During this stage of development, I focused on making Homework Racer feel polished and enjoyable to use. While the core features were already working, I wanted the application to have a professional appearance that matched the overall racing theme. My goal was to make students feel like they were entering the dashboard of a high-performance race car every time they opened the planner.
One of the biggest improvements I made was redesigning the navigation sidebar. I organized each section—Home, Dashboard, Homework, Calendar, and Pomodoro—into a clean vertical menu with matching icons. This makes it much easier for users to quickly switch between different pages without getting lost. I also highlighted the currently selected page so users always know where they are in the application.
I also spent time improving the homepage layout. Instead of displaying plain text, I created large feature cards that introduce each section of the app. These cards explain what each feature does while keeping the interface clean and modern. The large welcome message and quick action buttons help new users immediately understand how to start using the planner.
Another improvement was creating a consistent color palette throughout the application. I chose a dark background with orange accents because orange represents speed, energy, and racing. Every button, icon, and highlighted section follows this color scheme, making the app feel consistent and visually appealing instead of looking like different pages stitched together.
Finally, I tested the interface to make sure everything was responsive and easy to navigate. I adjusted spacing, card sizes, fonts, and button placement so the application remained readable without feeling crowded. These improvements made Homework Racer feel much more like a finished product rather than just a collection of features, creating an experience that is both practical for students and enjoyable to use.