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Lemma

2025

An AI math helper with generative UI

Role

Product design, UI/UX


Developed by

Marco W.


Timeline

2 Weeks (work in progress)


Tools

Figma


Lemma is an AI-based math assistance tool for middle and high school students. It moves beyond standard large language model (LLM) interfaces by offering distinct operational modes that generate outputs with varying degrees of specificity and abstraction. This allows students to tailor the level of support they receive. Additionally, Lemma employs generative UI to create intuitive interfaces and on-the-fly visualizations, promoting deeper comprehension of mathematical concepts.

CHALLENGE

As the second eldest of five, I've seen firsthand how frustrating math homework can be. My younger siblings often turn to me for help, but I can't always be there. Many middle and high school students struggle to get effective math help. Existing AI tools often fall short, either by providing answers too readily or by failing to understand the nuances of a student's question. Furthermore, these tools often lack the visual aids that are essential for grasping mathematical concepts. We recognized this gap and developed Lemma to address these challenges.

SOLUTION

Lemma is a new AI-powered math assistant designed to address the challenges students face. It features a clean and intuitive user interface and offers multiple modes of interaction: students can request hints, ask for step-by-step solutions, or focus on specific aspects of a problem. Lemma also dynamically generates visualizations and custom UIs to enhance understanding and make complex concepts more accessible.

User Research

To understand the needs of our target users, we conducted 15 user interviews with middle and high school students (grades 6-12, ages 11-18) covering topics from basic algebra to calculus. Our research focused on their experiences with math curriculum and their use of technology for assistance, including LLMs. Key findings include:

HIGH LLM USAGE

82%

of survey takers use LLM platforms for math homework help

HIGH LLM USAGE

82%

of survey takers use LLM platforms for math homework help

UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS

79%

of survey takers input questions directly without prompting and are often dissatisfied with the responses.

UNSATISFACTORY RESULTS

79%

of survey takers input questions directly without prompting and are often dissatisfied with the responses.

IMPORTANCE OF VISUALS

100%

of survey takers appreciate and find visual representations extremely helpful for understanding math concepts.

IMPORTANCE OF VISUALS

100%

of survey takers appreciate and find visual representations extremely helpful for understanding math concepts.

FURTHER EXPLANATION

93%

of survey takers frequently need to ask follow-up questions or request further explanation about specific parts of an AI's response.

FURTHER EXPLANATION

93%

of survey takers frequently need to ask follow-up questions or request further explanation about specific parts of an AI's response.

Feature Highlights

Based on the results of the survey, I designed the following features.

  1. INTERACTION MODES & PROMPT SUGGESTIONS

  1. GENERATIVE UI WITH COLLAPSIBLE STEPS

  1. FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS ON SPECIFIC PARTS

Design System

Next Steps

This is a work-in-progress, while Marco is working on implementing the designs for the web version, I will make the prototypes iOS versions.


After we finish developing the initial prototype, we will conduct some user testing. I invite you to come back in a month to check our results!