Lula-Creatives Work | Sesyme Educational Platform UX Design

Sesyme Educational Platform UX/UI Design

Democratizing Education Through Innovation

Sesyme is an innovative e-textbook subscription platform designed to make higher education affordable and accessible for South African university students. Born from the personal struggles of students who couldn't afford textbooks, this platform creates a collaborative learning ecosystem that connects students, graduates, and lecturers across multiple institutions.

Executive Summary

Market Challenge: 68% of SA students struggle with textbook costs
Average Textbook Cost: R2,500-R4,000 per subject
Student Debt Crisis: R35 billion in outstanding NSFAS debt

Solution Impact: 75% cost reduction for students
Knowledge Sharing: Cross-institutional collaboration
Safety Features: Anti-plagiarism and cyberbullying protection

Founder Vision: Walter Sisulu University alumni
Target Market: 1.1 million SA university students
Future Goal: Fourth Industrial Revolution readiness

Founded by Student Experience

"Being recent university students ourselves, these are one of the few things we had difficulties dealing with – the lack of socially shared knowledge between students, graduates and lecturers." - Silindile Ngwane, Co-founder

STEP 1: DEFINE

Identifying the educational accessibility crisis in South African higher education

PROBLEM STATEMENT

"How might we make quality educational resources affordable and accessible to financially disadvantaged South African university students while fostering collaborative learning across institutions?"

Market Reality

Student Population: 1.1 million university students
Textbook Crisis: 68% cannot afford required textbooks
Average Cost: R15,000-R20,000 per year in textbooks
NSFAS Gap: Allowances don't cover all academic materials

Success Metrics

Cost Reduction: 75% savings on textbook expenses
Access: 90% of students can afford subscription model
Collaboration: Cross-institutional knowledge sharing
Academic Success: Improved pass rates and engagement

Core Challenges

Financial Barriers: Textbook costs exclude many students
Knowledge Silos: Limited cross-institutional sharing
Digital Divide: Varying technology access levels
Academic Integrity: Plagiarism and content protection needs