D2L / 2012-2013
Content & Course Management
Content management and course viewing experience for Brightspace students.
Design Highlights
Overview
Content & Course Management redesigned the content management and course viewing experience for Brightspace students, bringing modern UI patterns, interaction design, and the latest design system components to a core area of the platform that had become dated.
Challenge
The existing content management experience in Brightspace was built on a legacy platform with dated visual design. Students struggled to navigate complex course content structures, and the interface didn't use modern web capabilities for interaction and visual design. The content browsing experience needed to match the expectations of students who were increasingly accustomed to modern web applications.
Approach
Applied modern UI patterns and interaction design using the latest design system components. Introduced drag-and-drop and other contemporary interaction elements to make content organization more direct. Focused on creating a clear information hierarchy that made course content easy to navigate and discover.
Solution
Built a modernized content browser with updated visual design, drag-and-drop organization, and improved navigation patterns. The redesign used the latest Brightspace design system components for visual consistency. Modern interaction design elements replaced static interfaces, making content management easier for both students browsing content and instructors organizing it.
Impact
Improved student navigation and content discovery through modern UI patterns and visual design. The visual refresh and interaction improvements brought the content experience in line with the rest of the modernizing Brightspace platform. Drag-and-drop and other modern interactions made content organization faster and easier.
Key Learnings
Visual design refreshes are most impactful when paired with interaction improvements—a new coat of paint alone doesn't solve usability problems. Building on an established design system accelerates modernization efforts while maintaining platform consistency.