Role: Product Designer

Timeline: Oct 2024 - Aug 2025 (10 months)

Team Size: 1

Business Model: EdTech

Tools: Figma, SwiftUI, Maze

Purpose: wanted to make an app to help with language learning while also making it fun and engaging.

Work Summary

As a product designer, i:

Conducted 30 user surveys and 5 interviews to understand motivation, and engagement patterns in language-learning apps and Learn the Lingo design.
Identified motivation and repetition as primary downfalls to sustained learning and motivation in language learning, and reworked my own model to address current app issues.
Created concept pixel-art–inspired animated assets to make practice feel playful and rewarding rather than repetitive.
Live-tested a gamified typing-based learning prototype and optimized flow, pacing, and feedback to improve learner engagement.
Performed competitive and market research across gaming and language-learning products to identify unmet engagement opportunities.

Impact:

90% task completion rate during moderated user testing of core lesson flows
85% testers opted into notifications or email follow-ups, indicating ongoing interest.
122 users joined the pre-launch waitlist, validating early interest

Overview: I set out to design a language-learning app that didn’t feel like homework. Instead of flashcards or memorization drills, Learn the Lingo turns vocabulary practice into a fast-paced typing adventure inspired by MonkeyType, meeting learners where they already enjoy practicing.

Step 1 - Discovering the idea

Research and Market Trends

Market Data:

Duolingo → 130M monthly users: proof that gamification drives consistency
MonkeyType → 30M monthly users: strong demand for fast-paced skill training

Current iPhone specific typing app

Testing demand and validation:

Methodology: I surveyed 30 multilingual learners (ages 14–75, from students to immigrants) to explore what motivates sustained engagement in mobile language tools.

Engagement Drops Fast

Engagement in games drops quickly users lose interest once novelty fades.
Cluttered UI + pop-ups → frustration & abandonment

Motivation

Most start learning for short-term goals (travel, job requirement)
70% enjoy light competition, leaderboards, or friendly rivalry

Concept Validation

Progress tracking “feels abstract” and doesn’t create emotional reward
Users switch between desktop at work and mobile during commutes
Gamified repetition (MonkeyType style) feels satisfying and measurable

Takeaway: There is high demand and strong expectations for mobile learning tools, yet the market for gamified language learning is limited and dominated by only a few major players. This creates a clear opportunity for a focused, fast-paced, engagement-driven learning experience.

Step 2 - Designing a concept

Reframing the Problem

Based on the findings, I reframed the design challenge:

How might we make language learning feel as rewarding and measurable as improving at a game something users want to return to for both fun and progress?

This direction also connected to my personal experience using MonkeyType to strengthen my French and Spanish vocabulary through consistent, gamified repetition.

First Idea

Step 3 - Modification from the user research

Finding → Response

Finding: Users lose interest quickly in mobile games.
‍Design Response: Retro visuals + simple flows that feel energizing, not overwhelming.
Finding: Gamification in Duolingo was motivating.
‍Design Response: Integrated progress tracking, rewards, and playful elements.
Finding: Many struggle to find effective language learning tools.
‍Design Response: Clear value upfront and easy-to-understand purpose.
Finding: Progress feels abstract and unrewarding.
Design Response: Show concrete stats – WPM, accuracy, new words mastered – after each session.
Finding: Users enjoy light competition.
‍Design Response: Leaderboards and timed challenges encourage motivation.

Step 5 - Prototype testing and improvement

Evolution Through Preference Testing

Design evolved through user insight. Early prototypes were functional but felt “too plain.”Testing revealed users wanted energy and personality, not just clarity. I merged retro pixel visuals with modern UI simplicity to create a nostalgic yet fresh experience. Playful details like the red balloon and night-city backdrop turned the test into a game world that motivates learning.

Design evolution

Added pixel-art retro styling mixed with clean, modern UI
Removed monsters and level up system in place for multiplayer and casual solo mode
Introduced night-city backgrounds, floating red balloons, and soft animations
Built a visual world where “practice” feels like starting a game, not fulfilling a task

Users described the new concept as:

“It looks like a great concept”
“I would definitely play this type of game.”
“I love how the design is simple but also very busy with fun art.”
“I'm surprised there is no similar game on iPhone already.”

Step 6

User Testing

Goals

Evaluate

How intuitive the navigation and game setup feels
Whether gamified typing increases motivation
If users understand the value before creating an account

Method:

5 moderated sessions, screen-share format
Users completed 3 scenario-based tasks:

Results:

100% task success
Users immediately understood the game loop
Retro visuals significantly increased excitement
All 5 participants said they would use this instead of their current tool

Key Feedback Themes

“Feels incredibly responsive.”
“Love the stats after each session.”
“Leaderboards make it more fun than regular typing apps.”
“The visuals make me want to come back.”

Step 7

Final Outcome

Learn the Lingo combines typing, game mechanics, and language learning into a single engaging experience. It solves the drop-off problem by giving learners fast feedback, visual rewards, and a world that feels fun to return to.

This project taught me:

The value of research and UI on maintaining user attention.
How combinig UX and UI can create satisfying experiences for users.
How to design for both motivation and usability simultaneously

Step 8

Desining and prototyping in Fimga

Bringing Learn the Lingo to life in Figma required balancing two priorities: game-like visuals and fast iteration. Since the app was designed exclusively for mobile, I focused on crafting tightly controlled, pixel-precise layouts that matched the retro aesthetic and rapid typing experience.

LEARN THE LINGO

Creation Process