THE PROBLEM
Although resources to start learning a new language are rather easy to find, it is much harder to keep improving one’s level past a certain point, which often leads people to simply give up. It is also difficult to find ways to learn a language when one doesn't speak English, as most classes and apps online are English-based.
THE SOLUTION
Design a product that will offer ways to keep practicing daily in a fun and easy way, for a wide range of languages and without having to necessarily rely on English.
RESEARCH
In order to understand the issue and challenge my assumptions, I reached out to 6 language learners in my network to talk about their habits, troubles, and needs regarding the topic. Among the 6, 3 were learning via an app (such as Duolingo or HelloChinese), 1 was learning by themself with grammar books, and 1 was learning at school.
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The findings:
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Regularity is key. All 6 confirmed that it was more efficient and easier to practice a little bit daily than a lot every once in a while.
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Motivation is a powerful drive. Having a goal in mind helps to stay motivated and to keep learning regularly.
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Lessons can only get you so far. Whatever the learning method, it doesn't go on forever. At some point, it becomes necessary to take the plunge and practice through exposure (reading novels, listening to podcasts, watching movies, …). All 6 learners admitted that this felt daunting and didn't know where to start.
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Thanks to these insights, I created two personae:
ELAYA
GOAL
To increase their understanding of their target language in order to move abroad and integrate into a different society.
FRUSTRATIONS
Private language lessons are expensive and time-consuming
Finding cheap and quick ways to improve one's language level is difficult
Elaya is a student passionate about their field of studies who plans to move abroad in order to further their education and find a job. Unfortunately, they are very busy and don't have much money, so they struggle to find ways to improve their language levels, which in turn prevents them from fulfilling their dream.
Age: 21
Hometown: Nice, FR
Family: Single
Occupation: Student
Elaya is a busy student who needs an easy and cheap way to improve their language skills because they plan to move to another country to study and work.
Patrick is a retired travel-enthusiast who needs to practice their target language without losing their motivation because they wish to enjoy the culture of this language.
PATRICK
GOAL
To improve their level of Portuguese in order to travel to Portugal and enjoy the country's culture and literature
FRUSTRATIONS
Diving into a book in a foreign language is scary, and it it hard to stay motivated
Doesn't have the patience to take private lessons
Since their retirement, Patrick has found a passion for traveling, and especially fell in love with Portugal. They started leaning the language on Duolingo, but now that they finished the course, they don't know how to keep studying. Reading books feels daunting, and they wish there was a way to slowly ease into it, day after day.
Age: 73
Hometown:
Los Angeles, USA
Family: Married, with child
Occupation: Retired
In light of this information and with the help of the personae, the main takeaways are:
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Mobile first. Most target users would use the product on the go, so an app appears to be the most logical solution, with the possibility of developing a responsive website on the side.
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Reading comprehension. Language learners generally find reading in their target language less intimidating than listening. Consequently, target users expressed more interest in a text reading app than in a video watching app.
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Variety. As the aims and motivations of target users are diverse, the app should offer a wide range of content, and content sorting should be easy and intuitive.
WIREFRAMING
With research done, I first planned the site map for the future app. I identified searching and reading a text as the main flow, and added a secondary flow allowing users to test their level in order to better tailor their search.
Next, I sketched several versions of the homepage on paper, then transitioned to digital wireframes, keeping in mind everything I had learned from research.
I prioritized immediate access to the content, and emphasized the three different ways to sort and choose: by word count, by category, and by level.
USER TESTING
With the low-fidelity prototype, I conducted moderated usability studies with 4 participants, 1 on-site and 3 remote.
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Here are the findings:
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Onboarding. When first landing on the home page, users felt rather lost and didn't understand what was expected of them.
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Audio. Users wanted the possibility to hear the text being spoken while reading, and to listen to the pronunciation of chosen words.
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Reward system. After reading a text, users didn't know what to do next, and felt frustrated by the lack of reward or interactivity.
MOCKUPS
I first created four versions of the home page. The design was supposed to be playful and fun, but not too childish. I then asked several potential users for their opinion.
The layout of the third design got the most votes, but users felt that there were too many colors. Using this information as well as the insight from the usability studies, I created the final version.
I added the possibility to play audio on both the word definition and the text itself. I also added a link to the definition of the word in an external dictionary in order to get more context.
Before
After
I also added a “keep reading” section at the end of the text page, and the possibility to take a short quiz in order for the user to test their comprehension of the text.
Before
After
Additionally, I added an onboarding flow, with a welcome page, the account creation form, and the option to test one’s level when choosing which language to learn.
STYLE GUIDE
Main colors
#FFFFFF
#001F2C
#15779D
Secondary colors
#FDC00F
#EC5541
Typeface
The typeface Baloo Chettan 2 was chosen for its playful and warm character, as well as its highly readable quality even for small text. The colors also contribute to the cheerful feel while maintaining a high level of contrast for accessibility.
SCREEN SIZE VARIATIONS
CONCLUSION
Final usability studies showed that users found the visual design pleasant and the app easy to navigate. Users expressed a lot of interest for the “level testing” function.
WHAT I LEARNED
I tried my hand at animation, both on the logo for the loading page and on the buttons.
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I also learned that trying to create a style that has personality but remains simple and easy on the eyes can be rather tricky.
NEXT STEPS
Create a dark mode
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Add the option to learn several languages at the same time instead of just one
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Conduct additional research to determine if users would like more competitive options, such as leaderboards, adding friends, etc.
