Launching a New Vertical with Innovative Study Tools

Product Design Product Strategy UX Research Prototyping Mobile Ed Tech Startup Apple Watch

QUICK READ ➤ GREMax was TestMax's expansion beyond legal exam prep into the graduate education market, a mobile-first study tool for students preparing for the GRE. Positioned as a lower-cost subscription, it aimed to drive high-volume adoption and convert users into higher-value tutoring customers. As product lead, I partnered directly with the CEO, CTO, and engineering team to define the platform vision and led branding, UX, and visual design, including a hands-free vocabulary mode and an Apple Watch extension.

KPI Highlights

11.5%

Install-to-paid conversion rate

7.3

Average sessions per install

463

Peak daily sessions

Revenue growth in first 12 months after launch

Role Product Lead

Scope Branding, Mobile, Apple Watch

Reporting to CEO, CTO

Duration ~2 years

Overview

TestMax is a digital education company best known for its comprehensive LSAT and Bar Exam prep courses. As part of TestMax's expansion beyond legal exam prep, we created GREMax to explore opportunities in the broader graduate education market. Unlike our premium-priced LSAT and Bar courses, GREMax was positioned as a lower-cost subscription service aimed at high-volume adoption, with the long-term goal of converting users into higher-value tutoring customers.

As product lead, I collaborated directly with the CEO, CTO, and engineering team to define and execute the vision for the platform. I led branding, UX, and visual design across mobile and Apple Watch, building on the TestMax design system while tailoring the experience to GRE student behaviors.

The strategic challenge was clear: the GRE prep market was highly saturated, unlike the relatively underserved legal prep space TestMax was known for. Differentiation needed to come from both product experience and positioning.

Designing a Convenient GRE Study Companion

Challenge

The GRE market is far more saturated than the legal prep space TestMax was known for. Competing effectively required both strategic differentiation and solving real technical challenges unique to GRE content: complex math notation, diagram-heavy questions, and a wider range of question types than our existing platform had ever handled.

Approach

I led branding, UX, and visual design for the platform from scratch, building on the TestMax design system while tailoring the experience to GRE student behaviors. Key innovations included an inline practice question design that let students apply concepts immediately without switching contexts, and a hands-free vocabulary mode that enabled study while driving or multitasking, a meaningful differentiator for busy graduate applicants. The most significant technical challenge was implementing LaTeX notation to accurately render complex mathematical equations, which required close collaboration with engineering to solve.

3x Speed Product Walkthrough

Hands-Free Mode Demonstration

Loading Animation

Impact

5× revenue growth in the first 12 months after launch
11.5% install-to-paid conversion rate
7.3 average sessions per install, indicating strong engagement
463 peak daily sessions

Apple Watch App Design

Challenge

Vocabulary study is highly repetitive and benefits from short, frequent sessions, but no existing study tool was designed around the micro-moments of a student's day. The challenge was to identify what GRE prep content actually fit on a 1.5" screen, and to design interactions that worked at glanceable speeds without depth or complexity.

Approach

Most GRE content was wrong for the Watch. Multiple choice questions require enough screen real estate to read the prompt and answer choices. Math problems need diagrams. Reading comprehension is impossible. Vocabulary flashcards, on the other hand, were a natural fit: short bursts of content, no typing required, performance trackable in seconds. Vocab is also more cognitively demanding than what most Watch apps attempt, which made it a meaningful capability to ship.

I designed a focused Apple Watch extension centered on flashcard-based vocabulary review, adapting the interaction model to the constraints of the device. The UI prioritized legibility above all else: large type, high contrast, minimal chrome. Interactions were kept shallow, with simple tap and scroll patterns that didn't require users to learn anything new. The Watch synced with the user's main GREMax study deck, so progress on the Watch counted toward overall study goals. We tested on actual hardware throughout development, and the app shipped with strong adoption among active GREMax users.

Watch Vocab App Demo

Impact

The Watch app reinforced GREMax's positioning as the most accessible GRE study tool available and was a meaningful differentiator in a crowded market.

Conclusion

GREMax was a beautifully designed product that helped students study efficiently and on their own terms. It saw solid user adoption and engagement in its first couple years, proving that there was demand for an affordable, accessible GRE study tool. However, despite its popularity, it ultimately did not drive the tutoring conversions TestMax had hoped for, leading to a strategic decision to sunset the app.

GREMax reinforced something important: product-market fit and design quality are separate problems. The app was well-designed and well-received. The strategic challenge was that GRE students weren't converting to the tutoring funnel the way LSAT students did. That insight was valuable, and it's the kind of outcome that only becomes clear when you ship and measure.