designing Papillon : turning Pronote pain into delight

It’s Monday, 08:00. I open Pronote to check whether maths is first period. Three pop‑ups and two nested menus later, I still don’t know. Sound familiar? That daily frustration sparked Papillon, the student‑life app that now serves thousands of French pupils.

How It All Started

The story began on Twitter. After I posted a redesign concept for my school’s website, a developer named Vince replied, saying he lived nearby. We soon became friends and eventually met in person. Vince had already been working on Papillon for a few years. Back then, I was still in high school, and like many others I found Pronote’s interface frustrating and unfriendly. When Vince asked if I’d like to join the team, I immediately said yes, eager to help redesign the user experience.

We dove in head‑first. For a month we called each other every evening, brainstorming and building together. My role was clear from the start: I was the project’s visual brain. I designed every screen, thought deeply about overall coherence, and always presented at least two alternatives for each element so the team could choose. This created genuine team momentum but also posed a challenge. Pronote is a huge, complex app, and every new feature raised tough questions about usability, logic, and usefulness.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Papillon pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. I had been used to working solo, but suddenly I had to collaborate with a team that already existed before I arrived. They offered tons of advice, and I also had to integrate feedback from users, even from students themselves. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding. I learned to communicate my design decisions more effectively, to stand by my ideas, but also to question them and pivot when necessary.

From Side Project to Viral Success

And then… Papillon exploded. We passed the one‑million‑download mark, a real TikTok trend grew around the app, and French media started talking about it. Some users promoted it by saying, “Look how much better this looks than Pronote!” Hearing people appreciate the aesthetic side of the project meant a lot to me. It proved that my work resonated, even without explanation. As a designer, I don’t think there’s a better compliment.

Some press articles about Papillon:

• “Maintenant on va être heureux”: c’est quoi Papillon, l’application qui améliore (enfin) Pronote ?
• Papillon, une app de vie scolaire qui éclipse totalement Pronote
• “C’est le Pronote de l’avenir” : pourquoi l’application Papillon plaît tant aux collégiens et lycéens ?

Looking Back

Papillon was a turning point for me, both a fantastic human adventure and a true professional learning experience. I had the chance to express myself, learn how to work as part of a team, and see my ideas reach a huge audience. Although I joined after the developers, their feedback helped me grow and find my place.

If I take away one thing from this project, it’s that design matters. When people find beauty and clarity where there was only confusion, it’s something special. And that’s exactly why I love what I do.