System Design · Privacy by Design

EduTribe — Recommendation System

A privacy-first learning recommendation engine designed around 3 personas — with staged consent built in before any behavioral tracking happens, not bolted on after the fact.

Role
Solo PM — system design & privacy strategy
Method
Persona mapping, staged-consent design, user stories
Scope
Recommendation engine, online learning platform
Deliverable
System design, 15 user stories & prototype
The principle

Personalization shouldn't require surveillance by default

Most recommendation engines earn relevance by tracking everything from day one. I designed EduTribe's the other way round: recommendations get smarter as the learner opts into more signal — never the reverse.

3
Learner personas, spanning engagement level and comfort with data sharing
15
User stories translating the staged-consent model into shippable scope
3-stage
Consent model — tracking widens only as the learner explicitly opts in
System design

Recommendations get better in step with explicit consent

Each stage unlocks a richer recommendation signal — but only after the learner has actively chosen it, with a clear explanation of what that stage adds.

Stage 1
Anonymous — recommendations from course catalog metadata only. No behavioral tracking, no account required.
Stage 2
Light personalization (opt-in) — recommendations factor in completed courses and explicit interests the learner provides directly.
Stage 3
Full behavioral personalization (opt-in) — recommendations factor in in-app behavior — time spent, drop-off points, replay patterns — for deeper relevance.
Scope

Translated into 15 user stories across four surfaces

SURFACE

Consent flows

Clear, stage-by-stage opt-in screens explaining exactly what each consent level unlocks and how to step back down.

SURFACE

Recommendation surfaces

Course feed, "continue learning" rail, and search results — each adapting to the learner's current consent stage.

SURFACE

Privacy controls

A single settings screen where learners can see, change, or revoke their consent stage at any time.

SURFACE

Persona-specific defaults

Sensible default consent stages per persona, calibrated to typical comfort with data sharing — always changeable.

Prototype

Personalization you can see the reasoning for

Built the staged-consent recommendation feed as a working prototype — each course card surfaces a "Why this?" explanation (e.g. "Top-rated soft-skill pairing for analysts") alongside rating, learner count, and duration, so the system stays legible even as consent stages — and the signal behind each recommendation — deepen.

Live prototype — EduTribe Open full screen ↗
Open interactive prototype ↗