Home
Projects
Digital Board: Helping Teachers Remember Student Names
classroom, digital name board

Digital Board: Helping Teachers Remember Student Names

Learn student names in a classroom

My role

Product Designer

Project type

Product Design Challenge

Tools

Notion ← feel free to check my notes

Teachers need to remember student names, but this seemingly simple challenge revealed complex issues around privacy, classroom workflows, and educational psychology.

My research with a school principal and visiting English teacher showed that visiting teachers - who see classes only 1-2 times per week - struggle much more than regular classroom teachers. A visiting teacher needs 1-2 months to learn names across multiple classes, causing lesson interruptions and stress.

I developed a concept for an always-visible classroom display that integrates name-learning into existing teaching activities, using student-created visual content and memory techniques. This approach avoids privacy issues with photos while making name-learning part of natural classroom routines.

Approach & Insights

Initial problem exploration

Started with the design challenge: help educators match faces to names faster. I researched existing solutions and noticed many used mobile apps with student photos. This raised immediate concerns about privacy and classroom practicality.

I decided to narrow my focus to primary school grades 1-3 (ages 7-9) where students spend most time with one teacher, but also have visiting teachers for subjects like English and Religion.

Research

To understand the real problem, I interviewed two people I know who work in education.

Interview with a school principal to understand operational and policy perspectives:

  • Do teachers actually struggle with student names?

  • What are typical class sizes and teacher rotations?

  • What's the school's position on student photos and privacy?

Interview with a visiting English teacher to get the user experience:

  • Do you struggle with remembering names as a visiting teacher?

  • How does not knowing names affect your teaching?

  • What methods do you currently use and how long does learning take?

Key discoveries

Problem validation (from 2 interviews):

  • Visiting teachers (1-2x/week contact) struggle more than head teachers

  • Takes 1-2 months to learn all names in new classes

  • Real impact: lesson interruptions, teacher confidence issues, attendance difficulties

Why photo apps don't work:

  • Principal: "Would be opposed as school director" due to privacy concerns

  • School policy prohibits phone use during class

  • Teachers need to learn "during work, not at home"

Memory science research

While waiting for the interviews, I researched memory training systems. I explored spaced repetition, face-name association, and multi-sensory processing to find techniques that could work in busy classroom environments.

Key insight: Student-created associations are more memorable than teacher-created ones.

Initial problem exploration

Started with the design challenge: help educators match faces to names faster. I researched existing solutions and noticed many used mobile apps with student photos. This raised immediate concerns about privacy and classroom practicality.

I decided to narrow my focus to primary school grades 1-3 (ages 7-9) where students spend most time with one teacher, but also have visiting teachers for subjects like English and Religion.

Research

To understand the real problem, I interviewed two people I know who work in education.

Interview with a school principal to understand operational and policy perspectives:

  • Do teachers actually struggle with student names?

  • What are typical class sizes and teacher rotations?

  • What's the school's position on student photos and privacy?

Interview with a visiting English teacher to get the user experience:

  • Do you struggle with remembering names as a visiting teacher?

  • How does not knowing names affect your teaching?

  • What methods do you currently use and how long does learning take?

Key discoveries

Problem validation (from 2 interviews):

  • Visiting teachers (1-2x/week contact) struggle more than head teachers

  • Takes 1-2 months to learn all names in new classes

  • Real impact: lesson interruptions, teacher confidence issues, attendance difficulties

Why photo apps don't work:

  • Principal: "Would be opposed as school director" due to privacy concerns

  • School policy prohibits phone use during class

  • Teachers need to learn "during work, not at home"

Memory science research

While waiting for the interviews, I researched memory training systems. I explored spaced repetition, face-name association, and multi-sensory processing to find techniques that could work in busy classroom environments.

Key insight: Student-created associations are more memorable than teacher-created ones.

Initial problem exploration

Started with the design challenge: help educators match faces to names faster. I researched existing solutions and noticed many used mobile apps with student photos. This raised immediate concerns about privacy and classroom practicality.

I decided to narrow my focus to primary school grades 1-3 (ages 7-9) where students spend most time with one teacher, but also have visiting teachers for subjects like English and Religion.

Research

To understand the real problem, I interviewed two people I know who work in education.

Interview with a school principal to understand operational and policy perspectives:

  • Do teachers actually struggle with student names?

  • What are typical class sizes and teacher rotations?

  • What's the school's position on student photos and privacy?

Interview with a visiting English teacher to get the user experience:

  • Do you struggle with remembering names as a visiting teacher?

  • How does not knowing names affect your teaching?

  • What methods do you currently use and how long does learning take?

Key discoveries

Problem validation (from 2 interviews):

  • Visiting teachers (1-2x/week contact) struggle more than head teachers

  • Takes 1-2 months to learn all names in new classes

  • Real impact: lesson interruptions, teacher confidence issues, attendance difficulties

Why photo apps don't work:

  • Principal: "Would be opposed as school director" due to privacy concerns

  • School policy prohibits phone use during class

  • Teachers need to learn "during work, not at home"

Memory science research

While waiting for the interviews, I researched memory training systems. I explored spaced repetition, face-name association, and multi-sensory processing to find techniques that could work in busy classroom environments.

Key insight: Student-created associations are more memorable than teacher-created ones.

teacher learn students names, my notes

Solution

The basic idea

An always-visible display (smart board or projector) at the front of the classroom showing each student's name alongside 3 visual characteristics that help teachers remember them. Instead of being a separate tool, it becomes part of how teachers already run their classrooms.

What students see? Each student gets a digital name card showing:

  • Their name

  • 3 pre-selected visual characteristics (like dog, cherry, Scooby-Doo) that help differentiate them

  • Space for "stars" when they participate well

  • Their artwork or stories that rotate throughout the week

How teachers use it? During normal classroom activities, teachers tap student cards:

  • Morning attendance: Tap each name as students respond (reinforces face-name connection)

  • Participation: Tap to give stars when students answer correctly or behave well

  • Group activities: "Emma's castle team, David's dinosaur group" - using their visual associations to organize class

The "struggling" feature

When a teacher hesitates or isn't sure of a name, they can quickly tap a "struggling" button. The system then highlights that student's card more often in future activities, following spaced repetition principles - students you forget get more practice, students you know well fade to the background.

How it works

  • Students create visual associations during regular class activities

  • Teacher taps names during attendance and participation

  • System highlights students teacher struggles with more frequently

  • No photos, no separate study time, no phone apps

Why this approach

  • No photos needed: Uses visual characteristics instead of student photos

  • Works during class: Learning happens through normal teaching, not separate study time

  • Multiple benefits: Helps with names while also tracking participation and motivating students

  • Teacher-controlled: System responds to teacher feedback, doesn't try to guess what they're thinking

Potential impact (needs testing)

  • Reduce name-related lesson interruptions

  • Improve teacher confidence during 1-2 month learning period

  • Better attendance process efficiency

  • Possible timeline reduction (unknown without testing)

The basic idea

An always-visible display (smart board or projector) at the front of the classroom showing each student's name alongside 3 visual characteristics that help teachers remember them. Instead of being a separate tool, it becomes part of how teachers already run their classrooms.

What students see? Each student gets a digital name card showing:

  • Their name

  • 3 pre-selected visual characteristics (like dog, cherry, Scooby-Doo) that help differentiate them

  • Space for "stars" when they participate well

  • Their artwork or stories that rotate throughout the week

How teachers use it? During normal classroom activities, teachers tap student cards:

  • Morning attendance: Tap each name as students respond (reinforces face-name connection)

  • Participation: Tap to give stars when students answer correctly or behave well

  • Group activities: "Emma's castle team, David's dinosaur group" - using their visual associations to organize class

The "struggling" feature

When a teacher hesitates or isn't sure of a name, they can quickly tap a "struggling" button. The system then highlights that student's card more often in future activities, following spaced repetition principles - students you forget get more practice, students you know well fade to the background.

How it works

  • Students create visual associations during regular class activities

  • Teacher taps names during attendance and participation

  • System highlights students teacher struggles with more frequently

  • No photos, no separate study time, no phone apps

Why this approach

  • No photos needed: Uses visual characteristics instead of student photos

  • Works during class: Learning happens through normal teaching, not separate study time

  • Multiple benefits: Helps with names while also tracking participation and motivating students

  • Teacher-controlled: System responds to teacher feedback, doesn't try to guess what they're thinking

Potential impact (needs testing)

  • Reduce name-related lesson interruptions

  • Improve teacher confidence during 1-2 month learning period

  • Better attendance process efficiency

  • Possible timeline reduction (unknown without testing)

The basic idea

An always-visible display (smart board or projector) at the front of the classroom showing each student's name alongside 3 visual characteristics that help teachers remember them. Instead of being a separate tool, it becomes part of how teachers already run their classrooms.

What students see? Each student gets a digital name card showing:

  • Their name

  • 3 pre-selected visual characteristics (like dog, cherry, Scooby-Doo) that help differentiate them

  • Space for "stars" when they participate well

  • Their artwork or stories that rotate throughout the week

How teachers use it? During normal classroom activities, teachers tap student cards:

  • Morning attendance: Tap each name as students respond (reinforces face-name connection)

  • Participation: Tap to give stars when students answer correctly or behave well

  • Group activities: "Emma's castle team, David's dinosaur group" - using their visual associations to organize class

The "struggling" feature

When a teacher hesitates or isn't sure of a name, they can quickly tap a "struggling" button. The system then highlights that student's card more often in future activities, following spaced repetition principles - students you forget get more practice, students you know well fade to the background.

How it works

  • Students create visual associations during regular class activities

  • Teacher taps names during attendance and participation

  • System highlights students teacher struggles with more frequently

  • No photos, no separate study time, no phone apps

Why this approach

  • No photos needed: Uses visual characteristics instead of student photos

  • Works during class: Learning happens through normal teaching, not separate study time

  • Multiple benefits: Helps with names while also tracking participation and motivating students

  • Teacher-controlled: System responds to teacher feedback, doesn't try to guess what they're thinking

Potential impact (needs testing)

  • Reduce name-related lesson interruptions

  • Improve teacher confidence during 1-2 month learning period

  • Better attendance process efficiency

  • Possible timeline reduction (unknown without testing)

Impact & Reflection

What I learnt:

  • Context matters more than I expected - visiting teachers face much bigger challenges than head teachers, so solutions need to be targeted, not one-size-fits-all

  • Constraints can lead to better ideas - photo privacy issues forced me toward student-created content, which actually works better for memory

  • Classroom reality is complex - teachers juggle split attention, time pressure, and the stress of getting names wrong in front of students

  • Memory techniques need adaptation - what works in labs doesn't directly translate to busy classrooms

Gaps in my process:

  • I did only 2 interviews from one school system - need broader perspectives

  • Need input from teachers with different experience levels and subjects

  • I don't know if schools actually have the technology for this (availability & cost)

What I would do next:

  • Does it actually work? - test with real visiting teachers to see if it reduces that 1-2 month learning timeline

  • Technology reality check - find out what percentage of schools actually have smart boards or projectors available

  • Unintended consequences - make sure the system doesn't create new distractions or pressure in classrooms

Let’s work together

Always excited to team up with amazing individuals for interesting projects. Let's bring our ideas to life!

Say hi! via email

Let’s work together

Always excited to team up with amazing individuals for interesting projects. Let's bring our ideas to life!

Say hi! via email

You may also like

herbal app design

Herbal Habit Companion

A collaborative approach to designing expert-curated herbal rituals that build lasting wellness habits
brief generator, UX, UI

Design Brief Generator: A Thinking Space for Designers

Turning a ChatGPT prompt into a real tool for growing UX muscles