A game-inspired UI built for focused language practice.

I explored how a short typing challenge could feel engaging without adding friction. Rather than fill every screen with game elements, I chose a calm, spacious UI where characters and interactive moments provide personality.

The visual hierarchy separates setup, gameplay and results. Neutral surfaces carry the interface; blue marks actions and selections, while player colours belong to competitive feedback.

Early exploration moved from plain typing-test layouts toward pixel-art character moments supported by a more structured mobile interface.

The starting point was my own experience practising French and Spanish vocabulary through typing. The learning intent is repeated exposure to words and their spelling: choose a language, set the challenge and practise a short word sequence. Difficulty, time and word settings let the player adjust the session before play.

The UI separates the word area from game feedback so the language task remains visible. A result screen reports typing speed. That measures typing performance; vocabulary recall needs a separate check, such as recalling a word’s meaning after the session.

The next learning iteration would pair errors with the correct spelling and translation, then offer another attempt at missed words. Difficulty would need to reflect vocabulary familiarity as well as typing challenge. These are proposed learning mechanics to test.

I considered a level map with monster progression, but participants found the progression confusing and distracting from language practice. I chose a simpler solo route alongside multiplayer. The tradeoff was less progression spectacle in exchange for a clearer reason to enter each mode.

Early interface: simple language and mode entry.

First typing layout: functional but visually generic.

I also considered keeping typing and game animation separate. In testing, participants expected their input to affect the action, so I moved toward immediate gameplay responses to typing. This made the relationship between input and feedback explicit; the word area still needed to remain readable while the game responded.

Core screen flow: choose a mode, configure the challenge, type and review the result.

The reusable patterns emerged across this flow: selectable options, focused task areas, supporting navigation and result feedback.

The screen sequence carries the visual language from onboarding to configuration, typing and results. Repeated control treatments establish familiarity before the player reaches the timed challenge.

Mode selection — segmented Solo and Multiplayer control.

Configuration — repeatable difficulty, time and word-selection states.

Typing challenge — gameplay artwork and an uninterrupted text area.

Setup decisions happen before the session, leaving the word area as the main focus during play. Results sit in a separate view so the player can review performance without interrupting the typing flow.

Session result with words-per-minute feedback.

Account entry — standard form controls within the same visual language.

Learn the Lingo attracted 143 pre-launch sign-ups. I also shared the project on Reddit, where it received early engagement. The available record does not establish the collection period, total landing-page traffic or channel attribution, so I treat the count as an expression of interest.

What I would validate next

Test whether players understand corrections, can recall word meanings after practice, and can distinguish feedback without relying on colour. A keyboard and screen-reader review of an implementation would complement the contrast corrections documented above.

This project strengthened my approach to interface design: establish a visual language, reuse interaction conventions, and make the most important on-screen action obvious.