Ideation
Exploring Concepts
After generating 40 concepts exploring different user flows and form factors, we affinitized them around themes, allowing the team to evaluate groups of ideas against our design principles.
Standout ideas: an interactive textbook, a shared memory journal, and a smart conversation log leveraging everyday conversations for learning.
Synthesizing Ideas
I facilitated a downselection workshop, leading the team to align on components from different concepts tha best address our design principles. These elements became the building blocks of our final design.
Final Concept
Our final design is an interactive memory log that enables learners to capture conversations, add real-time timestamps, and later review and study the language within the context of those authentic interactions.
I created these concept sketches for internal crit sessions.
User Flow
Sequencing the Interactions
I translated the chosen concept into a detailed user flow diagram. The primary challenge was that our idea spans multiple touchpoints—from capturing conversations to enabling both short, flexible study sessions and longer, more structured ones. Each touchpoint required a distinct interface, making it crucial to ensure seamless navigation across various devices.
Wireframing
Prototyping the Interactions
Given the multiple touchpoints across different devices, I collaborated with another designer to wireframe the interactions. I designed the prioritized mobile interactions to support short, flexible study sessions while allowing users to transition back to more structured study formats. This prototype would be used for concept testing with a group of recruited users.
Storyboarding
Contextualizing the Experience
Following the low-fidelity prototypes, we created a storyboard to bring the interfaces into real-life settings. The storyboard served two purposes:
1. Communicate the envisioned experience with the product to users during concept testing, and second
2. Align our team internally, ensuring our decisions remained centered around the users.
Concept Testing
Getting Feedback From Users
After developing the storyboard, we conducted five 1-hour concept test sessions to assess the overall desirability and effectiveness, identify barriers in user flows, and uncover areas for improvement. We sought feedback on how the prototype made participants feel and whether they believed it could support language learning and deepen their connection with their partner.
Feedback A: Disconnection Between Main Features
Participants appreciated the short, flexible learning experience supported by learning cards but found the user flows to be somewhat disconnected. They questioned how users would navigate between timestamped moments, full chat logs, and learning cards. Additionally, they wanted the ability to highlight and convert selected content into learning cards.
Update A.1: Segmented Control
I reorganized the core learning features into a segmented control within the main conversation view. This allows for simple navigation between different study modes.
Update A.2: Memory Card Backtracking
In the memory card interface, I added options for users to navigate back to the full list of cards or directly to the chatlog moment where the word was used.
Update A.3: Custom Memory Cards
In the full chat log or at any timestamped moment, I added a highlight feature for users to add specific vocabulary or cultural concepts to their collection of memory cards.
Feedback B: Consent and Recording Concerns
There was noticeable discomfort regarding the recording feature. Participants desired a more articulate process for managing consent, including clearer options for opting out and understanding how opting out would impact the recording and overall functionality.
Update B.1: Clarified Consent Process
We adjusted the consent prompt for clearer communication with conversation participants. Individuals who have previously granted consent will not need to do so again but can still opt out of the recording, even after the conversation has ended.
Update B.2: Future-Facing Infrastructure
We clarified the consent process such that the memory capturing feature now leverages Bluetooth Low Energy to detect nearby individuals and Voice Separation technology to isolate specific voices. We envision a protocol built into all personal devices, allowing people to manage their consent status for all digital applications.
