Nick Academy

Design Lead

Made as part of Beta Studio

2021-2025

Nick Academy is an EdTech mobile app designed to offer children high-quality screen time. it provides reliable, engaging, and—most importantly—fun learning experiences.

Nick Academy won the Audience Choice Award at the 2025 GESAwards – Global EdTech Startup Awards. 

"Because kids deserve to love learning. The goal? A world where students actually want to do their homework!"

According to the award announcement

THE CHALLENGE

Motivating 8-12-year-olds to prioritize learning over the constant digital distractions competing for attention.

We conducted research, user interviews, and drew inspiration from industry leaders.

THE SOLUTION

Nick Academy is a virtual School of Fun, where every door opens to a world of exciting learning challenges, rewards, and iconic Nickelodeon brands.

*My Contribution
I led the creative team across research, concept development, design, and production, collaborating with developers and conducting playtests.

01

 THE SECRET SAUCE OF FUN

We adapted proven retention, reward, and engagement strategies from popular products to boost motivation and long-term engagement.

We drew inspiration from two key references: Brawl Stars, for its fresh and exciting vibe, and Duolingo, for its effective learning retention.
 

01

Powerful Rewards

As kids progress, they earn XP, level up, unlock titles and medals, build robots, collect stickers, and gather gems to unlock adventures and actions.

02

Customization

Kids can personalize their avatar with inclusive options and showcase it on their Academy Card with achievements and collectibles.

03

Streaks & Dailies

The Streak tracks consecutive days of daily challenges, with tasks like Brain Teasers and Knowledge Boosters, rewarding consistency.

02

CHAOTIC CURIOSITY

The Academy hallway is a wacky, unpredictable world where humor, surprises, and playful chaos keep kids excited to learn and discover.

In the hallway, kids meet Nick characters who invite them to interact and explore unique learning worlds behind each door.

03

THE ACADEMY STRUCTURE

The journey starts with Parent/Child onboarding, leading to the child’s profile and a wide selection of play-based curriculums and sandbox games.

04

THE MAIN COURSE: GAMES

School isn't our competition—Brawl Stars is. The challenge is to make learning just as fun and appealing as their favorite games.

The Linear Learn Curriculum guides kids through gamified lessons and challenges.

Adventures are escape room-style experiences where kids solve multidisciplinary challenges across all subjects.

The Playground is a free-roaming area where kids can enjoy fun, casual puzzles and complete Daily games.

Engaging Reading

We turned texual lessons into story-driven experiences with micro-games to spark curiosity, reinforce learning, and boost motivation.
 

05

USER & PLAY TESTSING

That's when the real work began.

We held regular product reviews, testing assumptions, exploring new possibilities, and refining the product based on children's feedback.

06

THE TEAM

The app was built by a multidisciplinary team of designers, developers, writers, and pedagogy experts.

 BETA Studio 

Analyzing the playtest results

Design sprint!