Reimagining Vocabulary

Background

Learning new vocabulary can be exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Whether you’re learning a new language or studying terms for an exam, many people tend to rely on basic flashcards or repetition. However, these methods often fail to support long-term retention of information.

For this project, I designed a more effective way to learn and remember new words. By researching how people learn and examining what makes vocabulary apps successful, I created a mobile experience that is engaging, effective, and tailored to user needs.

Target audience

Users who want to expand their vocabulary.

Project Date & Duration

4 weeks in July 2024

My Role

UX/UI Designer

The Process

Discover

Competitor Analysis

I analyzed how various vocabulary apps fulfill user needs, their areas for improvement, and how I can distinguish VocabPal.

Strengths:

  • A wide variety of topics along with lessons and vocabulary practices.

  • Learning streaks encourage users to consistently engage in studying through the app.

  • Users can collaborate with their peers and classmates.

Weaknesses:

  • The app features a simple theme but the abundance of features may complicate learnability.

  • The app lacks a comprehensive onboarding process, making navigating the platform challenging.

  • Advertisements can cause unintended distractions to the user’s learning experience.

Opportunities:

  • Enhance the onboarding process by adding tutorials that help guide new users in utilizing all the different components of the app.

  • Reduce advertisements.

Threats:

  • AI-powered systems require data collection, which can raise privacy concerns.

  • Incorrect or misleading AI-generated information could negatively impact learning outcomes.

  • Users may resist paying for a subscription-based service.

Strengths:

  • The clean, minimalistic layout reduces distractions and focuses on the app's goal.

  • No login process is necessary; users can use the app immediately after downloading it.

  • Users can add the widget to their lock screen, home screen, and watch, making it convenient for those with busy schedules.

  • AI-driven speech recognition improves pronunciation skills.

Weaknesses:

  • Memorization-focused methods may not result in long-term vocabulary retention.

  • AI-generated word lists and definitions may not always be accurate or relevant.

Opportunities:

  • Introducing various learning strategies, such as tests or matching games, to accommodate different types of learners.

  • Adding a tracking component to help users keep track of the words learned can significantly enhance the learning experience.

Threats:

  • Strong competition like Duolingo and Anki provide similar services and dominate the market.

  • Users may not be able to afford premium features or may resist paying for subscription-based services.

Strengths:

  • The app enables users to tailor their settings, skill levels, and preferences to match their needs and interests.

  • It offers interactive lessons including fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, speaking, and writing (typing) exercises.

  • It provides comprehensive content such as detailed word definitions, pronunciations, usage examples, and AI-generated images.

  • It won the 2020 British Council Best Digital Innovation Award and was recognized for innovation.

Weaknesses:

  • Technical issues such as performance instability and crashes.

  • Lacks flexibility in accessing specific words due to navigation constraints.

Opportunities:

  • Address technical issues to improve user satisfaction.

  • Incorporate interactive guides within the interface can enhance user engagement with the app's various features.

Threats:

  • Data privacy concerns due to AI-driven personalization.

  • Strong competition from established language learning apps such as Duolingo and Memrise.

  • Users may lose motivation over time and switch to alternative apps.

User Interviews

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the user needs, behaviors, and motivations, I interviewed 3 potential users. Here’s what I learned:

  • Customization
    Users want the ability to personalize their learning experience with adjustable paths or difficulty levels.

  • Community & Support
    Users feel that connecting with a community or tutor would help improve their learning.

  • Rewards & Motivation
    Users are motivated by point or reward systems that encourage consistent learning.

  • Real-World Use
    Users feel successful when they can apply vocabulary in real-life situations, so practical exercises are important.

  • Time Constraints
    Users struggle with time and need quick, efficient study options that fit their busy schedules.

Define

Primary Persona

Using the insights from the research phase, I created a primary user persona to guide my design decisions throughout the whole process. This helped ensure the design aligned with real user needs. 

Meet brielle

Brielle, a 28-year-old international graduate student, is an English language learner who recently relocated from her home country to Fairfax, Virginia. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering.

Goals and Motivations:

  • Improve vocabulary for both a Master’s Degree in Engineering and speaking English fluently

  • Use newly acquired vocabulary when completing assignments and tests Engage in conversations with others to develop stronger connections

Challenges:

  • Time management

  • Limited social support networks

  • Language barrier

  • Unique learning needs

Problem Statement

Brielle needs a way to efficiently learn and retain new vocabulary words. As an international graduate student, she is working on improving her vocabulary despite the academic demands and language proficiency gaps. We will know this to be true when we see an increase in her vocabulary retention rates and an improvement in her ability to use learned vocabulary in academic and everyday contexts.

Hypothesis Statement

We believe that by designing an interactive and efficient vocabulary app with customized learning routes, interactive exercises, the fusion of academic and everyday vocabulary, and consistent progress monitoring for Brielle, we will achieve an improvement in her academic performance and English proficiency.

User Stories & Flows

Task 1: Onboarding

User goal: Getting started with using the application

Entry point: Open the application

Success criteria: Created a new account

Task Analysis:

  • Download the application

  • Open the application

  • Login or set up a new account

    • Enter name

    • Choose preferred language

    • Select Profession

    • Choose vocabulary level

    • Select a reason to learn new vocabulary

    • Select topics of interest

    • Select study duration preference

    • Set up daily reminder time (optional)

  • Complete the onboarding process and log in

  • A quick tutorial of homepage features

  • Start using the application

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Task 2: upload a new vocabulary word

User goal: Add a new word with the definition

Entry point: Open the application

Success criteria: A new word and its definition have been added to the application

Task Analysis:

  • Open the application

  • Login to account

  • Click on “Library” on the homepage

  • Click on “Add New Word”

  • Enter new word

    • Option to choose word and definition from AI suggestions

    • Add definition

    • Option to add an image

  • Save word

  • The user returns to the library

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

Ideate

Mid-Fidelity Prototype

After developing the foundation and research-based insights, I began brainstorming possible solutions and designing the prototype.

Design

Usability Testing

I put the prototype to the test and conducted in-person moderated usability tests with 3 users.

Here’s what I learned:

Iterations

Using the data, I enhanced the user experience to better meet their needs. Here are some of the changes I made:

Refined Prototype

My Reflection

Designing my first UX project, VocabPal, was an exciting and invaluable experience. One of my biggest challenges was to prioritize clarity and create an intuitive navigation system while accommodating multiple features, including flashcard decks, daily lessons, and an AI-generated chat system. Since the app provides many functionalities, I needed to ensure that users could effortlessly navigate the app without feeling overwhelmed.

Early usability testing revealed that users struggled to find key features and sometimes felt lost within the app. The original navigation structure didn’t clearly guide users toward achieving their learning goals, and some interactions required too many steps. This led me to rethink the information architecture and focus on reducing cognitive load by refining the interface.

To address the navigation challenges, I redesigned the home screen layout to prioritize the most frequently used features while ensuring secondary actions remained easily accessible. Furthermore, I incorporated familiar design patterns and established a strong visual hierarchy to create an intuitive experience that guided users seamlessly, reducing friction. After implementing these changes, users found the app much easier to navigate and engage with different features without confusion.

My next steps for this project would have included conducting further rounds of usability testing, including accessibility tests to ensure that the final prototype was functional and inclusive for diverse audiences. From there, I would go through multiple iteration cycles to refine the design based on feedback and aim to strengthen data privacy measures to ensure transparency for users.

This experience reinforced the importance of functionality, simplicity, and user-centered design. I learned of the importance of continuous iteration, testing, and adaptability. I will continue to work on designing user-centered experiences and tackling challenges with a growth mindset, ensuring that my design decisions align with real user needs.

*Leveraged AI tools like Grammarly to refine my writing.

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