A crowded course store
Endless rows of courses and no sense of where to start.
Hover to scroll
← All work
Udemy · Growth design · 2024
One homepage for learners and businesses
Udemy ran two homepages, one for learners and one for businesses, and neither was working. I led the redesign that merged them into one page that works for both.
My roleSole designer, end to endFrom research to global launch
TeamPM, PMM, creative, engineeringPlus research partners
Timeline6 months, 2023Shipped Dec 2023, global by June 2024
Reach18 regionsEvery Udemy market
The problem
Udemy ran two homepages, one for learners and one for businesses, and most visitors didn’t get what Udemy offered.
What I did
As the sole designer, I took the redesign from research to global launch, merging both pages into one modular homepage that works for both audiences.
The result
+2.41%GMV lift, about $1.1M a year, statistically significant
+7.7%user growth
18regions live, from one modular system
The problem
What wasn’t working
Both pages were built to sell courses, and did little to help people figure out what to learn.
Hover to scrollA wall of claims
Mostly long paragraphs. Buyers couldn’t find proof that Udemy would actually help their team.
Hover to scroll
How might we
Turn a crowded course marketplace into a learning platform that learners can find their way around and buyers can trust?
Why it mattered
Most visitors didn’t get what Udemy offered
~20%of all traffic landed on the logged-out homepage, but the navigation hid most of what Udemy offers
60%of visitors we interviewed didn’t get Udemy’s value proposition at first glance
50%of professionals who knew Udemy didn’t know it sells to businesses
Who it’s for
Who we designed for
Sia, the roleless learnerFresh out of school or switching careers“My job is fine. I just can’t find one that feels right for me.”
Sia doesn’t know which skills will lead to a job, and the old page only showed a catalog.
Joash, the skeptical buyerChoosing training for a team“I see a lot of text, but I don’t see proof. Why should I trust this for my employees?”
Joash needs evidence to show leadership before spending budget on training.
Research
What the new page had to fix
We turned each problem from research into a goal.
- 01Unclear valueThe copy listed courses but never said what they’d lead toSay what Udemy is for, at a glance
- 02Too many choicesThousands of courses and nothing to help people chooseGuide new and returning visitors, without personal data
- 03Little proofFew signals learners or buyers could trustBuild trust before people start scrolling
- 04Hard to scaleOne fixed layout for very different marketsOne system that each of the 18 regions can adapt
Design principles
What guided the design
Clarity
Lean on visuals, data, and real examples, which get the point across faster than long copy.
Personalization
Point learners and buyers to the right path from the first click, without using any personal data.
Trust
Spread proof through the page, like partner logos, learner reviews, and results from real companies.
The solution
Three design moves
01
A modular, content-first layout
A card-based system each region can reorder around its own priorities, so 18 markets share one design. I added the new components to Udemy’s design system.
02
A story about outcomes
New headline modules and learner stories show what people actually got out of their courses.
03
Proof for buyers
Reports, case studies, and customer results give decision-makers evidence they can share with their team.
Before and after
The old page next to the new one
Testing
What a preference test changed
I put two versions of the course browsing module in front of users. Version B won, and their feedback shaped the final one.
- 01The “All” topic filterSlowed people down while browsingRemoved it as the default
- 02Learner counts on topicsDidn’t show a trend, so they confused peopleDropped the numbers
- 03Price and human facesUsers cared about both, and faces built trustKept them on every course card
- 04Course length and levelNot a deal breaker this earlyMoved them off the card
Sketch and align
Lots of low-fi sketches, and a content strategy worked out with product marketing and a copywriter.
Research and workshop
I gathered 40+ benchmarks and past research reports and ran a design workshop with the team.
Test and revise
Preference tests, message tests, and phased A/B tests before the global rollout.
In their words
From my design director
She has been a key contributor for many hugely impactful projects. She is curious, a deep thinker and an active contributor to our work… Her collaborative spirit is invaluable, and her well-explored and thoughtful design solutions and approaches demonstrate that she is a keen advocate for our users.
Pilar Strutin-BelinoffSenior Design Director, Udemy
What I took away
Designing for scale
The system mattered more than the page
With 18 markets, the real work was the set of blocks each team could rearrange. The new components were later added to Udemy’s design system.
Page speed is part of the design
Working closely with engineering showed me how much page performance shapes behavior, so I treated it as part of the design.
Learners and buyers can share a page
Once the page told one clear story for both learners and buyers, brand, performance, and business goals stopped competing.
