Vocah!
This project outlines the early stage of Vocah! An application that integrates language learning to your every day conversations.
FORWARD
Problem
Design a mobile app that facilitates efficient and personalized vocabulary learning experiences for users, aiming to empower them to grasp new concepts with ease and confidence, particularly during short, on-the-go study sessions.
Goal
Build an idea for a new application designed to help users to learn new, context specific vocabulary on the go.
Role
UX Designer
Project Scale
60 Hours
Primary stakeholder
CareerFoundry UX Course
Team
Solo
Tools Used
Marvel
Sketching
Adobe
PROCESS
UX analysis
Three direct competitors that are readily accessible and recommended by online articles were compared based on their user experience and general offerings.
Vocabulary
Learn fresh words
WordUp
AI Vocabulary Builder
Duocards
Language Flashcards
All required the user to take the time out of their day to dedicate to active language learning.
All used some form of learning level. Simple but easy to not know where you fit.
Personalization and learning around specific topics is a key feature.
All give the user a lot of unnecessary grammer and words from the start.
The main problem is that people have to engage in active learning but also have to dig for the vocabulary that thy want to learn.
Interviews
Interview participants were chosen for their expertise in language learning platforms, focusing on recent and pertinent experience with online learning and vocabulary applications.
Participants tend to learn things in context or on the job. While they are carrying out tasks, conversing or just researching something they're interested in.
Learning new vocabulary happens in daily situations. They had to learn languages in relation to other things they were doing, like a class, learning the jargon of a new subject or going to meetings with clients.
They were frustrated when they were made to learn or in a situation where they felt they should know the jargon but didn't.
They learn practically, so they want to see a person say it and understand it in context.
Christopher Martin
Proto-persona
About Christopher
25, product development specialist based in Nuremberg, Germany
“I do a lot of new stuff like learning new programmes, I think otherwise, I would be pretty bored. Because I don’t really have a lot of friends here, there’s some way to get the time passed.”
“I get a lot of my information online if there’s a subject that I’m interested in I look up videos, or I read articles. I liked to be informed and to be able to have conversation about these things.”
User Story
As most of my interactions are in a context surrounding one of my interests, I want to learn German around those topics, so that I can communicate smoothly with other people who are interested in or involved in that topic.
Job Story
As I am quite new to my job, I would like to learn the local language specific to my job, so that it makes it easier to connect with my colleagues and perform better.
Christopher needs a method of learning German that is interactive and conversational, and helps him to develop his language skills around specific topics. He would find this extremely beneficial because it would help him overcome the situations where he feels there is a loss in translation. We will know this to be true when he can use German to supplement and communicate the essence of his thoughts.
Christopher needs a method of learning German that is interactive and conversational, and helps him to develop his language skills around specific topics. He would find this extremely beneficial because it would help him overcome the situations where he feels there is a loss in translation. We will know this to be true when he can use German to supplement and communicate the essence of his thoughts.
Information architecture
Users frequently learn through on-the-job experience and separate active learning efforts. However, they find that contextual conversation provides more relevant learning compared to actively seeking information. The proposed solution is to prioritize two core tasks: 1) gathering contextual information and 2) learning.
Flows
1
Upload new vocabulary,words or definitions to a collection from an active video or phone conversation.
Upload new vocabulary,words or definitions to a collection from an active video or phone conversation.
2
Task Analysis
Open the application.
Begin active translation from the home screen.
Identify and select words or phrases for future reference, possibly during conversation.
Swipe through selected cards to assess translations after the conversation.
Accept provided translations or provide personal definitions.
Save selected cards.
Choose or create a collection to store them in, naming it if necessary.
Save all definitions.
Set a reminder for review time.
Save and finish.
1
Entry Point: Phone/Video communication
Success Criteria: Extraction & storage of vocabulary from active conversation.
Open the application and navigate to the home screen.
Access the collections section.
Select a collection to review.
Choose between "review first" or "play game".
If "review first" is chosen, memorize the words and phrases, then select "play game" when finished.
In "Play Game", set a duration based on available time.
Swipe through cards, matching words/phrases to their definitions/translations; instant feedback provided.
After time expires, receive feedback on challenging phrases.
Choose to "play again now" or "play again later".
Opting for "play again now" restarts the game from step 6; selecting "play again later" returns to the home screen.
2
Entry Point: Home Screen
Success Criteria: Finish reviewing vocabulary through completion of game.
1
2
Wireframes
The task was to rapidly sketch screen iterations alongside potential workflow screens. Paper sketching is beneficial in short projects, preventing distraction by minor details and emphasizing layout and structure. It also enhances creativity.
1
2
While navigating user flow-based screens, unclear structure and task ambiguity arise. The priority is to assemble something quickly for testing purposes.
Tests
Carried out with five participants within a single day, the tests were rapid while maintaining a formal, structured approach.
Hand sketches were uploaded to marvel, adding hotspots to simulate the proposed interaction pattern.
Test report
In this case, testing was done quickly due to time constraints. Screen sketches were quickly uploaded to Marvel for a crude prototype, allowing immediate user feedback. A basic testing plan and script were drafted alongside participant recruitment and organization. Tests were recorded for analysis, revealing these key findings.
Old
NEW
RETROSPECTIVE
This project was treated like a 60 hour sprint. The approach was to simulate the real world, like a scenario where you might want to put somthing in front of a client and further discussions, for example. That way, a UXr may want to get something made as soon as possible, with credible reasoning.
At this point, I would be very satisfied by the current status of the project. It gives a clear direction and reasoning behind its design intentions. That being said, these would only be the first steps. In reality, there would potentially be months more work to be done.
What’s next?
If there was another 60 hours to work on this project, the goal would be to create Mid-fidelity prototypes for each of the main functions, and to enable further testing and discussion. By the end of the 60 hours, the delivery might consist of a solid, well thought out concept in the form of a refined mid-fi prototype, and perhaps an ealy look at what might be some concepts for a visual direction.
