PROBLEM
Learning and improving in a second language is hard.
Many people have attempted learning or improving in a second language. They may have taken classes in school, traveled to a new location, or have relatives who speak a second language.
Despite this, consistently practicing and improving a second language is challenging.
How can technology help users stay consistent in their language learning goals?
RESEARCH
I researched effective methods of learning a second language. There is overwhelming evidence that support speaking as play a key part of the language acquisition process.
“You may need to push yourself to get comfortable with making errors”
“A lot of people don't make progress if they don't open their mouths”
-The Learning Center, UNC Chapel Hill
-Michael Geisler; VP for language schools at Middlebury College
USER RESEARCH
After researching language learning best practices, I reached out to individuals to hear their perspectives and confirm if their experiences supported the research I came across.
I conducted user interviews with 5 adults who have had experiences with learning a second language. Based on the interviews, I noticing trends and patterns when it came to effective vs ineffective language learning methods.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Tell me about some languages you have learned and why you learned them.
What have been effective ways you have practiced a language?
What have been less effective ways you have practiced a language?
Have you ever used technology or an application to help you learn a language? If so, tell me about it.
I conducted user interviews with 5 adults who have had experiences with learning a second language. Based on the interviews, I noticing trends and patterns when it came to effective vs ineffective language learning methods.
USER PERSONA
Using the data collected in my research, I created two user personas. They represent 2 major categories of users: people who were raised speaking 2 languages (typically parent’s native language) and people who grew up speaking one but have an interest in learning a second.
IDEATION
Based off my research, many users encountered a lack of speaking opportunities when practicing a second language. I decided to create a website where the main goal is to connect users to a speaking partner. After brainstorming ideas around that goal, I designed lo-fidelity wire frames on Figma.
I sketched out a user journey with 2 main goals
1- Find someone online
2- Schedule a practice session.
USABILITY TEST & ITERATIONS
After creating a low-fidelity protoype on Figma, I conducted an initial usability test with 4 users to get: first impressions, usability and navigation observation notes, and general feedback. Then I used the feedback to make decisions and design choices in the next iteration.
Based off the feedback gathered from the usability test, I continued to iterate on my design with 3 main improvements:
FINAL PRODUCT
I used Figma to create a high-fidelity prototype.
Check out the clickable prototype here.
Accessibility Considerations
I ensured that the colors, fonts, and text sizes meet WCAG requirements.
The settings feature will have an accessibility function which allows for screen readers and audio.
RETROSPECTIVE
Next Steps
I am interested in adding a community feature to help users connect to groups in addition to individual connections. This way users can be in group messages or group video chats.
I would also like to look into features like on screen prompts during video chats during the video sessions to help reduce any friction and awkwardness when speaking with new connections.
Limitations and Constraints
I anticipated that a big pain point would be getting users comfortable enough to connect and talk with strangers online. If I had more time, I would have wanted to dive deeper into that specific experience by conducting more user research and competive analysis with other applications and websites.