MathPlay
A maths learning game for children that starts from one question: why does a child decide they hate maths?
Make maths feel like play, not like a test.
Tools I used
My contribution
Deliverables
Overview
MathPlay is a maths learning game for children. I used to think building a product meant having a great idea. MathPlay taught me I was wrong.
I thought the hard part would be designing the game. It wasn't. The hard part was understanding why children struggle with maths in the first place.
The Question That Changed It
I stopped asking: how do I make a maths game?
I started asking: why does a child decide they hate maths?
That changed everything. I started looking at the problem from the child's side.
Problem
Is the lesson too difficult? Is it boring? Does the child get feedback quickly enough?
Does making a mistake feel embarrassing? Does the experience feel like school or like play?
Those questions showed me something: sometimes users don't need a better version of the product. They need a completely different experience.
Users
Children learning maths, and the parents and teachers around them.
Thought Process
Start from the feeling, not the feature. If maths feels embarrassing, no amount of extra levels fixes it.
Fast feedback beats long lessons. A child needs to know quickly that they are doing fine.
Mistakes should feel safe. Getting something wrong is part of play, not a punishment.
Design
Short play sessions, quick wins, friendly rewards and a look that feels like a game rather than a worksheet.
I designed the flows and the prototype, then tested them and changed what didn't work.
Outcome
MathPlay placed 4th at Emergent × Product Space 2025.
The prototype is live to watch, and I'm still building it.
Lessons Learned
Don't fall in love with your solution. Fall in love with understanding the problem.
The better you understand the problem, the less you have to guess about what to build.
One user. One test. One iteration at a time.