimized for mobile-first use but equally functional on desktop
- Accessibility: Designed with screen reader compatibility and color contrast in mind
Impact
The launch of Question of the Day introduced a fresh way for students to engage with the SAT:
- Served as a gateway to deeper practice via My Practice
- Encouraged daily touchpoints with academic content
- Created a positive feedback loop through streaks, stats, and badges
- Enabled ongoing re-engagement without cognitive overload
QOTD became an effective model for how lightweight, gamified tools can support high-impact learning outcomes — especially in educational contexts where student motivation and sustained attention are critical.