Ethecode EduTech Platform Design
Oluwatobiloba Abiala
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Posted Jun 5, 2025
Designed an inclusive, scalable EduTech platform for Ethecode.
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Ethecode - Empowering Africans to Code
Overview
Ethecode is an educational platform designed to teach Africans how to code by providing accessible, affordable, and certified courses in Web Development, Programming, Data Science, and Ethical Hacking. The mission was clear: democratize tech education across the continent.
Challenge
Despite the growing demand for tech talent in Africa, many aspiring learners are excluded due to high course fees, language barriers, and lack of structured guidance. Ethecode needed to solve this by delivering:
A mobile and web platform accessible to all.
Structured, certified courses.
Support for multilingual content.
A freemium model that still sustains the business.
Goal
Design a learning experience that:
Makes coding education free and accessible.
Encourages completion through certification.
Includes language localization for non-English speakers.
Integrates monetization through a one-time pro subscription.
Process
I applied the Design Thinking framework:
Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test
Empathize & Define
User Research
I conducted surveys and interviews with 15+ learners across Nigeria and Kenya. Key insights included:
“Studying computer science in school has been frustrating. I’ve learned more from YouTube than from my lecturers.”
“Free platforms don’t give certificates unless you pay. That’s a barrier for me.”
1st Persona - Afryea Johnson; A student seeking affordable Data Science education
Personas
Three primary personas emerged:
Afryea Johnson; A student seeking affordable Data Science education.
Bode Abosede; A mid-career professional transitioning into tech.
Zuri Omari; A non-English speaking teen interested in coding.
2nd Persona - Bode Abosede; A mid-career professional transitioning into tech.
3rd Persona - Zuri Omari; A non-English speaking teen interested in coding.
Competitive Analysis
I analysed top EduTech platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and FreeCodeCamp to benchmark features. Insights included:
Certification adds perceived value.
Local language support is rare but crucial in Africa.
Pricing models lack flexibility for low-income users.
Strategy
Free access to one course with certification.
Affordable, one-time pro access to all courses.
Multilingual subtitles and UI.
Guidance quizzes for users unsure of their path.
Ideate
User Flows
Mapped out critical journeys including:
Onboarding with a quiz for beginners.
Exploring courses by topic or skill level.
Payment flow for pro subscriptions.
Wireframes
Focused on structuring a frictionless experience:
Clean onboarding
Easy navigation between free and pro content
Course module structure
Design
Onboarding & Quiz
Onboarding & Quiz - Helps new users discover what area of tech suits them.
Home & Explore - Designed to showcase both available and downloaded courses.
Pro Experience - Created multiple upsell moments across the product to encourage pro upgrades.
Course & Multilingual Support - Courses include rich media, notes, and captions for inclusivity.
Outcome
Designed a complete concept for a scalable, sustainable EduTech product.
Prioritized inclusivity, certification, and accessibility.
Delivered a full UI design from research to high-fidelity prototype.