The Basics

Name and title:

Brittney Chew, iOS Apps Product Manager 

Has been at IXL for:

3 years

Hometown and current city:

Foster City and Foster City, California! 

Life at IXL

Why did you join IXL? 

I really wanted to be in the education field to help students and teachers. When I found out about IXL, I thought it was the perfect chance for me to use my engineering and design background in the education space. 

What do you do at IXL? Give us a taste of what a typical workday is like for you.

I work closely with the iOS designers and engineers to launch features on our iPad and iPhone apps. Each day is different—I could be working on design iterations with our designers or reviewing new features that the engineers have built. I also plan ahead and see what features we should work on next and what would bring the most value to our students. 

What are the 2-3 skills you use most in your job? 

Clear communication is really important because I want projects to run smoothly. Projects involve people in different roles, like engineering, design, and testing, so we need to communicate often about what we’re working on so we don’t block each other from making progress. Sometimes we work on projects across teams, like working with the web teams, and need to ensure everyone is on the same page. Similarly, organization is valuable because there can be a lot of moving parts and I need to make sure things don’t fall through the cracks. 

What has working at IXL been like during the pandemic?

When schools were closing at the beginning of the pandemic, it was a really busy time for us. We were all trying to get out new features to support distance learning. It was a crazy time as we were simultaneously learning how to work remotely and push out all these new features. Since then, we’ve gotten into a routine of working remotely. I definitely miss hanging out with my coworkers at the office!

If you had to describe the ethos of IXL in one sentence, what would it be? 

We strive to bring high-quality education to everyone. 

Life beyond IXL

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to take my dog Clue for walks and work on her training. I’ve also gotten into 1,000-piece puzzles recently, and I want to try growing a fruit and vegetable garden this year. 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Reality TV

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Fashion designer

How would your friends describe you? 

Down to earth and hardworking!