This is the third post in a series showcasing the process and ideation behind a system of over 100 achievement badges created for Vocabulary.com — What is Vocabulary.com? Vocabulary.com is an online, gamified platform for learning words. It teaches vocabulary in an adaptive fashion-our algorithms suss out the words that each individual already knows, and serve up different words to each student. This is incredibly important for a classroom, as every student enters with a different ability level…

This is the first post in a series showcasing the process and ideation behind a system of over 100 achievement badges created for Vocabulary.com — One of my first projects as design director at Vocabulary.com was to reimagine and dramatically expand our system of achievement badges—these are rewards that students earn as they play different activities on our website. The purpose of this post is to share some of the behind-the-scenes work (the creative process…

On February 25th, seven Narcolepsy Network advocates and board members joined 750 other advocates in Washington, D.C. to participate in Rare Disease Week. …

As a manager, one of your most important jobs is to keep your team motivated. Luckily for you, one of the most effective ways to do this also happens to be one of the most fun. The trick is to celebrate your team’s every success, no matter how small. That…

Google defines normal as “conforming to a standard: usual, typical, or expected.” As a young child, the experiences you have with your family, friends, and teachers start to shape your own unique worldview. The cartoons you watch on Saturday morning while your parents (theoretically) sleep in, the movies you see…

Leadership isn’t about telling people what to do. If you watch a lot of war movies, you might think it is. However, the skills needed to direct troops in the middle of a firefight are a tad different from the everyday work most of us do. You don’t need to…