Uvelka: all colors of grain
An app for non-readers ages 3–7 to build core math skills, reasoning, and problem-solving in a beautiful and challenging game environment.
Product
Task
Create a universal tool that helps children around the world overcome math anxiety, and become math literate before school gaps appear.
Role
Co-founder, Product & Design Lead from day 1
Company
About
About the company
We wanted to release the MVP as quickly as possible, so we could test the product with real families and improve it through live use.
So we decided to start with a soft launch in two smaller markets before going worldwide. We did not compromise on content or design quality: from the beginning, I wanted Funexpected to feel exceptional. Instead, we limited the amount of content while making sure all core product systems were already in place.
The goal was to learn how to build and scale the product effectively before global launch.
01
1M+ installs worldwide, 2.5M+ math tasks solved monthly
02
Featured by the App Store in 30+ countries
03
Pre-installed on new iPads in Apple Retail Stores globally
Team
We wanted to release the MVP as quickly as possible, so we could test the product with real families and improve it through live use.
Challenge
We wanted to release the MVP as quickly as possible, so we could test the product with real families and improve it through live use.
So we decided to start with a soft launch in two smaller markets before going worldwide. We did not compromise on content or design quality: from the beginning, I wanted Funexpected to feel exceptional. Instead, we limited the amount of content while making sure all core product systems were already in place.
The goal was to learn how to build and scale the product effectively before global launch.
As children learn to read through books, not spelling drills, we wanted to create a similar world for math: a rich, beautiful environment where children could enter, explore, and gradually acquire the language of mathematical thinking and problem-solving.
Work
Brief
We wanted to release the MVP as quickly as possible, so we could test the product with real families and improve it through live use.
So we decided to start with a soft launch in two smaller markets before going worldwide. We did not compromise on content or design quality: from the beginning, I wanted Funexpected to feel exceptional. Instead, we limited the amount of content while making sure all core product systems were already in place.
The goal was to learn how to build and scale the product effectively before global launch.
Concept
We wanted to release the MVP as quickly as possible, so we could test the product with real families and improve it through live use.
So we decided to start with a soft launch in two smaller markets before going worldwide. We did not compromise on content or design quality: from the beginning, I wanted Funexpected to feel exceptional. Instead, we limited the amount of content while making sure all core product systems were already in place.
The goal was to learn how to build and scale the product effectively before global launch.
Iteration and testing
We wanted to release the MVP as quickly as possible, so we could test the product with real families and improve it through live use.
So we decided to start with a soft launch in two smaller markets before going worldwide. We did not compromise on content or design quality: from the beginning, I wanted Funexpected to feel exceptional. Instead, we limited the amount of content while making sure all core product systems were already in place.
The goal was to learn how to build and scale the product effectively before global launch.
Decision 1. Build adaptive gameplay and generative level of challenge from the start
Why: personalization and adaptability were meant to be core product values.
I used the first three games to develop and test our approach to game design. Instead of creating pre-designed levels and tasks, I designed a system that generated difficulty dynamically based on each child’s behavior. Each game used multiple variables that directly affected the level of challenge and could be adjusted independently for every child.
This helped us find the right level of challenge for each child, while avoiding the need to build a huge amount of content manually. Because the tasks kept changing within the same familiar game setting, the experience felt less repetitive and more engaging.
The result was a more personalized user experience and a more efficient, scalable production process.
Results
From zero to global scale, with 2.5M math tasks solved each month and international recognition for design and learning, including Webby, Kidscreen, and EdTech Breakthrough.
01
1M+ installs worldwide, 2.5M+ math tasks solved monthly
Families play Funexpected Math in 175 countries and 15 languages.
02
Featured by the App Store in 30+ countries
Continuously featured by Apple in different markets since launch.
03
Pre-installed on new iPads in Apple Retail Stores globally
Since 2023, a demo version of Funexpected is available on new iPads in Apple Stores around the world.
04
Multiple international awards for design and learning
Winner of multiple international awards for design and learning, including the Webby Award for Best Visual Design in Games, Kidscreen Award for Best Educational App, and EdTech Breakthrough Award for Best Math Learning Solution.
05
Efficacy supported by independent research
Funexpected Math was selected as one of four math apps for a University of Chicago RCT, which showed that children ages 4–5 from low-income families who played math apps progressed in math 3× faster compared to traditional schooling.
