A vocabulary app for visual learners.

Introduction

This is a case study about a ux design concept of a vocabulary learning app created in spring 2020.

<aside> 🚨 Challenge: How might we help visual learners to memorise new vocabulary quickly on the go.

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<aside> 🎯 Goal: Creating a vocabulary learning app which supports the easy memorising of vocabulary in a very visual way.

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My Role: UX/UI Designer

<aside> 🥾 Process Steps:

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• Competitor Research
• User Research (User Interviews)
• User Persona
• Task Analysis
• Crazy 8's Technique
• Low Fidelity Prototyping
• User Testing
• High Fidelity Wireframes

<aside> ✂️ Tools used:

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• Adobe Comp App (Ipad)
• Marvel App
• Whimsical
• Pen&Paper&Postits
• Voice Recorder App
• Videocamera App

Design Process

My design process contained three phases:

• Inspiration

• Conceptualisation

• Iteration

Inspiration Phase:

There were two fields I wanted to gain more information: my competitors and my users. First I did a competitor research in order to know, how other vocabulary learning apps taggling the learning process.

Competitor Research

There are many vocabulary apps out there. I decided to pick three, which approach the vocabulary learning challenge differently. In this way I could discover strengths and weakness' of my competitors.

<aside> 🎯 Research Goals:

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• discover strengths & weakness' of three competitors
• finding opportunities of improvements
• noting well designed user experiences

<aside> 🚨 Challenges: Many apps have limited functionalities, if you are not going for a premium account. As I didn't buy premium memberships, my research could only explore the free versions, which was enough to get an idea of basic functionalities

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PONS

Pons is a german media publisher and known for its dictionaries in 32 different languages.

Strengths:

• an introduction to the app is offered without signing up
• the app has 5 different interactive learning modes
• process indicators give a good orientation during the learning

Weaknesses:

• the sign-up fields are the first thing I perceive, which repels me a bit (later I discovered a introduction-link)
• poor onboarding (only text boxes)
• the mothertongue wasn't asked and the whole UI copy is in german (which will be a problem, if you don't speak german yet)

DROPS

Drops is a language learning app created in Estonia. It aims to make learning vocabulary a fun experience through colorful visuals and animations.

Strengths:

• colourful UI with illustrations looks fun
• loud pronunciation
• many different vocabulary topics to choose from

Weaknesses:

• overstimulation by many colours act distracting
• many animation during learning mode slows the process down and annoys
• no control over the learning mode

MAGOOSH

Magoosh is an app, designed to prepare you for the TOEFL-language test. The app functions are pretty basic, because it is only an extension of their website.

Strengths:

• process bars keeps you on track
• example sentences gives you context
• simple functionalities keeps you focused

Weaknesses:

• no splash screen no onboarding
• UI-failures: buttons not recognisable as buttons
• only one austere learning mode with no changes