When GenAI erupted onto the scene, every edtech brand scrambled to drop in an “AI tutor” feature. Varsity Tutors already had one—but hardly anyone used it. I saw a chance to reimagine it not as a buried tool, but as a flagship Nerdy product users actually want to interact with.

My Role: Creative Direction, Content Strategy, Workshop Facilitator

What I did:

• Workshopped with internal and external design teams to identify ways to make it more engaging and useful.

• Led brand messaging exercises and built out frameworks to guide the voice and feel.

• Worked with multiple teams to develop tone and personality: what the AI tutor sounds like, how it talks, what it could say.

• Explored every detail, from naming conventions to micro-interactions in the UX.

How it went:

• Received full buy-in from the executive team across the board.

• Initial testing with middle- and high-school students was super encouraging—they really responded to the personality, clarity, and fun.

• The project got shelved before full production due to shifting priorities, but everything we produced still forms a solid messaging foundation that Nerdy can lean on.