Grayson Rosato
Guide Focus Modes
The name ‘Focus Modes’ comes from the three distinct ways to view academic progress: through the lens of a single student, a series of lessons, or the entire class.
A purpose-built planning and record-keeping system designed specifically for Montessori classrooms. Guide Focus Modes replaces paper notebooks with a digital workflow that supports personalized instruction, tracks student progress, and improves classroom continuity across staff. Optimized for iPad and daily use, it helps guides stay organized, collaborate more effectively, and ensure each child’s unique learning journey continues smoothly.
The Challenge
A typical Montessori record-keeping worksheet is either recreated by guides (teachers) in their own format or replaced with shorthand notes.
Montessori education depends on detailed, individualized record-keeping, but most guides still use notebooks or binders. This made it hard to share information, track trends, or maintain consistency across classrooms. Without a centralized system, schools faced gaps in student records and heavy reliance on tribal knowledge.
I set out to design a digital record-keeping system that supported Montessori pedagogy while improving visibility, accuracy, and access.
My Role
I led the design process from end to end—research, wireframes, visual design, prototyping, and user testing. I collaborated closely with our Head of Product, CEO, and engineers to ensure the tool worked on both iPad and web.
Research & Discovery
Embedded Research
To understand the needs of Montessori guides, I spent a week at Montessori ONE Academy observing classrooms and interviewing teachers and admins. This immersive experience helped me identify pain points and define clear user goals for the product.
Key Insights
These insights became the foundation for the design.
Design Process
The beginnings of lesson cards were born! I knew I needed to distill all the avalible information to the
I had no shortage of ideas—each variation built on the lessons from the one before it. The final product wouldn’t have been possible without that process of exploration and iteration.
Ground-Up Architcture
I designed the system architecture from the ground up, connecting lessons, records, and progress data in a touch-friendly, intuitive interface. The tool had to balance flexibility—for different teaching styles—with enough structure to ensure data continuity and meaningful reporting. The core building block was the lesson card: modular and capable of displaying varied data types to support the full breadth of the Montessori curriculum.
Ground-Up Architcture
After building interactive prototypes, I conducted feedback sessions on-site and at regional Montessori conferences. I used the insights to refine language, streamline interactions, and ensure the UI fit naturally into the classroom workflow.
Outcome & Impact
Guide Focus Modes have been in active use for over a year with minimal need for iteration. It’s helped reduce the time guides spend on planning and record-keeping while improving consistency across staff. It’s also laying the foundation for future AI-based tools, like smart summaries and lesson suggestions, powered by the structured data this feature captures.
What I Learned
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Grayson Rosato
Guide Focus Modes
The name ‘Focus Modes’ comes from the three distinct ways to view academic progress: through the lens of a single student, a series of lessons, or the entire class.
A purpose-built planning and record-keeping system designed specifically for Montessori classrooms. Guide Focus Modes replaces paper notebooks with a digital workflow that supports personalized instruction, tracks student progress, and improves classroom continuity across staff. Optimized for iPad and daily use, it helps guides stay organized, collaborate more effectively, and ensure each child’s unique learning journey continues smoothly.
The Challenge
A typical Montessori record-keeping worksheet is either recreated by guides (teachers) in their own format or replaced with shorthand notes.
Montessori education depends on detailed, individualized record-keeping, but most guides still use notebooks or binders. This made it hard to share information, track trends, or maintain consistency across classrooms. Without a centralized system, schools faced gaps in student records and heavy reliance on tribal knowledge.
I set out to design a digital record-keeping system that supported Montessori pedagogy while improving visibility, accuracy, and access.
My Role
I led the design process from end to end—research, wireframes, visual design, prototyping, and user testing. I collaborated closely with our Head of Product, CEO, and engineers to ensure the tool worked on both iPad and web.
Research & Discovery
Embedded Research
To understand the needs of Montessori guides, I spent a week at Montessori ONE Academy observing classrooms and interviewing teachers and admins. This immersive experience helped me identify pain points and define clear user goals for the product.
Key Insights
These insights became the foundation for the design.
Design Process
The first iteration of lesson cards was born! I focused on distilling all the available information down to the essential must-haves—just enough to be useful without overwhelming the interface.
I had no shortage of ideas—each variation built on the lessons from the one before it. The final product wouldn’t have been possible without that process of exploration and iteration.
Ground-Up Architecture
I designed the system architecture from the ground up, connecting lessons, records, and progress data in a touch-friendly, intuitive interface. The tool had to balance flexibility—for different teaching styles—with enough structure to ensure data continuity and meaningful reporting. The core building block was the lesson card: modular and capable of displaying varied data types to support the full breadth of the Montessori curriculum.
Iteration & Feedback
After building interactive prototypes, I conducted feedback sessions on-site and at regional Montessori conferences. I used the insights to refine language, streamline interactions, and ensure the UI fit naturally into the classroom workflow.
Outcome & Impact
Guide Focus Modes have been in active use for over a year with minimal need for iteration. It’s helped reduce the time guides spend on planning and record-keeping while improving consistency across staff. It’s also laying the foundation for future AI-based tools, like smart summaries and lesson suggestions, powered by the structured data this feature captures.
What I Learned
back