Knoword Gets an Overhaul

As we head into September, many schools here in North America are starting up again. So we thought there was no better time to announce a number of big changes and new features that we’ve been working on over the summer.

AI-generated packs ✨

Word packs have always been a central piece of the Knoword experience. They allow educators to create vocabulary games for any subject and tailor the questions and answers to meet the needs of their students. However, creating packs manually can take a lot of time and effort.

Now, you can generate word packs automatically in seconds. Simply explain to Knoword in plain language what you’d like the pack to be about, and it will create a new pack based on your prompt. Once your pack is ready, you’ll be able to test it out and provide feedback at the end of the game to let us know how we did.

You can get really specific about the content and format of the pack. For example, you could say, “teach me about computer parts, but make the definitions in spanish” and you’d get a pack with questions like this:

Unidad central de procesamiento que interpreta y ejecuta las instrucciones de un programa.

The answer?

CPU

¡Correcto! 🎉

The best part? Anyone can start generating packs for free with a Knoword account. Free accounts are limited to 5 generated packs per month, but users with a paid membership can enjoy unlimited pack generations, along with some other stellar perks.

Pro users can edit their generated packs. This makes pack generation a great way to get a head start on a new pack, and then go in and fine-tune it until it’s perfect.

Pro users can also automatically generate stunning cover art for their packs based on their prompt. Now it’s easier than ever to make engaging word packs that stand out visually.

The glow-up 💅

You may have noticed some aesthetic changes around here. The entire website was rebuilt from the ground up, and every design detail was carefully considered. The complete list of changes would be outrageously long, so this section will feature some of the highlights.

A new logo

Out with the old (left) and in with the new (right)! Our updated logo captures the look and feel of the original, but in a more well-rounded form. The new mark sits more prominently in its container, works better as an icon or avatar, and resembles the shape of a brain.

We also updated the name “Knoword” in the top left corner of the screen to appear in a more clean and legible font.

A colorful cast of characters

Many of the pages throughout the new website are graced by the presence of some fun anthropomorphic animal mascots. This set of characters was specially designed by the talented Frazer Adams, an artist, designer, musician, and all-around creative powerhouse from Vancouver, BC.

An evolved design language

This iteration of Knoword features familiar layouts, but with a more refined style. The old site relied heavily on gradients, which we replaced with clean lines and solid colors that give the website a distinct look that’s easy on the eyes.

We also focused on typography, improving readability by using a narrow typeface for body copy (like the stuff you’re reading now), and a bold, geometric font for headings (like the one at the top of this section).

Check out some of the before/after images below for some examples of these new design patterns at work. Slide the handle in the middle of the image to compare the old (left) to the new (right).

One place for everything

If you’ve used Knoword for a while, you’ve probably accumulated a lot of packs, assignments, words, and maybe even starred a few packs from other users. Previously, all of these things lived in separate corners of the website. Now, we’ve consolidated all of your stuff into one place called the dashboard.

The dashboard offers a single shared layout where you can jump between your assignments, packs, and everything else. It also features a page filled with stats and charts about your packs and assignments. These handy visualizations give you a glimpse into the last month of usage and the ability to compare it to the previous period.

Looking forward

We hope you enjoy these new features and the refreshed website. As always, if there’s something you think we could be doing better, please let us know.