Everfi: Bringing
K-12 to Life

My role: Principal Designer • Everfi

Product & Systems

Motion & 3D

When I joined EverFi, students felt disconnected from courses that were essentially static slideshows. User research made the problem clear. One student put it simply: "Interactive means more than clicking a button."
I partnered with Design Director Ann Shoew to overhaul the visual language, starting with motion. I proved the concept myself first, animating core course elements to show what the platform could feel like before we had a team to build it. As demand grew, I recruited and led five animators, turning a one-off idea into a sustainable production system.

Illustrations by: Mindy V., David P., Grace M.
Animations: Jason Reyna (Me), David P.

Animations quickly became core to how EverFi courses worked, not just decoration on top. In testing, younger learners lit up seeing their choices bring something to life on the page, while older learners responded more to animation tied directly to a decision they'd made. That distinction mattered. It's what pushed us to dig deeper into where animation actually added value instead of just making things move.

Hockey for the win?

A key pivot came when we built the course for the NHL. We needed an interactive moment where players could shoot a puck across the ice toward the crowd, but our component library wasn't built for anything like that. Rather than wait on new components, I found a workaround: pairing a directional slider with pre-built Lottie animation states, so the player's choice would trigger the matching outcome. It wasn't a perfect system, more sleight of hand than true interactivity, but it worked, and it unlocked a new pattern the whole team could reuse.

Learners would slide to choose a direction, and the Lottie animation would play out the result, the puck bouncing off the chosen cutout. That one workaround opened up a plethora of new interaction ideas for the team, all built inside the constraints of our existing library.

NHL drove the strongest response we'd ever had on a course. Teachers called it the best in our library, and we scored 90% positive from students and teachers alike. For the courses that followed, we brought every module to life with Lottie animation. But user testing reshaped our approach: heavy animation didn't move the needle. It was the small, playful moments of interaction that made the biggest difference, so that's where we focused.

Everyone needs a break.

Testing revealed a clear pattern: in longer modules, students grew overwhelmed and needed a moment to reset. So we built "Brain Breaks," playful, Lottie-animated pauses placed at the center of each module. Free from any learning objective, these moments let students make a lighthearted choice, watch something delightful, and come back refreshed.

The example below is a Brain Break where learners budget their money for a movie outing with friends, then get to watch an animated scene from the film they chose a small, well-earned moment of fun.

We built hundreds of standardized animation assets and created something that outlasted the project itself. Teachers ask for more of it. Account managers hear it in every renewal conversation. Animation went from a nice-to-have to one of the reasons partners stay.

We built hundreds of standardized animation assets and created something that outlasted the project itself. Teachers ask for more of it. Account managers hear it in every renewal conversation. Animation went from a nice-to-have to one of the reasons partners stay.

ABOUT

Jason Reyna
Principal Product Designer

At EverFi, I run design and motion for a learning platform millions of K-12 and adult students use, built with partners like Google, the NFL, and Intuit. I built the design system that cut production time by a third, hired and directed the animation team that turned static courses into something people actually want to click through, and led the redesign that stopped renewals from sliding.

Before that, I spent seven years as Digital Design Director at Tombras, running a multidisciplinary team across product, UX, and digital for clients like Freightliner, Lodge Cast Iron, and Coca-Cola. Lodge's redesign drove a 112% jump in online sales. Freightliner's relaunch grew YOY sales 21.7% and picked up Best Tech honors at CES.

I still care about the work at the pixel level. I just don't think that's in conflict with leading a team. The best directors I've worked with could get in the weeds when it mattered and knew when to get out of the way. That's the balance I bring.

RECOGNITION

2020

Webby Honoree

Corporate Communication: LodgeCastIron.com

2017

Addy Awards Gold Addy

Best of Interactive: NHTSA No Big Deal

2015

Addy Awards Gold Addy

Digital Advertising: Moonpie.com

2012

Cannes Lions Silver Award

Promo & Activation: Human Preservation Project

2011

THEA Award

Award Alternate Reality Experience Flynn Lives

© 2026 Jason Reyna. All rights reserved.

© 2026 Jason Reyna. All rights reserved.

ABOUT

Jason Reyna
Principal Product Designer

At EverFi, I run design and motion for a learning platform millions of K-12 and adult students use, built with partners like Google, the NFL, and Intuit. I built the design system that cut production time by a third, hired and directed the animation team that turned static courses into something people actually want to click through, and led the redesign that stopped renewals from sliding.

Before that, I spent seven years as Digital Design Director at Tombras, running a multidisciplinary team across product, UX, and digital for clients like Freightliner, Lodge Cast Iron, and Coca-Cola. Lodge's redesign drove a 112% jump in online sales. Freightliner's relaunch grew YOY sales 21.7% and picked up Best Tech honors at CES.

I still care about the work at the pixel level. I just don't think that's in conflict with leading a team. The best directors I've worked with could get in the weeds when it mattered and knew when to get out of the way. That's the balance I bring.

RECOGNITION

2020

Webby Honoree

Corporate Communication: LodgeCastIron.com

2017

Addy Awards Gold Addy

Best of Interactive: NHTSA No Big Deal

2015

Addy Awards Gold Addy

Digital Advertising: Moonpie.com

2012

Cannes Lions Silver Award

Promo & Activation: Human Preservation Project

2011

THEA Award

Award Alternate Reality Experience Flynn Lives

ABOUT

Jason Reyna
Principal Product Designer

At EverFi, I run design and motion for a learning platform millions of K-12 and adult students use, built with partners like Google, the NFL, and Intuit. I built the design system that cut production time by a third, hired and directed the animation team that turned static courses into something people actually want to click through, and led the redesign that stopped renewals from sliding.

Before that, I spent seven years as Digital Design Director at Tombras, running a multidisciplinary team across product, UX, and digital for clients like Freightliner, Lodge Cast Iron, and Coca-Cola. Lodge's redesign drove a 112% jump in online sales. Freightliner's relaunch grew YOY sales 21.7% and picked up Best Tech honors at CES.

I still care about the work at the pixel level. I just don't think that's in conflict with leading a team. The best directors I've worked with could get in the weeds when it mattered and knew when to get out of the way. That's the balance I bring.

RECOGNITION

2020

Webby Honoree

Corporate Communication: LodgeCastIron.com

2017

Addy Awards Gold Addy

Best of Interactive: NHTSA No Big Deal

2015

Addy Awards Gold Addy

Digital Advertising: Moonpie.com

2012

Cannes Lions Silver Award

Promo & Activation: Human Preservation Project

2011

THEA Award

Award Alternate Reality Experience Flynn Lives

© 2026 Jason Reyna. All rights reserved.

We use cookies to improve your experience. By continuing, you agree to our cookie policy.