Introduction
This work is a conceptual UX project part of CareerFoundry’s UX introduction course. WeLearn is a mobile app that empowers young professionals and expats looking to learn new vocabulary efficiently and joyfully.
Context
Learning a new language can be a rewarding experience. It allows us to engage and interact with other cultures. One of the most time-consuming and exhausting aspects of language learning is memorizing vocabulary. Busy young professionals often struggle to maintain a habit of sitting down and studying their vocabulary and get frustrated by their stagnant progress.
Problem Statement
How might we design a mobile app that enables and encourages young professionals and expats to learn new vocabulary effectively and efficiently?
5 Why's of WeLearn
Who
This web app is made primarily for young professionals and expats who are keen to learn a new language. They have little time at their hands but are tech savvy.
What
This will be a user-friendly, mobile application focused on learning new vocabulary.
When
This app is meant to be used on-the-go for quick 5 to 10-minute study sessions. That could mean on a bus, between meetings or on a lunch break.
Where
Where ever the young professionals have access and time to use their phones. A coffee shop, in bed, or on a bus could be locations where users learn with the app.
Why
It can be difficult to keep track of all the jargon when studying a new discipline. Language-learners need a way to methodically categorize, reference, and study new vocabulary and concepts so they can move forward confidently in their field.
Research
In order to the app's potential scope and opportunities and discover user needs, motivations, and pain points, I analyzed competitors and conducted user interviews with the target audience.
Discovering the Environment
Before engaging with users, I needed to explore WeLearns environment. Therefore, I analyzed competitors to discover their strengths and weaknesses and find opportunities for the app. I examined Babbel, Duolingo, and Memrize as immersive language learning apps, as well as Quizlet, that focuses on vocabularies only.
Summary: Babbel feels very intuitive and meets most goals of its users. It's a convenient way to learn a language with phrases and some vocabulary quickly. However, if users are looking for a semantic field or a grammatical phenomenon, they might struggle with its generalist approach.
Summary: Duolingo is great for users who like to learn in a very playful way. With the reward system, young users will have a good time learning. Young professionals and users who like structure will have a harder time to get find their goals met.
Summary: Memrise is a vocabulary learning app that feels more usable to more mature users than Duolingo. Despite some UI issues, Memrise makes learning vocabulary very accessible. The Explore feature is a nice innovation and makes the app desirable.
Summary: Quizlet is a straightforward vocabulary learning app that only uses the flashcard system. While providing value with the social aspect of sharing and good usability, the placement of the commercials diminishes the credibility that the users' goals are a top priority.
Understanding the User
To better understand the users’ goals, need, and pain points, I conducted three user interviews with young professionals.
Main Takeaways
Users prefer a flexible learning schedule (in lunch breaks, on the go).
Users want to be able to make their own vocabulary lists, based on their individual real-life needs.
Users think that involving many senses in learning rather than simply reading the vocabulary is beneficial.
Users struggle to learn vocabulary without external motivation from others.
Users believe that a playful & competitive character makes a learning app more desirable
Users need to be able to download vocabulary sets to learn while being offline.
Make it personal
Based on my research findings, I created the persona, Nina. She will help me visualize my research and keep my design user-centered.
Ideate
From User- & Job-Stories…
… to a Hypothesis Statement
After evaluating the user research and flows, a major opportunity for WeLearn began to emerge:
I believe that by implementing a social experience for Nina where learners with similar language skills get matched and can communicate and challenge each other, WeLearn will achieve more motivated, perseverant users and sustainable learning results.
Establishing User FLows
Design
Setting the Design Direction
Paper Sketching
Based on Nina's goals and needs and my flows, I generated stacks of ideas about the arrangement of the UI, functional and data elements, and interactive behaviors. Because of time pressure, I rapidly worked, jumping straight from sketching to paper prototyping.
Adding a New Word
Challenge a Random Player to a Vocabulary Match
Testing
After sketching the main flows and building a paper prototype via Marvel, I ran five remote and in-person usability tests with potential users. I tested the main tasks of WeLearn and evaluated the usability issues with the Jacob Nielsen severity rating (0-4).
The tasks included:
Signing up to the app
Review already learned vocabulary
Upload a new vocabulary and add it to an existing set
Download a set of vocabulary
Challenge a friend or random player in a challenge
Test Report
Model Revisions
After analyzing the test results, I remodeled several flows and elements in the first round of iterations. I only focused on major issues (3 and 4 on the scale). In addition, I made several changes to the dashboard for a better user experience.
Rearranging the Dashboard
Moving the Download Setting
Adding progress bar and editing translation review
Adding continue button
Testing
After revising my designs and the second round of guerilla testing, I observed that the iteration solved significant issues. I moved the project to Figma, where I created mid-fidelity wireframes and an interactive prototype. Due to the scope of the project and time constraints, I did not design high-fidelity wireframes or mockups.
Current Prototype
Current Prototype
Reflection
Due to the limited scope of this project, my work focused on research, designing flows, paper prototyping, and user testing. My learning curve was very steep, and thanks to the invaluable feedback of my tutor during this project, I am pleased with the results.
As a next step, I will work on the UI of WeLearn and go back to the persona to reassess what features would benefit Nina.