Progressive disclosure · build to assign
Formative Editor Modernization
Core authoring redesign — progressive disclosure, power-user density, and clearer build-to-assign flows.
View case studyHello, I'm Kayla Koch
I set intent, make tradeoffs visible, and help teams improve steadily instead of waiting for a perfect plan. I build and support creative people to do that together by listening, not judging: reading patterns and context, exploring a few directions, and communicating until we get it right with the time we have. It is not always beautiful or succinct. What I find most rewarding is the collective effort of improving something.
About me
- Now Product Design Manager @ Newsela (Formative)
- Scope Full app experience · 2–3 designers · focus: assessment, onboarding, admin tools, AI, design system
- Edge Speaks with end users directly; their voice shapes roadmap and design decisions
- Background 10+ years product design · BFA Graphic Design · started in nonprofit branding and identity systems
- Open to Design manager or staff-level IC roles · Remote · Full-time
I talk with teachers and administrators to understand what's breaking in their day, their goals for students, and the ideas they want to pursue, then turn that into systems and products.
AI has changed how I explore and prototype: I use Claude and Cursor to pressure-test ideas and land reviewable code, without letting faster output substitute for judgment. I care deeply about the people using a system, and stay suspicious of the system itself when it gets in their way.
A little woo-woo? I've been told I'm Yang Metal, shaped through pressure and useful when given something worth refining. My aura photo is apparently all orange, which is supposed to mean creative energy.
Learn more about my active hobby: stained glass
Outside of screens I'm deep into stained glass at home. I'm accustomed to Tiffany style (copper foil, flowing lines, color doing most of the talking), but lately I'm working more in lead and building light boxes: heavier construction and a different kind of patience.
Recent piece: Tulip light box
A small tulip panel in lead came, set in a wooden frame with an LED light box behind it. I've gotten better at cementing, and this one pushed me to freehand more of the cuts in black glass instead of leaning on the pattern for every edge. The wooden frame is another story: a miter box and hand saw are humbling, and I'm taking baby steps.
Recent work
Teacher and administrator research sets what we build. I ship reviewable code with AI when behavior has to be tested in a PR, and unblock the team on patterns when a clear spec is enough.
Product scope and how I work with AI
The product and the team
Formative is multi-role edtech for teachers, students, administrators, and districts: assessment, authoring, grading, onboarding, accessibility, AI-assisted experiences, and the design system underneath. The design team is small for that scope. Work still ships because we cross boundaries and stay close to production.
How I think about AI
Faster output is not better judgment. I correct weak output, keep work inside product patterns, and coach designers on prompting and review: prototyping in Cursor, exploring in Claude Design, and pressure-testing ideas before they land in engineering's queue.
Shipped at Newsela (Formative): design and code with AI, last three months
Case studies
The five case studies I lead with for depth and narrative.
Authoring · smart grading · trust
Luna AI
AI authoring, smart grading, onboarding, and teacher trust for generated content and scoring assistance.
View case study
Tokens · Storybook · CI guardrails
Design System 2.0
Systems as infrastructure — tokens, Storybook, accessibility, and engineering collaboration.
View case study
Generation · Review Center · AIE
AI Item Generation
Review Center approval system (AIE), Luna generation, multi-role review queues, and teacher edit-before-assign.
View case study
Segmentation · variants · activation
Onboarding Tests
Segmentation, variant tests, and activation — teacher first-run, standards alignment, Pendo, and experienced-user exits.
View case studySide projects & thoughts
Half-built tools and experiments that never became case studies. Stained glass lives in About.
Parked
Digital
Decision Boards
A 2×2 prioritization tool I built when I couldn't find one — never adopted by the team.
Ideation to MVP to Copy for AI in one flow. I prototyped it with our design tokens; it stayed personal. An honest experiment, not a shipped win.
Experience
Product design leader in edtech who talks with teachers and administrators directly. Senior designer to hands-on design manager: I lead teams while shipping code with AI across complex workflows, design systems, and AI-enabled experiences.
Work history
Product Design Manager
Mar 2025 – PresentNewsela (Formative) · Remote
- Lead 2–3 designers while shipping cross-team workflows and interaction work myself.
- Run teacher and administrator research that drives roadmap priorities and design quality.
- Shape design direction across the full product, with depth in assessment, AI-assisted experiences, onboarding, and admin tools.
- Built design-system infrastructure (tokens, WCAG, docs) plus automated compliance checks on PRs.
Lead Product Designer
Jul 2023 – Mar 2025Newsela (Formative) · Remote
- Led design for assessment, secure testing, content discovery, and district admin experiences.
- Created and implemented the design system with documentation and WCAG compliance baked in.
- Turned teacher feedback into prioritized work across onboarding, retention, and engagement.
- Mentored designers through critique, workshops, and design system practices.
Lead Product Designer
Jul 2022 – Jul 2023Formative · Chicago, Illinois
- Redesigned the learning platform for administrators, teachers, and students across growth and integrations.
- Guided marketing rebrand, unified website and product visual system.
- Improved onboarding to lift engagement and retention.
Senior Product Designer
Oct 2021 – Jun 2022Formative · Chicago, Illinois
- Contributed to platform transformation for administrators, teachers, and students.
- Unified components and frameworks across design and documentation tools.
Earlier experience (2014–2021)
Senior Interactive Product Designer
Sep 2018 – Oct 2021Magic + Might · Chicago, Illinois
- Developed and maintained design systems, including assessment and optimization of UI components for user-centric products.
- Contributed to research, conceptualization, and design of interactive products through wireframes, prototypes, and screen mockups.
- Planned, moderated, and synthesized qualitative and quantitative user research to inform design decisions.
Designer
May 2014 – Aug 2018Multiple, Inc. · Chicago, Illinois
- Served as Creative Lead on design and development initiatives from inception through completion, including management of interns and freelancers.
- Collaborated on Multiple's rebrand through website, quarterly publication, and social media redesign work.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Design
Columbia College Chicago
CCC Achievement Award
Skills
Product strategy · Design systems · WCAG · Pendo & Redash · Design management · Shipping code with AI (Claude, Cursor)
Full skills
Product & UX
Analytics
Leadership
AI & Workflow
Systems & Tools
Contact
Email: kaylakochdesign@gmail.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kayla-koch
Resume: On this page ↓
Looking for: Design manager or staff IC · Remote · Full-time