DuoSings (Thrive 2023)
Enhance language fluency (particularly B1-2 speaking) through a hands-free experience in the Duolingo learning app. Designed for learning, not to ship.
Enhance language fluency (particularly B1-2 speaking) through a hands-free experience in the Duolingo learning app. Designed for learning, not to ship.
Overview
Concept: Design a hands-free, audio-guided singing experience in the learning app.
Solution: Developed "duo sings," a side quest to teach learners how to sing a familiar song in Spanish.
DELIVERABLES
Working prototype
Presentation + deck
ROLE
Product Designer
Summer 2023 Thrive Internship
TIMELINE
Summer 2023
TOOLS
Figma
Google Slides
Key Learnings
1. Scope is so so so important
Karaoke was initially a small part of a larger Hands-free Hub. With guidance from mentors, the project was scoped down to focus on the karaoke feature.
2. Scaffolding reduces cognitive load!
Karaoke can be demanding for learners. Scaffolding content helped reduce cognitive load and improve the learner experience.
3. Leverage existing design work
Learned that it's okay to be inspired by other designers' work at Duolingo, as the design process is highly collaborative.
Methods
Visual App Map
Goals
Understand what makes screens engaging
Know the purpose of each screen
Identify opportunities for success and improvement
Key Learnings
Duolingo’s design is consistent throughout the app
Duolingo has Juicy design principles: minimalist layouts, bright and rounded illustrations, interactive elements and animation, and consistent world character involvement
There exist opportunities to embed a hands-free experience in the Path and Practice Hub
Moving forward: How might we design a hands-free experience that maintains the polish and consistency of Duolingo’s style?
Feature Deep Dive
Goals
Analyze the purpose of the Speaking/Listening sessions within the Practice Hub
Explore where a new hands-free experience could fit in the learning app
Ideate possible hands-free concepts
Key Learnings
Speaking/Listening is an effective way to practice existing language skills, but it is difficult to teach new content in this format
Practice Hub exercises have low visibility, and they are difficult for users to find
Duolingo is more effective at teaching receptive skills (reading, listening)
Moving forward: How might we design a hands-free experience that aligns with the app’s existing Speaking/Listening features?
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Critiques and Iterations
Critique #1:
Identified that designs were not engaging and lacked learning structure and mechanics
Improved by seeking inspiration from other Figma files, dogfooding the music app, meeting with learning scientists and design duos, and breaking down levels into scaffolded steps
UX Research:
Discovered that learners expect patterns that align with existing designs and practices, and are intimidated by unclear session instructions
Addressed this by building world character assurance to motivate learners and simplifying mechanics
Critique #2:
Identified that scaffolded lessons needed better structure, and grading and microphone visuals required iteration
Improved by organizing scaffolded lessons to effectively teach lyrics and fixing minor design and mechanic errors
Project Takeaways
Pivoting: Prioritized the team project and flexibility over individual ideas.
Communication Strategy: Kept communication at the forefront to align priorities and execute the project effectively.
Duo-verse & Juicy: Utilized world characters and the DuoVerse, while extensively recycling illustrations to maintain a delightful experience.
Collaboration: Maintained an open mind and sought to understand one another throughout the project.