Lingobuddy: Learn new languages. Anytime. Anywhere.
Lingobuddy: Learn new languages. Anytime. Anywhere.
An AI-powered immersive language learning platform offering personalized, gamified experiences for diverse learners
MY ROLE
UX Designer
TEAM
Akanksha N. | Esther C. | Junming Y. | Rutuja P.
STAKEHOLDERS
University College Dublin, IE
PRODUCT
EdTech Mobile Application (B2C)
TIMELINE
12 weeks
CONTRIBUTIONS
Design Lead | Secondary Research, Ideation, Lo & Hi-fidelity Prototypes, User Experience, Visual Design, Storyboarding
* the challenge
* the challenge
In a world where the pace of change demands constant adaptation, individuals must continuously upgrade their skill sets to remain relevant. However, traditional education systems often struggle to equip learners with practical, non-cognitive, and socio-emotional skills essential for real-world success. This gap is especially critical when viewed through the lens of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4, which advocates for inclusive, equitable, and quality education. While global institutions like UNICEF and the World Bank emphasize a more holistic approach to learning, many educational platforms fail to deliver personalized and engaging experiences that support lifelong learning.
HOW MIGHT WE
bridge the gap between traditional education and real-world skill development by creating engaging, personalized learning experiences that equip diverse learners with practical life skills?
* the proposed intervention
* the proposed intervention
Lingobuddy aims to address this challenge by offering an immersive, AI-powered language learning application that promotes life skills through gamification and personalization - empowering diverse learners to grow beyond conventional academic pathways.
Jump to SEE THE FINAL DESIGN
* the impact
* the impact
The impacts of Lingobuddy can be categorized into educational, cognitive, emotional, technological, and societal dimensions.
01
cognitive and skill development Impact
enhances cognitive flexibility, memory, and creativity, especially through multilingual exposure
helps build practical, non-cognitive, and socio-emotional skills
encourages continuous skill upgradation
02
bridges the gap in conversational language practice
supports self-paced and personalized learning tailored to individual proficiency, goals, and preferences
facilitates real-world application of language skills through immersive learning
03
Provides a judgement-free environment
reduces fear, anxiety, and assessment pressure associated with language learning
builds learner motivation through gamification, rewards, and positive reinforcement
measurable CEFR-aligned progress and real-time feedback
* the design process
* the design process
The Double Diamond framework was employed to structure the design process, enabling primary and secondary research, the identification of meaningful intervention opportunities, the development of diverse conceptual directions, and the formulation of an evidence-based design solution for subsequent evaluation.
Feb 2024
Activity
Interpreting the brief & UN SDG:04
Identifying opportunities
Ideate
Secondary Research
10+10 design funnel
Competitor Analysis
DIVERGING
CONVERGING
Discovering the right thing
Discover
Define
Requirements Gathering
Design Development & Implementation
Insights
Iterate
Approach
Evaluate
DIVERGING
CONVERGING
Designing the thing right
Develop
Deliver
Apr 2024
* discover
* discover
delayering UN SDG 04: Quality Education
The intersection of establishing and expanding life skills beyond the already acquired skills through traditional educational frameworks aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 04: Quality Education. The goal places itself within the pedagogy that education liberates an individual and is fundamental for the prosperity of a healthy society [10], whilst acquiring ‘skills’ is a common characteristic of quality education [6]. By ensuring an inclusive and equitable, quality education, it promotes life-long learning opportunities for all demographics (08+ years).
relevance of life-long learning and UN SDG 04
DIVERGING | generating diverse concepts that address the challenge
We interpreted the UN SDG: Quality Education, recognizing diverse meanings of education based on varied backgrounds. We identified the need to redefine education beyond traditional school settings, noting stagnant learning methods and the lack of essential life skills taught in schools. By utilizing the 10 + 10 design funnel method for brainstorming, interpretations for disseminating life skills were developed, although some had limitations for independent development.
understanding life skills within the context of the project
ideas generated from the brainstorming session
conVERGING | Identifying recurring themes
Three main themes from the sketches described above were identified to reduce the number of design concepts even further. The recurring themes have been explained below.
Diverging and converging to generate and filter vivid ideas helped the team visualize different aspects of education and learning.
01
Immersive AI Language Practice
02
Social Learning Exchange
03
Duolingo for life skills
recurring themes identified from the brainstorming session
* define
* define
converging | Identifying the most promising idea
The concept of ‘Immersive AI language practice tool’ was found to be the most promising. It proves to have the highest potential of all as it truly re-imagines the process of learning a new language. It allows the user to holistically engage with the language, and understand its nuances. With a strong emphasis on providing an accessible and user-centered interface, the platform aims to provide a personalized foreign language-learning experience. By immersing the user in simulated real-life scenarios, the interface would establish trust and efficacy and assist the user in overcoming their fears and anxiety around learning a foreign language.
Bilinguals and/or multilinguals have been documented to have higher cognitive flexibility, creativity and better semantic memory as compared to monolinguals.
establishing trust
+
+
overcoming fear
simulating real-life scenarios
overarching features for the proposed solution
diverging | Generating ideas to realise the chosen design concept
As the concept of ‘Immersive AI language practice tool’ was found to be the most promising, it was explored by adopting the process of diverging to generate different ways of realizing the concept.
overarching features for the proposed solution
current competitors
Given evolving technologies, platforms like Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone are popular for learning new languages. Mobile learning offers flexible functionality regardless of location. Mobile learning offers flexible functionality regardless of location. Duolingo, a gamified language app, had over 83 million active users in 2022. These platforms promote autonomous learning by providing accessible study materials and incentives. However, exercises often become repetitive and contribute poorly to productive skills like writing and speaking. While convenient for beginners, they do not fully realize digital game-based learning's potential or prepare users for fluent conversation, lacking peer interaction and advanced learning.
Cultural & contextual learning
Native speaker input
Immersive simulation
Adaptive learning
Personalised learning paths
DUOLINGO
BABBEL
MEMRISE
HELLO TALK
overarching features for the proposed solution
* develop
* develop
requirements gathering
Different generations learn different languages and thus, the means of production of language also vary. It is crucial to cater to the needs of all the user groups and provide a holistic, measurable and cognitively stimulating learning environment through the design of the proposed interface. With this dynamic user group, the proposed interface is determined to provide an immersive and user-centric experience.
Parallelly, it draws inspiration from the existing gamified mobile applications by curating elements tailored to the user's needs. Mobile platforms can also be utilized to customize the user experience easily, as compared to other forms of interfaces.
age group
MOTIVATIONS
PREFERRED OUTCOMES
18-22 (Young Adults)
Career opportunities
Education and study abroad,
Travel and exploration
Personal development
Social engagement
Entertainment/leisure
Fast-paced gamified learning
Rewards
Motivation and engagement
Social/peer- based learning
Story-based learning
35-50 (Middle-aged)
Professional advancement
Travel or relocation
Leisure
Family, heritage
Bite-sized, on-the-go learning
Goal oriented
Progress tracking
Practical applications
Positive reinforcements
60+ (OLDER LEARNERS)
Travel, leisure
Staying active and engaged
Maintaining curiosity and lifelong learning
Simple, user-friendly interface
Slow-paced learning with repetition to achieve proficiency
Gamified learning
03 PRIMARY USER DEMOGRAPHICS
primary user demographics
peer surveys
The process of learning a new language is a new and exciting experience that might give rise to various emotions and complexities. Through our primary understanding of the challenges that may arise from this process, an online peer survey was conducted. The survey findings reiterated the need for an enhanced interface for non-native speakers to engage with.
WORKSHOP AIM
to establish the users’ current ways of engaging with a new language and their perceived barriers and level of participation
PEER SURVEYS
online peer survey (Google Forms)
METHOD
mixed-methods approach
PARTICIPANTS
15 responses recorded from(amongst students of COMP41710 - HCI module
02
diverse motivations for language learning
some citing "just for fun" (50%) and others seeking to support their education and professional needs
emphasizes the range of reasons chosen by individuals to learn languages and the importance of catering to various interests and goals, from casual learning to professional advancement
03
user feedback
broad range of effectiveness ratings
definite need for more personalized practice opportunities with relevant topics to enhance their conversational fluency
04
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
need for tools and resources within mobile applications
assist with real-world applications such as being able to understand a movie in its original (native) language
05
elaborate practice opportunities
similar trends of preferences for elaborate practice opportunities were observed amongst non-app users
highlights inclination towards using a mobile application for self-paced language learning that provides customization, real-life scenarios, reminders and progress tracking
user personas
user personas
Key elements to be integrated into the intervention
motivation strategies
personalised learning
judgement free zone
gamified learning
measurable progress
peer learning
flexible learning
immersive environments
approaches identified and adopted for the proposed solution
growing AI technologies and gamification
The integration of AI (artificial intelligence) within learning environments is driven by the aim of facilitating seamless language learning within virtual environments. AI-based instructions offer personalized and adaptive learning opportunities in a receptive, judgement-free environment. As opposed to a physical classroom where time and resources are limited, the combination of AI with learning offers the user instantaneous feedback to practice continuously until satisfied and pose queries for feedback to improve, along with the opportunity to practice and improve their proficiency. The alignment of AI technological advances with educational needs provides insights for both developers and educators.
The incorporation of gamification strategies within educational platforms significantly enhances the engagement and motivation of learners. Elements such as scoring systems, competitive progress, personal progress levels, energy boosters facilitate an enjoyable experience while also retaining the learner's interest and encouraging a deeper exploration of content. While current AI tools like GPT 4.0 assist in language learning, they typically lack a focus on improving pronunciation and fluency. This indicates that it is crucial to design language learning platforms that focus on these factors.
* deliver
* deliver
While many students struggle with foreign language fluency due to a lack of personalized conversation practice, Lingobuddy is an AI-powered mobile app using gamification to immerse users in tailored conversational practice. and interests, providing feedback aligned with the CEFR proficiency scale. Gamified elements motivate users, while personalized learning paths ensure focused practice. This affordable solution complements classroom learning, helping users overcome anxiety and achieve fluency.
using the widely used layout in gaming app designs - with a side and top navigation bar and a central content area thus, borrowing from exiting systems and not reinventing the wheel
distinct features in the side and top navigation bar, displaying correct information in the expected location such as - the side nav bar includes the scoreboard, challenges and profile options, while the top nav bar displays the users' score, gives instant access to the dictionary based on their language of learning and an AI-assistant for quick help
iteration with lists for the content in the main content display area
iteration with cards for the content in the main content display area
prototype developed for Lingobuddy
* evaluate
* evaluate
To get better insights on the usability of our design, we conducted a heuristic evaluation to determine which features should be included or enhanced. The evaluation includes strengths, improvements and severity level (0-4) of the issue for each principle as illustrated below.
side menus make it easy to switch across different sections & access to main features
can include accessibility options & other shortcuts
UI has a clean and aesthetically pleasing design, focuses on readability by reducing clutter
clear labels & icons help users recognise without the need for recall
can include breadcrumbs
evaluation_interface for daily and weekly challenges
progress bars indicate task completion and provide feedback
speech recognition provides real-time feedback helping users correct their pronunciation
provides feedback during tasks to prevent errors during on-going lessons
include confirmation dialogues to avoid losing progress
transliterations make it easier to understand the pronunciation
utilise universally accepted icons & include cultural notes or tips to match user’s own experiences
evaluation_interface for daily challenges
* future works
* future works
The use of VR creates immersive learning scenarios that replicate real-world settings, allowing learners to apply language skills in context. This direct application helps solidify language acquisition and enhances the relevance of the learning material. Personalized learning paths, enabled by AI, adjust in real time to the learner’s progress and specific needs, ensuring optimal challenge levels and preventing frustration or boredom. These are the key features that make an ego drive. AI and VR also support real-time error correction and scenario-based practice, enhancing usability by providing immediate assistance and contextual learning. These features help learners master complex concepts more efficiently.
* reflections
* reflections
Redesigning the HCI@UCD website was an opportunity to create a meaningful impact within the academic and research communication space. This project challenged me to apply UX thinking to an EdTech/academic platform while working within real-world constraints, such as technical limitations, stakeholder expectations, and content-heavy structures. Through close collaboration with the research group, I focused on improving usability, discoverability, and public engagement - ensuring that the website not only communicates the group’s work clearly, but also supports strategic goals such as partnership building and student outreach.
This process helped me translate the group’s values and multidisciplinary identity into a structured, modern, and scalable design system. It was a chance to advocate for clarity, accessibility, and intentional visual storytelling - turning a static site into a more engaging, functional, and human-centered experience.
learnings
01
diverse backgrounds = an enriching opportunity for collaborative learning
As each team member was from a different cultural background, we were able to find similarities in our own experiences through using language learning platforms. This realisation enriched and informed our ideation processes.
02
playing to each team members’ strengths for an optimized result
Understanding what each team member excelled in, encouraged us to consider small details contributing to the overall effectiveness of the proposed design. As an individual who aspires to be involved in all aspects of the process in order to maximise my learning, I made sure I heavily contributed to the brainstorming, design thinking and evolution processes of the interface.
limitations
01
speech recognition limitations
The design currently lacks fully developed pronunciation and fluency features and may struggle with accents, mispronunciations, or regional variations, limiting the quality of feedback for learners.
02
limited data from user testing
The user survey and testing were based on a student cohort, which is not representative of a diverse user base. Insights drawn may not reflect the full spectrum of potential users, especially working professionals and elderly learners.
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Updated May 2025.
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