DuoChat
A new feature for Duolingo. It connects native speakers with those learning a new language for a mutually beneficial skill exchange.
We all know that mastering conversational fluency takes more than vocabulary drills and edging your friends out of the leaderboard.
Deliverable: Hi-Fidelity Prototype
Timeline: 2 weeks
Team: 4 UX Researchers/Designers
My Role: Lead UX Researcher
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Slack
Challenge
Create a feature that allows for an immersive learning environment where the Duolingo community can master fluency and confidently hold conversations in their learned language.
Solution
Analyze user research to determine exactly which aspects needed to be prioritized for this feature build. Learners place a high value on practicing with a native speaker and skills such as pronunciation and conversational context.
Results
A feature that facilitates short conversations though transcript supported audio messages where each user will act as both the expert in their native language and the learner in their new language.
Methods for the Solution
Research the Problem Space
Screener Survey + User Interviews
Define the Problem
Affinity Mapping + Market Research + Persona
Wireframes + Usability Testing
Iterative Design
Finalized Prototype
Deliver
User Interviews and Survey Findings
Users value correct pronunciation and conversations with native speakers.
Ultimately, learners want to be conversationally fluent, there is less emphasis on reading and writing.
Learners enjoy utilizing “bite-sized” amounts of time to knock out short, easily digestible lessons.
People want to connect and communicate with those in their communities and when traveling abroad.
Language learners have difficulty connecting with others to practice.
We relied on our research to create our persona, Betty. She embodies our primary learner’s demographics, complaints, wants, needs, and aspirations. This allowed us to empathize with our users, better understand their point of view, and acted as an anchor to keep us tethered to our problem.
Bilingual Betty
Aspiring Digital Nomad
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Sales Rep
Age: 27
Demanding work schedule limits study time.
Difficult to find others to connect with to practice having real conversations.
Repetitive vocabulary words aren’t challenging enough and don’t allow her to converse to the best of her ability.
Frustrations
Motivations
Loves meeting new people and learning about them and their culture.
Wants to practice having conversations with actual people.
Become conversationally fluent with the goal of working overseas.
Goals
Improve her Spanish so she can better connect with people in her community.
Learn French so she can intimately experience the culture while traveling.
Dial in her pronunciation to sound less like a tourist.
Research showed us we needed to look to the extensive Duolingo community to offer an opportunity to converse with real people, ideally native speakers. Comprehensive market research allowed us to window shop and begin brainstorming just how that might look.
Busuu
Written and verbal exercises with native speakers.
HelloTalk
Language app mistaken for a dating app (a lesson in what not to do).
Spotify
“Pop up” style notification for highlighting and briefly explain the new feature.
Design studio time was smooth and productive after our market research. Focusing in on what our users needed allowed us to prioritize features and produce an effective MVP.
Homepage Pop-Up
Prompt Options
Waiting Room
Chat Room Ready
Chat Joined
Our team conducted several rounds of usability testing with potential users to improve user flow.
Before Testing:
Users were surprised they would be chatting with a real person.
Usability Feedback:
We needed an info page that concisely explained how the feature would work.
Before Testing:
The tooltip wasn’t clear and users weren’t sure which text bubble to hold down.
Usability Feedback:
Tooltip bubble color, wording, and CTA’s were updated to improve clarity and allow users to have more freedom.
Prototype:
Reflection
Project Highlights:
Experienced the joy and support of dynamic team based collaboration.
The value of “slowing down to speed up”, creating strong building blocks at each step before moving on.
How to manage time and deliver when working within tight deadlines.
Learned a ton about adhering to company branding.
Effective practice around feature prioritization and producing a viable MVP.
If We Had More Time/Future Plans:
Badges learners can earn.
Option to choose who you converse with, like a friend
Selecting conversation buddy level.
Incentivizing higher level learners to speak with lower level learners.
App is responsive when both learners are quiet.
AI & human moderators to keep the community safe.
Throttling users that do not value community rules.