Our Motivation
Embedded Files
Problem:
When it comes to the complexities of language, such as similar words/phrases, people view it as as an obstacle they must overcome in daily conversations. Existing language learning apps lack the engagement and real-time interaction necessary for effective skill development.
Why would you use this app?
Our app enhances speech therapy by tailoring exercises for individual language improvement, such as articulation and diction, offering timely feedback for noticeable progress. Additionally, users can socialize and network through live competitions, promoting connections for enhanced language learning. Improved pronunciation boosts confidence in social interactions, facilitating effective communication in various contexts.
Social Setting
In Don't Get It Twisted:
Scenario:
A group of friends can challenge each other to a game of live tongue twisters
Allows people to:
Have fun
Appreciate the complexities, similar phrases, and confusions in linguistics
User Research
Survey:
We conducted an online survey to understand more about the struggles people have faced in learning different languages
Recruited 25 participants; targeted language learners, gamers, and competitive people
Asked questions about language proficiency, history with language apps, speech impediments, and interest in using a tongue twister app
Findings:
60% participants are comfortable conversing in 2 languages
44% participants have trouble pronouncing words in their own language
44% participants have used a game app (e.g. Duolingo) to improve their language skills
88% participants have never participated in any language-related challenges or competitions before
60% participants have participated in live streams as viewers, while 40% have not.
96% participants believe that improving pronunciation skills can positively impact their confidence in social settings.
Competitive Analysis:
We conducted a competitive analysis on different language-learning platforms
Duolingo is a popular language-learning app where users can either learn a new language or sharpen their skills on a language they already know. While the platform allows users to learn languages at their own pace and go through proficiency levels, it does not promote social engagement. We want to create a novel concept that creates a feeling of community through interacting with others in the form of tongue twister duels.
Memrise is an online platform that allows users to learn a variety of different languages through the use of flashcards, lessons, and videos. While users are able to listen to how words are pronounced, the platform lacks the option to practice speaking the words. We want to explore a way where users can practice their pronunciation along with hearing how the words sound.
Design Process
Design Goal:
According to our research, we found that all of the competitive apps lack real-time engagement and instead focus on self-paced learning exercises.
Our team will design an app that provides an engaging platform for users and a more effective way to improve their pronunciation skills on mobile learning. It also will aim to help users meet new people by offering real-time (live) involvements through tongue twister competitions.
The First Prototype
Overview:
For our first prototype, we used an existing platform called Discord and piggybacked on it using Discord bots to simulate the experience.
ChatGPT bot
ChatGPT bot
Generates random, unique tongue twisters based on user’s request. Anyone in the channel can see the generated tongue twister.
Global Timer bot
Global Timer bot
Allows users to set a timer that would provide people with a time constraint when it comes to reciting tongue twisters.
Scripty Transcription bot
Scripty Transcription bot
Transcribes audio in call to text. Can be used to determine the accuracy and compare the actual tongue twister phrase with the transcribed audio
We assigned participants three different roles. The first is the Gamemaster, who is in charge of keeping track of points, generating the timer, and generating tongue twisters. The second is the Player, who will read off tongue twisters when it is their turn in a specific time frame generated by the Gamemaster. There were 5 players in this prototype. The rest of the participants will be the Audience, who will spectate and vote on who had the most accurate tongue twister overall.
Feedback:
We created and distributed an online survey to gain feedback for the first iteration of our prototype.
Scale from 1 through 10 on Experience
(1 = not enjoyable & 10 = enjoyable)
Scale from 1 through 10 on Experience
(1 = not enjoyable & 10 = enjoyable)
Out of the 13 collected responses, 9 out of the 13 rated the experience to being 6 or higher, whereas the remaining gave the rating of below a 6.
Scale from 1 through 10 on Difficulty
(1 = not difficult & 10 = very difficult)
Scale from 1 through 10 on Difficulty
(1 = not difficult & 10 = very difficult)
Out of the 13 collected responses, 9 out of 13 rated the tongue twisters to being very difficult, whereas the remaining rated the tongue twisters as relatively easy.
Out of the 13 collected responses, about 92.3% of the responses favored the concept of live tongue twister duels being engaging.
Out of the 13 collected responses, about 61.5% of the responses found the technical aspect of the prototype to be a potential problem.
Out of the 13 collected responses, about 0.08% of the responses found that the voting was not fair, as they felt the tongue twisters were of different difficulty.
Out of the 13 collected responses, the features that 30.7% of the responses would like to see in our final prototype were simple - clear instructions, as our instructions were too difficult to follow along.
From the feedback survey, we can infer that tongue twister duels can be engaging, but as long as it is not too difficult for the users to follow along and understand. Trying to use an overload of tech and entrusting difficult tasks on one individual was what seems to hold our first prototype back.
The Second Prototype
What We Changed:
For our second prototype, we switched the set up to be more quick and engaging by creating a real-life tongue twisting competition.
After receiving feedback from the first round of prototyping, we eliminated the Discord aspect, as it did not work well. The tasks assigned to the Gamemaster were hard to follow and the use of voice calls was unnecessary in a live setting. We instead created an in-person competition where four players would go through three rounds reading the presented tongue twister. At the end of each round, the audience will vote through the platform Slido for the best attempt at the tongue twisters and at the very end an overall winner will be chosen based on the votes.
We also created a poll on Slido to simulate AI feedback. The audience can provide players with comments on how to say the tongue twisters better at the end of the game.
Feedback:
We created and distributed an online survey to gain feedback for the second iteration of our prototype.
Scale from 1 through 10 on Experience
(1 = not enjoyable & 10 = enjoyable)
Scale from 1 through 10 on Experience
(1 = not enjoyable & 10 = enjoyable)
Out of the 14 collected responses, all 14 rated the experience to being 7 or higher.
Scale from 1 through 10 on Difficulty
(1 = not difficult & 10 = very difficult)
Scale from 1 through 10 on Difficulty
(1 = not difficult & 10 = very difficult)
Out of the 14 collected responses, 10 out of 14 rated the tongue twisters to being very difficult, whereas the remaining rated the tongue twisters as relatively easy.
All respondents saw an improvement with this new prototype.
All respondents saw an improvement with this new prototype.
Features that respondents enjoyed:
In-person format preferred over Discord
Found public speaking portion entertaining
The absence of technology made it easier to follow
Slido
Voting feature every round
Anonymous audience feedback
Increasing difficulty of tongue twisters
Features that respondents didn't enjoyed:
Players couldn't see the limit limit while saying their tongue twisters
Desire for more customizable characters and custom tongue twisters
Improvement suggestions:
Immediate feedback after each round instead after all rounds
Focus on accuracy versus speed
Players should not be in the room together, since the last player would have more time to practice
Summary
Version I
Version I
Problems:
Technical Related Difficulties:
Discord Bot not working well
Tasks given to game master was too difficult.
Unnecessary voice calls.
Version II
Version II
Problems:
Issues of copyright
Version III
Version III
Final Prototype
Wireframes
Sign Up & Home Feed
Once users sign up, select a username, and choose a profile picture, they are able to see a “tongue twister of the day” that they can attempt and share. The user is able to see video attempts from other users of the app. The homepage showcases the top three players.
Game Feed
Users can compete in tongue twister games with up to four people.
They have the option to play by themselves to receive game feedback that helps them improve their pronunciation.
A timer is presented that shows how long a player has to cite their tongue twister. The results of each round are determined by spectator votes and generated feedback. Color-codes signify a player’s turn. Feedback is presented to players during the game
Each round becomes more difficult (easy -> hard)
Game Feed (cont.)
In spectate mode, users have the option to watch live tongue twister games and comment on them
Only the spectators are able to vote for the best player in each round
The vote appears after each round is over (e.g. Round 1: Easy, Round 2: Medium).
Sudden Death
Sudden Death round occurs if there is a tie between players. Similar to Week 10’s prototype, the player will receive points for winning the game. The points will be added and shown on their profile.
Profile & Leaderboard
Users can view a leaderboard and have a profile that displays their tongue twister attempts and favorite tongue twisters.
Reflection and Learning
From conceptualization to in-person tongue twister competition, our project journey taught us significant lessons in user engagement and iterative design. We first tried to incorporate our idea into Discord, but we ended up changing our direction to analog prototyping due to technological difficulties and user feedback. Shifting to in-person provided clarity and real-world interactions. Slido's voting and feedback features improved audience participation and offered helpful insight.
Important takeaways include recognizing the important feedback, prioritizing accuracy over speed, upholding equity in competitive settings, and adopting user-centered design concepts. Design is the process of creating experiences that are intuitive, enjoyable, and effective in achieving user objectives. In the future, we are committed to refining our approach and utilizing design methodologies to create successful language learning experiences.
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