Admit AI
Key Concept
College prep is messy. Coach Admit simplifies the journey by merging AI with goal tracking, reducing missed deadlines and helping both students and staff stay focused.
As the Product Design Intern and sole designer, I led the design of Admit Admit, an early-stage platform helping students track goals and admins monitor progress. I built a scalable system across mobile and web, balancing intuitive student tools with clear admin oversight. One of my main challenges was designing feasible solutions with limited resources and fast-moving startup constraints.
June - August 2022
Product Design Intern
Mobile + Web
Nile Studio
Intro to Admit AI
The student app provides AI-powered coaching and a centralized place to manage goals, tasks, and deadlines.
The admin dashboard gives counselors a real-time view of student progress, making it easier to give support where it’s needed most.
Research
Insights
“No one really told me when or how to apply. I had to figure it out on my own.”
- 11th grade student
I. Student Clarity
Lack of structure, visual progress, and timely reminders.
II. AI Guidance
Students & admins want smarter, AI-driven support.
III. Admin Visibility
Need clear dashboards and bulk tools to scale support.
These questions helped me look beyond just surface-level issues and dig into the deeper “why” behind user frustrations.
We surveyed 50+ students and interviewed 20 admins, focusing on low-income and first-gen communities and tested early concepts and prototypes with both groups.
“I’m tracking 150+ students with a spreadsheet, which isn’t sustainable.”
- Charter school counselor
Research goals
Sketches & Wireframing
Initial sketches for mobile and web
In a fast-paced startup setting, I was responsible for designing both mobile and web experiences across features like student and admin onboarding, profiles, explore pages, goal tracking, and the AI coach. Balancing two platforms added pressure to brainstorm and deliver quickly. I started with rapid sketches to explore ideas and flows, then turned them into weekly wireframes to test and iterate under tight timelines.
Mobile onboarding wireframes
Profile applications list wireframes
As timelines shortened, I transitioned into mid-to-high fidelity wireframes to support quicker handoffs to engineering. Since I was the only designer, each screen had to be intentional and testable.
Design critiques, dev scrums, and feedback from real users shaped my process. I didn’t just ask “what’s broken?”, I asked “why is this not working?” Questions like “Is this intuitive?” and “Can users act without thinking?” helped guide refinements.
To begin each feature, I clarified the key actions and user goals, drew inspiration from similar products, and sketched out early concepts. From there, I explored multiple lo-fi wireframes to visualize flows and make quick decisions.
Goal Tracking | Testing color and accordion view
Goal Tracking | Testing layout and colors
Goal Tracking | Testing card and tag view
Many other iterations of drafts
Many versions didn’t make it, with some being too complex, others not feasible. But this taught me how to embrace critique, understand the root of user needs, and design with clarity under pressure. Failing forward.
Refinement
Old designs for student goal tracking
Updated goal-tracking design after usability testing of early prototypes
Refinement of admin web dashboard after usability testing
Branding & Typography
Color and typography styles
Final Solution
Student Mobile App
Goal Tracking
Clear visual indicators, collapsible sections by priority, and contextual AI nudges help students stay organized.
Coach Admit
Provides intelligent, proactive guidance, answering questions and surfacing relevant resources.
Explore Page
A personalized feed of scholarships, tips, and deadlines tailored to the student’s interests and status.
Dashboard Overview
High-level overview of all students with filters by risk level, progress, and recent activity
Administrator Dashboard
Explore Thread Posting
Enables open dialogue between students and admins through pinned announcements and interactive posts.
Student Profile Management
Quick insights on progress, recent activity, and alerts
Calendar Integration
Admins can schedule meetings, deadlines, and reminders directly within the platform.
Outcome & Reflection
After the end of my contract, Admit officially launched in August 2024 and has since secured its first partner organization. The platform saw an increase in both student and admin engagement among early partners. Backed by its first partner, Camelback Ventures, Nile Studio continues to grow and scale Admit to a broader audience in 2025.
Startup agility: Created a scalable design system under tight timelines.
Cross-team Collaboration: Worked closely with devs & PM, ensuring technical feasibility
Iterative feedback: Used real user insights to shape and refine design choices.
Communication: Clear storytelling helped align cross-functional teams.
What I Learned
Impact
Reflection
This project pushed me to design from the ground up, balancing speed with structure, constraints with creativity. It strengthened my confidence in driving design decisions and reinforced how thoughtful design can create impact at both individual and system levels.
GIGNGO
HNGR