—Reading platform
COREAD: Redesign Perusall to focus on optimized annotation workflows and peer-to-peer discussion rooms
01 OVERVIEW
Perusall is a shared annotation platform for academic readings. COREAD evolves this model by optimizing annotation workflows and introducing on-demand discussion rooms to help students deconstruct complex texts together — resulting in faster synthesis, deeper insights, and a more interactive path to academic mastery.
02 RESEARCH & OPPORTUNITY
Students learn better together — but the tool gets in the way.
From a survey on what features are most helpful for academic readings, two findings stood out clearly.
71.4%
of students find reading other students' annotations very helpful
42.9%
of students find having discussions with peers are helpful
This collaborative learning style aligns with social constructivism — students co-construct knowledge by sharing experiences and ideas, learning better through peer interaction than individual study.
Students value the platform because peer insights and collaborative discussions provide the diverse perspectives and real-world examples needed to demystify complex concepts and spark deeper critical thinking.
03 PROBLEM
Collaboration becomes noise.
Follow-up interviews revealed that Perusall displays all readers' annotations at once, making the reading page appear cluttered and distracting. Students are compelled to read through numerous irrelevant comments, significantly slowing down their reading pace and defeating the purpose of collaborative reading.
OPPORTUNITY 01
Optimize annotation workflows
Eliminate cognitive overload caused by Perusall's cluttered interface by designing a filterable annotation system that preserves focus without sacrificing peer insights.
OPPORTUNITY 02
Bridge the synchronous gap
Perusall only facilitates asynchronous comments. A system supporting synchronous discussions can maximize collaborative learning in real time.
04 USER JOURNEY MAP
Where the reading experience breaks down.
Mapping the student's journey from receiving an assignment to completing a reading reveals two distinct friction points — annotation overload mid-read, and no clear path to real-time peer discussion.
05 HOW MIGHT WE
How might we help students filter the noise of peer annotations while creating space for real-time collaborative discussion — so collaborative reading enhances focus instead of breaking it?
06 DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Two features, each solving a distinct friction point.
Feature 01
Display mode for annotations
Problem: All annotations shown at once creates cognitive overload and slows reading pace.
Why
Students want peer insights but not all at once. Giving them control over what they see preserves the benefit of collaborative reading without the distraction.
What
A "Display" toggle lets students turn all annotations on or off. When enabled, they can filter to view only annotations from peers they follow, or only questions — reducing noise while keeping relevant signal.
Result
Usability testing confirmed the selective display mode helps students efficiently absorb others' annotations without disrupting their reading flow.
Feature 02
On-demand discussion rooms
Problem: Perusall is asynchronous only — no way to have real-time conversations about readings.
Why
Asynchronous comments can't replicate the energy of a live discussion. Students who want to work through a difficult text together have no mechanism to do so within Perusall.
What
A "Discussion Room" feature lets students freely join established groups, set meeting times and locations, or establish their own room for peers to join on demand.
Result
Testers noted that the desire for peer discussion can actually motivate students to finish readings on time — an unexpected secondary benefit.
06 USABILITY TEST
6 users, 3 task flows tested.
We recruited 6 potential target users and evaluated three task flows: finding a reading, using the Display feature, and joining a Discussion Room.
Display Feature
✅ The process of writing annotations and notes is easy to follow.
✅ Selective display mode helps them efficiently absorb others' annotations.
❓Some users talks about more filters for annotation, i.e. "Only Professor Upvotes"
Discussion Room:
✅ The process for finding a room/establish a room is easy to follow.
✅ The desire for peer discussion can motivate students to finish readings on time.
❓Provide more support for discussions. i.e. discussion structure/tips to discuss efficiently
07 REFLECTION
What shifted my thinking.
I started this project with the ambitious goal of creating an innovative tool that could provide students with significant relief when navigating large volumes of academic readings. Initially, I envisioned a platform capable of translating obscure words or offering direct links to explanations of specialized terms. However, while analyzing the survey and interview results, my attention shifted to how potential users discussed Perusall—a reading platform widely used in our program, yet one I had initially overlooked. Through my analysis of Perusall, I came to appreciate how effectively it addresses the real challenges faced by students and how intelligently it leverages collaborative learning to solve those challenges, which shifted our entire design goal from a brand-new tool to revamp Perusall.
This experience highlighted the importance of critically examining existing designs before attempting to innovate. Evaluating how users interact with current solutions—identifying what works well and what causes frustration—provides valuable insights into users’ needs and expectations. Such analysis inspires innovative approaches grounded in proven principles, ultimately leading to more effective and user-centered design solutions.