Product Design
ILPT
Making English Testing Smoother, Friendlier, and More Human
My Role
UX/UI Design
Prototyping
Visual Design
Developer Handoff
Team Members
Solo
Tools Used
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Timeline
4 months
How ILPT Transformed the English Testing Experience for Aviation Professionals
Taking a test is stressful enough—but what if the platform itself adds to that stress? When I started working on ILPT, that was exactly the problem. Pilots and other aviation professionals were required to take an English proficiency test on a clunky, outdated system that was anything but user-friendly.
I was the only designer on this project, which meant I had complete ownership—from understanding user pain points to crafting the final experience.
challenge
Identifying the Problem
The existing ILPT platform made test-taking more difficult than it needed to be. With aviation professionals constantly on the move, mobile usability was critical—but the old platform didn’t support it.
Users struggled with:
Session Vulnerability
If users needed a break or lost connection, they could lose all their progress.
Lack of Progress Tracking
Test-takers didn’t know how far they were or what came next.
Poor Examiner Experience
The platform wasn’t optimized for those grading the tests, making their job harder than necessary.
“How can we make this test feel smoother, more intuitive, and less stressful—for everyone involved?”
old platform
Design Process
From Problem to Solution
Besides re-designing the platform the focus was on transforming the experience. My design process included:
Research & Discovery – Understanding users’ mental states, technical challenges, and reviewing competitors (AirEnglish, ELPT3, Eurocontrol).
User Flows & Wireframes – Sketching intuitive flows that reduced friction.
Low to High-Fidelity Prototypes – Creating interactive mockups in Figma.
Developer Collaboration – Clear handoff materials and real-time coordination.
Testing & Refining – Refining based on tester feedback.
and Final Launch!
Sketch journey
sketch journey
sketch wireframes
Design System
Visual Clarity Meets Human Warmth
To support consistency and speed, I created a scalable design system:
Colour palette – Clean professional blues paired with warm yellow accents to reduce anxiety and bring playfulness.
Typography – Highly legible type for a simplified approach.
Component library – Buttons, icons, layouts, and interaction patterns built to support both users and examiners.
glimpse of the design system
primary colors
secondary colors
research - challenges
Overcoming Challenges with Thoughtful Design
Challenge 1: Implementing Clear Progress Indicators
Solution: I introduced a progress bar and question numbering, so users always knew where they were in the test.
Challenge 2: Ensuring Session Continuity
Solution: I designed an auto-save feature, preventing progress loss even in case of disconnections. I also added a manual “Start Recording” button so users wouldn’t be caught off guard by sudden recordings.
Challenge 3: Improving Examiner Workflows
Solution: I redesigned the examiner interface, creating a simplified view that made grading faster and less mentally taxing.
User: Test Taker
User: Examiner
results
A New Standard in Language Testing
After launching the redesigned ILPT platform, the improvements were immediately noticeable reducing friction and stress and making digital experiences feel as seamless as possible.
ILPT was a great example of how small, thoughtful design choices can transform a frustrating experience into an intuitive one.
📈 Higher User Engagement – Users found the experience smoother and less stressful.
📈 Significant Sales Growth – ILPT became one of the best-performing products in the company.
📈 Improved Examiner Experience – Test evaluators reported a more efficient workflow.
📈 4.9/5 User Satisfaction Rating – The new design was extremely well-received by test-takers.
some reviews (up to april 2025)
Next Steps
What could be next?
ILPT’s redesign was a huge leap forward for both test-takers and examiners. But UX is never finished. It evolves.
And as designers, we always ask: How can we make this even better?
Years have passed since I redesigned this platform, but there are questions that bubble in my mind even with an high satisfaction rate. Can it be improved even further?
Pre-test – Can we help reduce user anxiety before the test? Maybe by creating practice exercises before the test.
Post-test – Can we make feedback more actionable? Maybe by sending notifications on areas of improvement based on test results.
Continuous Engagement – How can we keep users coming back for further learning? Small monthly challenges or newsletter emails with education content?
This is the mindset I bring to every project—because great design isn’t just about solving problems but about uncovering new opportunities.
