Sector: AI, Consumer, Mobile App
Team: 3 UX Designers
My Role: Competitor Analysis, Survey, User Interviews, Prototyping, User Testing
Impact: Enhanced translation accuracy and facilitated language learning through an AI-powered application.
At a Glance
Overview
I collaborated with 2 other UX designers based on our shared interest in AI and how it could have a positive impact on our daily lives. We envisioned a translation tool that not only provides contextual translations but also serves as a platform for language learning. This project lasted for 5 months and led to the creation of mockups for an AI-powered translation application.
Why AI Translation?
Understanding the Market & Identifying Gaps
Our competitive analysis focused on key players like Google Translate and DeepL, alongside indirect competitors such as Duolingo, revealed critical areas for enhancement:
Inaccuracies: current tools struggle with complex sentences, idiomatic expressions, and cultural nuances, often leading to errors and misinterpretations.
Loss of Context: Many translations fail to capture and convey the full context, missing the subtleties that imbue language with its true meaning.
Lack of Learning Resources: The majority of existing platforms are designed with a narrow focus on translation, neglecting the rich potential to facilitate language learning and cultural immersion.
Having analyzed the competitive landscape, we conducted a survey aimed at understanding real-world usage and experiences with translation tools.
Garnering responses from 11 participants, this survey offered us critical feedback that directly influenced our design choices. Here are the findings:
Defining Users’ Voices Through Survey
Frequent Use: 40% of participants frequently utilize translation tools.
Dual Purpose: The tools are used for both work (73%) and language learning (55%) purposes.
Mobile Preference: A majority preference for mobile apps (63.6%) over websites (54.5%) signals a strong demand for accessible, on-the-go translation solutions.
Demand for Accuracy: With 63% of users experiencing inaccuracies, there's a pronounced need for translations that are both precise and context-aware.
To complement the survey findings, we conducted in-depth interviews with 4 users, with my direct involvement in interviewing 2.
These interviews were aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of user goals, challenges, and preferences in using language translation applications.
User Interviews
Synthesizing Design Challenges Into a Unified Question
We started with preliminary sketches, mapping out the user flow in detailed segments.
Then we crafted mid-fidelity prototypes as a concrete representation of our app, enabling early feedback collection that was crucial for identifying usability issues and areas for improvement before progressing to higher-fidelity versions.
Ideation & Mid-Fidelity Prototype
We conducted qualitative user testing with our prototype on 5 participants, employing a 'think-aloud' method to gather real-time insights.
User Testing
Final Design
Fluently
Branding Style Guide
Component Build Specifications
The user's journey begins with engaging splash screens that introduce the app's core features.
Onboarding Process
Fluently is a translation tool that prioritizes user needs. It provides users with a thorough examination of translation results by using multiple dictionaries, rich definitions, visual imagery, and sample sentences.
Additionally, users have the option to provide feedback on the translation quality, which helps in continuous improvement.
Single-Word Translation
Addressing the need for accuracy, this section offers customizable translations. Users can adjust translations to fit their context, choosing formality, domain, and scenario.
Tailored Sentence Translations
Engage & Learn with AI
This final segment transforms language learning into an engaging activity. AI-driven exercises are designed to reinforce vocabulary retention and make learning more interactive.
This approach reflects our commitment to going beyond traditional translation methods, offering a tool that's both educational and enjoyable.
Uncovering Opportunities: The project highlighted the importance of thorough research. We identified a significant gap in existing translation tools and revealed the shortcomings of existing translation apps.
Leveraging User Feedback: Iterative user testing was key to refining our design, highlighting the necessity of simplifying interfaces based on user input. This process not only improved usability but also affirmed the critical role of user feedback in achieving a user-centered design.