Designing an AI-powered Math learning App from concept to MVP.
Client
Epapa is a math learning app that feels more like a conversation than a textbook. It uses a unique “two-world” approach to guide each student step by step.
Challenge
The founder had a proven “two-world” approach that helped students overcome math struggles in the classroom. The challenge wasn’t inventing a new method, it was capturing his way of teaching and turning it into a functional MVP app in just 4 weeks.
Impact
Successfully transformed the concept into an MVP with conversational AI interface that breaks down complex mathematical concepts through interactive learning. The rapid development process helped EPAPA to onboard their first users in just 4 weeks, getting them to market faster with real user feedback.
Role
Design lead
Worked directly with
Founder & CEO
Developer
Marketing Team
Deliverables
Concept
Prototyping
UX/UI Design
Duration
2 Month
From struggling student to teacher
Epapa was born from the founder’s own journey. Once a failing math student, he later became a teacher, thanks to philosophy, which taught him how to think abstractly and overcome math anxiety.
Over years of teaching, he refined a two-world approach: guiding students step by step, turning abstract math into tangible concepts. His vision was clear: make this method digital so it could scale to anyone, anywhere.
The challenge: Make it real in 4 weeks
Epapa needed a working MVP in just 4 weeks to onboard first users and attract funding.
Time constraint → build fast, without over-designing.
Small team → founder, one developer, marketing support.
Market need → stand out in a sea of worksheet-style math apps.
Designing the Two-World experience
The design challenge: how do we translate a proven teaching style into an app that feels approachable?
Key principles we implemented:
Conversational interface → students learn by chatting with an AI tutor.
Personalisation → light, encouraging, non-intimidating.
Guided feedback → support when students get stuck, not just right/wrong answers.
Motivation loops → streaks, trophies, and progress tracking to keep learners engaged daily.
From method to MVP
To meet the 4-week timeline, we focused on speed and scalability:
Key principles we implemented:
Started with mid-fidelity, and turn into lightweight UI to translate the method quickly.
Designed it to be scalable, so future lessons and features could plug in easily.
Delivered pitch deck, flows, style guide, and final MVP-ready designs in parallel.
Momentum & Recognition
Even in its earliest stage, Epapa gained strong external validation:
Berlin Start-Up Grant (€50,000, W23) → funded product development and gave credibility with investors.
AI Accelerator Berlin (€15,000, W24) → recognized Epapa’s unique AI-powered approach and supported scaling the MVP.
These awards not only provided funding but also positioned Epapa as a serious contender in the EdTech space, showing that the vision resonated beyond the classroom.