Loqi was born from my love for language learning and human connection. It introduces new language learners to an easy, pressure-free way of learning vocabulary on the go!
How can I design an app that empowers people to learn new vocabulary?
How can I design an app that empowers people to learn new vocabulary?
How can I design an app that empowers people to learn new vocabulary?
Currently, people can choose among a variety of mobile apps if they want to learn new vocabulary. For Loqi to fill an existing gap in the current market, I needed to look at what was already out there.
Users appreciate having additional visual and audio aids, not just text to memorize
Users can get frustrated when they face difficulty or unable to customize their learning
Users feel engaged with their learning when the experience is gamified
UX means designing for real people
UX means designing for real people
While competitive analysis is great, Loqi will be used by real people with real needs that need to be met. In order to best understand Loqi’s potential audience, I went directly to the source and conducted user interviews.
After hearing their concerns, pain points, and goals, I was able to introduce Loqi’s most important person!
Born from the data collected from user interviews and competitor analyses, Hana helps humanize and gives a face to Loqi’s future users. After dissecting Hana’s personality and background, I isolated user flows based on her goals and needs.
I initially started with hand drawn wireframes and mainly focused on the vocabulary and flashcard review features. Eventually, rough sketches evolved into black-and-white, low-fidelity prototypes. They gave us the skeleton we needed to build further.
Putting the designs to the test
Putting the designs to the test
Putting the designs to the test
It would be great if I nailed everything on the first try, but it turns out I had a ways to go. I needed to see if I truly considered the user, so I opened myself to feedback with usability tests. Afterwards, I refined my design more according to the feedback.
To flesh out Loqi’s visual design, I needed to establish the look and feel of Loqi. With the help of moodboards, I narrowed down the visual direction that could fully encapsulate the exciting learning environment I wanted Loqi to have.
To really capture the user’s attention, I chose a theme that evoked the feelings of a bright, vibrant classroom or a warm, lively environment. If Loqi intends to cultivate a fun and engaging learning experience, it should have a visual aesthetic that reflects that.
With the previous elements in tow, I carved out Loqi’s first high-fidelity prototype
Check out the protoype on Figma!
Check out the protoype on Figma!
Currently, the market for education apps is immense, ranging from simple flashcard apps to comprehensive, curriculum-based apps. It can be intimidating and difficult to pinpoint how Loqi could provide a solution to where many have seemed to provide their answer.
Through this project, I discovered that the answer to this challenge lies with good UX research. Because I dove so heavily into the user research, I built a sturdy foundation for the rest of the work that came after. Getting a bird's eye view of the current market and potential user base helped highlight the most important features. After hearing current pain points from users directly, I understood where I could create solutions.
So where could I go from here? Loqi isn’t done yet. I need to continue user testing with the latest design improvements to see if they really addressed the previous user feedback or if they created new issues that need tending to. I can then head into further improving and expanding the prototype which can include further assessments on user accessibility.
Ultimately, I am designing for real people not too different from my persona, Hana. They aren’t just faceless beings. However, in order to design for humans, it is imperative we include their perspectives in the designing process. User voices and stories matter and I am excited to continue listening to them and create experiences for them.
