Project template

Company

Habitat Learn

Role

Lead UX Designer

Brief

Messenger Pigeon is a student-centered learning platform built for accessibility and ease. I led UX design to help scale the product while maintaining reliability, dignity, and independence for learners with disabilities.

Deployed across 150+ institutions

Trusted by over 150 post-secondary institutions across North America—including Harvard, Humber, and Rutgers—Messenger Pigeon has become a core support tool for students navigating accessibility needs in real academic settings.

Officially Recognized as Essential Support

Messenger Pigeon is approved under the Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) in Canada, making it a government-recognized educational support platform—eligible for funding and institutional implementation.

Consistently Loved by Students

From better grades to greater peace of mind, students regularly share how Messenger Pigeon has changed their learning experience for the better. Feedback is overwhelmingly positive, particularly around reliability, speed of service, and how inclusive the platform feels.

We kicked off with immersive research—interviews, shadowing, and usability audits—to understand what accessibility truly means to students. From this, we uncovered patterns of friction and moments of delight that shaped our direction.

Independence

The ability to self-navigate and customize their experience, without constant support.

Dignity

Tools that worked quietly and respectfully, without singling them out.

Reliability

Stable access to critical supports like notes, captions, and transcripts—especially during high-stakes moments.

We translated early designs into an atomic system—icons, styles, spacing, and flows—structured for accessibility. Every module was built with multiple languages, device sizes, and input types in mind.

Messenger Pigeon laid the groundwork for Habitat Learn’s evolution into a comprehensive accessibility platform. What began as a smart notetaking tool quickly became the cornerstone of their product ecosystem. Building on its success, I collaborated with Habitat to design a suite of integrated tools — including a booking platform for in-person accommodations, a video conferencing system tailored to accessibility needs, and a smart AI-powered classroom camera. Together, these tools created a unified experience for students and administrators alike, all rooted in accessibility-first thinking.