STARLANG VIRTUAL REALITY INTERFACE DESIGN
Immersing users by using virtual reality to learn a foreign language.
TIMELINE
Jan. - Apr. 2024
ROLE
UX Designer, UX Researcher, Digital Illustrator
STRATEGIES
Goal Directed Design (GDD)
TOOLS
Figma, Procreate
Exploratory Lesson Section
Problem
Learning languages isn’t as simple as you think.
Instead of practicing in conversation, the current level of foreign language acquisition has placed a strong emphasis on picking up the language's basics. The way that people acquire languages more effectively through listening to and engaging in conversations is not taken into account by current products or services.
Solution
Moving Language Learning to the Immersive World of Virtual Reality.
StarLang seeks to improve language learning by turning its user interface into a virtual reality experience that immerses users in authentic foreign environments and allows them to engage with avatars who speak the language fluently.
The Method
Our team used the process of Goal-Directed Design (GDD), which was created by Alan Cooper. We used this method to understand our user’s goals, needs, pain-points, and motivations.
GDD Flow Chart
Problem Discovery
Can VR make the experience more real for users?
StarLang was created for an academic assignment for my senior capstone class. Our team therefore pretended to be stakeholders in order to mimic a formal Kickoff Meeting. After careful examination, we discovered that while a lot of young adults utilize language applications, more regular use is necessary for them to experience a noticeable progress in their objectives and routines.
Problem Statement
The current state of foreign language learning has focused primarily on learning basic language fundamentals rather than practicing in conversation. Existing products/services fail to address how people learn languages better by listening and participating in conversations.
Our product/service will address this gap by providing a realistic experience of learning languages by showing users a realistic person to talk to in a foreign setting.
Literature Review
VR can be a useful tool for education.
Literature reviews are important since they give us additional knowledge about the field in which a product is used. The product's vision and niche are defined with the aid of academic source synthesis and whitepaper study. Our group concentrated on studying concepts related to procrastination, accountability, and goal setting.
Foreign language learning needs to be immersive.
In order to encourage active learning and interaction between the user and the system, VR/AR effectively creates an immersive experience. Additionally, virtual reality (VR) fills in a gap in the ways of learning, particularly with regard to language learning.
Understanding culture is essential to learning a language.
It is best to learn the language by moving to a country where it is spoken, although financial constraints may prevent this. For people unable to move, virtual reality (VR) provides an accessible and immersive substitute that expedites language acquisition.
Competitive Analysis
Basic language learning is the main emphasis of the majority of other apps.
During our competitive audit, we examined seven popular language-learning applications, noting their advantages, disadvantages, and user reviews. As particular competitors, our team looked at and evaluated Duolingo, Babbel, Rosetta Stone, Itaki, and a few other apps. We then documented our findings.
Research Goals:
Explore why the apps were so popular
Identify likes and dislikes of each software
Find weaknesses within each software
Find ways to make StarLang stand out
Findings:
Mobile and computer platforms are most common
Virtual and augmented reality are emerging alternatives for language learning
Find weaknesses within each software
Find ways to make StarLang stand out
User Interviews
“Learning in a class setting is boring.”
We collectively developed a persona hypothesis prior to the interview in an effort to identify a StarLang user archetype. We selected our interview subjects, who were all mid-20s working professionals or college students, after developing our persona theory. We focused on how participants manage their lives and how they enjoy learning languages when we questioned them about their experiences as working professionals or college students.
Virtual User Interview
Affinity Mapping
What are the similarities based on our interviews?
We examined reoccurring topics from our user interviews after questioning five individuals. Common patterns surfaced despite a range of experiences and levels of motivation. Most wanted interactive grammar lessons with a straightforward, user-friendly design. Though doubts over the effectiveness of VR, there was interest in culturally immersive learning as well.
Affinity Map Interview Session #3
Persona Creation
Combining all of our findings.
In order to create user goals, we consolidated our data and looked for common patterns. Through this process, Olive Oyle, our Persona, was created.
Frameworks Phase
Lofi- Prototype Creation
We started by creating a simple wireframe as we worked through our concepts, then we refined it into a high-fidelity version. Taking into account the intricate parts of our software, the first low-fidelity wireframe helped us map out the functionality and layout.
We described the low-fidelity wireframe using our context scenario and needs as a guide. But based on our analysis of the requirements list, several features that were judged unnecessary were left out of the wireframe.
User Flow
How will the users navigate through the interface?
We gave top priority to determining the principal scenario, which represents the most frequently anticipated user trip, when adding validation and alternate user paths to StarLang.
Refinement
Hi-Fidelity Prototype Creation
Having gathered feedback and comments from our usability test participants, we were able to finalize our prototype. Also, we were interested in figuring out how to make several lesson kinds for users who might have diverse needs from StarLang.
Basic Lessons
We wanted to include lessons that provide basic language knowledge such as sentence structure, the alphabet, pronunciation of words, and more.
Quick Lessons
When users need to quickly pick up a few conversational words, they may easily access these lessons with their brief situations.
Exploratory Lessons
This lesson contains immersing the user in a virtual environment to learn vocabulary words, history, and culture.
Components
My Digital Illustrations
I designed a few iterations of Mr. Darling, the mascot for our app.
After our app was complete, I created a logo for it as well, which I believe complements the straightforward aesthetic we wanted for it.
Style Guide
Reflection
Things we could’ve done differently:
Conduct longer usability tests and include more test users for thorough assessment of Athena's configuration.
Plan team meetings in a more organized manner to improve communication and collaboration.
Consider Different End Users for usability testing.
Learnings:
User research is crucial.
Prototyping helps in visualizing the product.
Design process should be iterative.
Collaboration is key.
Attention to feedback is important.
Flexibility is essential.