Currently at the search function, when the cursor is hovering over the actionable buttons they remain the same. However, according to Material Design, with a better visual representation of the states, UI elements can offer users better affordance of their actionablulty

Search-Hovering state

To enhance user interface visibility, two design changes are suggested for 1Cademy clusters: (1) adding a low-opacity fill to the cluster shape to visually differentiate it from the background, and (2) displaying tags at the top or bottom of the cluster rather than in the background, ensuring tag text remains visible, especially in light mode.

1Cademy Cluster Design Improvements

The 1Cademy Help Page is designed to provide users with FAQs, functional tutorials, privacy statements, and other comprehensive documentation to aid in understanding and navigating the platform.

1Cademy Help Page

Research-based design changes for 1Cademy  platform

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Design science research is typically applied to categories of artifacts including algorithms, human/computer interfaces, design methodologies (including process models) and languages. Research in these disciplines can be seen as a quest for understanding and improving human performance.

Design Science

Material Design Documentation

Visual communication is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be seen. Visual communication in part or whole relies on eyesight. Visual communication is a broad spectrum that includes signs, typography, drawing, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, advertising, animation, color, and electronic resources.

Visual Communication

The designing of interactive products, environments, systems, and services. Common topics include design, human–computer interaction, and software development. A central concern of interaction design is to develop interactive products that are usable, easy to learn, effective to use, and provide an enjoyable user experience to support and enhance the way people communicate and interact in their everyday lives.  Dan Saffer (2010) suggests four main approaches to interaction design, User-centered design, Activity-centered design, Systems design, and Genius design.

Interaction design

"Conceptual design is concerned with developing a conceptual model. It is an early phase of the design process, in which the broad outlines of function and form of something are articulated. It includes the design of interactions, experiences, processes, and strategies."

Conceptual Design

- Existing habits can prevent or encourage the adoption of a new system
- Our systems are more likely to be adopted by users if they support their existing habits
- Habits are important for our brains because they create neurological cravings when behaviors are rewarded by the release of positive chemicals in the brain.


Importance of Habits

"User research is the methodic study of target users—including their needs and pain points—so designers have the sharpest possible insights to work with to make the best designs. User researchers use various methods to expose problems and design opportunities, and find crucial information to use in their design process."

User Research

The user interface is the graphical layout of an application. Through the ways in which users can interact with a service, through buttons, flow, and layout, the user interface (or UI) focuses on maximizing usability and the user experience.

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