Reimagined Discovery: from component to company strategy

How updating a product card changed the platform, the company organization, and the future of Coursera

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Overview

RoleDesign lead on consumer

PlatformWeb · Consumer/Enterprise

ToolsFigma · Amplitude · Usertesting.com · FullStory · Jira · Confluence · EPIC

Discovery

The origin

Initially scoped as a redesign of Coursera's product cards, this project evolved into a much larger opportunity. Through research, my co-lead Michelle Claessens and I uncovered a foundational shift that could transform the experience from a simple refresh into a fully reimagined product.

User insights from research

Product cards at Coursera 2020

Key findings

Finding 1 — Decision fatigue. Learners could not decide and differentiate from each course in a given collection.

Finding 2 — Product perception is skewed. Learners could not differentiate a course from a specialization, professional certificate, or a degree.

Finding 3 — Pogo sticking is tiring. Learners mentioned jumping from tab to tab to understand each product and card of interest, causing overwhelmness.

The Problem

Learners lack guidance when choosing courses across key discovery surfaces (home, search, browse).

“I’m overwhelmed. I don’t know what I’m looking at.”

— Usertesting learner

Process

Reframed the problem around learner needs

Shifted the project from a UI refresh to a learner-centered opportunity by grounding decisions in user stories, goals, and research insights. This provided a clear vision for how discovery should work.

Mapped the discovery landscape

Analyzed competitor patterns across browse- and search-driven platforms (e.g., Udemy, Udacity, Codecademy, Netflix, Amazon) to identify gaps and inform a more effective discovery model.

Drove alignment through collaboration

Facilitated cross-functional workshops with product, data, engineering, and marketing to synthesize insights, build shared understanding, and create alignment with the product leadership team to secure buy-in for a broader product vision.

Explored bold conceptual directions

Developed distinct experience archetypes (e.g., "bookstore owner," "curator") to reimagine how learners discover content, which was valuable in helping teams evaluate and align on differentiated approaches. A visual design sprint was held in partnership with visual designer Kelsey Chow.

Validated and delivered through research

Tested concepts with users, identified a hybrid model that resonated, and translated insights into a shipped experience guided by Coursera's design principles.