Improving language learning and retention through a new feature, DuoCenter.
Duolingo
Context.
Duolingo is today’s most popular language-learning app offering free, bite-sized gamified lessons to over 30 languages. I was tasked with seamlessly adding a feature to an existing product. Through my own personal experience of using Duolingo and user research, I
Added a feature to Duolingo to improve language learning and retention.
DURATION 3 weeks, Aug - Sept. ‘22
TOOLS Figma, Illustrator, Maze
TEAM Individual
DISCIPLINE UI/UX Designer
FIELD RESEARCH
My first thought was to check Reddit to see if anyone had similar sentiments and thoughts about Duolingo and the user experience.
I uncovered two problems. There was a strong demand for (1) better ways to review and retain the learned material, (2) and a desire to interact within the platform.
OVERVIEW
In my attempt to learn Portuguese on my own, I downloaded Duolingo and got hooked. The more I used Duolingo the more I began to think, “I wish it had…”
If I truly wanted to review and retain what I had learned I had to turn to other resources. I also had to turn elsewhere to learn grammar. I began to wonder if others wished features existed geared towards learning grammar and reviewing better?
The Problems.
Duolingos’ short form content promotes learning, however, the app could improve how users review and retain the learned material.
Additionally, with Duolingo’s removal of the Forum feature, existing users are discontent with the lack of community on the platform.
The Solution.
DuoCenter
An all encompassing review and practice hub for Duo usersHouses three different features each tackling a unique learning aspect: DuoDictionary, DuoFlash, & DuoGrammar
DuoDictionary
An enhanced wordbank where users can save words and review them in one of two ways - Flashcards or review by Exercise.Practice, learn and memorize all vocabulary taught in Duolingo lessons
View a word’s definition, hear pronunciation, and read the word in a sentence example.
Review words by difficulty level, filter, and select or create vocab cards to review
DuoFlash and DuoGrammar
DuoFlash allows users of the same level, learning the same language, to interact with each other through fun, timed ‘duels’ that simultaneously help users review in one specific area.
DuoGrammar is the spot where users can learn and practice the grammar taught in each unit to promote better learning.
Research.
THE OBJECTIVES
Based on the initial field research from Reddit, I had three objectives for further research:
Learn how users review and reinforce learned language material
Understand people’s needs, motivations, and frustrations when learning a language, in general and through Duolingo
Lastly, identify what Duolingo users currently like, dislike and desire out of the app and user interaction
THE LANGUAGE LEARNING APP MARKET
I compared some of the most popular language apps on the market and compared both the user experience and available features.
Duolingo has a competitive advantage in that it has some of the most fun and engaging exercises; it’s also the only free platform.
SURVEY RESPONSES
To get direct input from users and attain a larger sample size, I sent out surveys to Duolingo users and language learners in general to gather insights as to how people learn a language, their practice methods, motivations for learning, amongst other topics.
For the Duolingo user survey, I took advantage in asking people what is missing in their Duolingo experience that could make practicing or retaining the language better, and overall, what they would improve.
Most apps currently have similar features such as lesson reviews and word banks that Duolingo lacks.
THE DUO PERSONA
Meet Nick. He is a curious and lifelong learner. Like most Duolingo users, he is motivated to learn a new language for travel and pleasure. He has tried out several language learning apps, but prefers Duolingo for its unique and fun features.
Nick wishes to find a way to interact with other language learners. He also desires accessible, fun ways to learn grammar and retain everything he’s learned.
OVERALL FINDINGS
Users need 3 things in a new feature:
Interaction with others
Duolingo’s user experience is far too isolated - there are very limited ways to interact with other Duolingo users, and learning is enhanced when being able to put language into practice with others.
Grammar lessons
Grammar is one of the most difficult aspects to learn. Duolingo lacks a grammar feature that most language learning apps have.
A way to review vocab/lessons better
Participants have to use other resources for learning and reviewing vocabulary/lessons. Most language apps offer some sort of word bank, while Duolingo only offers a basic list of words on desktop.
Ideating.
THE CHALLENGES
Before starting to brainstorm ideas, there were a few challenges I was mindful of tackling:
Successfully following Duolingo's brand guidelines to create a feature that would seamlessly fit with existing app
Creating a feature that meets users’ needs through an avenue that has not yet been explored by Duolingo
Lastly, creating an interactive feature that people of all ages, including children, can safely use. Duolingo removed the Forum feature for a reason and I knew having an interactive feature, for instance, would not result in the best or safest user experience for all.
BRAINSTORMING
Our hypotheses were right. Duolingo users and language learners in general are looking for better ways to review and retain what they’ve learned. They also want to be able to interact, for pleasure and practice.
So, what kind of feature could tackle these distinct problems?
SKETCHING THE CONCEPT
After I came up with a concept for a new feature that would tackle all three problems, I created low fidelity sketches for the new concept and its three sub features. I sketched keeping in mind that this new feature had to seamlessly fit with the existing Duolingo app product.
At this point I had a clear understanding of what users wanted and what some of the problems in creating a new feature might be. All I needed was a solution that bridged the gap between what I already knew about Duolingo and the needs and opportunities identified in the research phase. I began by jotting down what I knew to be true:
I knew that Duolingo’s competitive advantage and differentiator is that it gamifies most of its features and lessons. That’s what the app is all about!
I also knew that of the 3 problems I identified, two needed to be newly introduced to the product: grammar and an interaction aspect. The problem of needing a better way to review vocabulary and lessons simply needed to be improved.
Then, I thought back to the goal for this new feature and realised that if the purpose for this new feature is to improve reviewing and retention, the seemingly three distinct problems identified earlier, could in fact be tackled through one all-encompassing feature. Through this simple exercise a lightbulb went off -
Why not create a gamified review feature that allows for interaction with other Duolingo users?
MAPPING OUT THE USER EXPERIENCE
Once I was happy with my low-fidelity sketches, I created a user flow to get a better sense of the user experience. My thought was that
the three subfeatures should all be accessed through the DuoCenter.
Creating separate features would further bloat the product, and secondly, these would all be reviewing tools so they should all be found in the same place.
I also thought - DuoDictionary should be its separate tool, and so should DuoGrammar. To incorporate the interactive aspect into all of this, and connect both subfeatures, DuoFlash was born - a gamified subfeature where users could interact and review anything they’ve learned!
and so,
The DuoCenter feature was born
A learning center within Duolingo featuring three unique review options: DuoDictionary, DuoGrammar and DuoFlash.
DuoDictionary
Why DuoDictionary?
Born from mine and others’ desire for an easier way to memorize, practice and learn all vocabulary taught in Duolingo lessons.
A basic wordbank exists only on the desktop version, but doesn’t have word definitions, pronounciation, or examples.
Most Duolingo users report having to write down vocabulary or turn to other online sources for vocabulary learning - which is inconvenient and not as useful.
Features
Dictionary
Users can view a word’s definition, hear pronounciation, and can read the word in an example sentence. Users can also review words by difficulty level, filter, and select cards to review
Adding Words
Rather than just seeing a word’s definition upon tapping, users can now add any words directly to the DuoDictionary while going through lessons.
Flashcard Review
Users can either review vocab using Flashcards or through a regular exercise
DuoFlash
Why DuoFlash?
Duolingo has no place for user interaction beside sending friend requests. A Forum used to exist, but for security reasons was removed. Market research and user research shows that Duolingo users desire interaction with others and strongly believe doing so would improve their learning and user experience.
Duolingo doesn’t let users choose how they want to learn.
Features
Users can choose what they want to review
Users can choose what they want to practice - writing, speaking, grammar, or a mix of all.
Users can interact with each other
Users can choose to challenge a friend or a random opponent at their same level - this non-conversational way of interacting is safe and keeps healthy competition at a boundary. This game may unconsciously motivate users to review and learn material better.
DuoGrammar
Why DuoGrammar?
Duolingo can leverage its position in the market by offering grammar lessons as only two language learning apps currently offer it; there is also a big desire for a comprehensive grammar tool, with an emphasis for conjugation tables and practice.
Big demand from language learners and Duolingo users alike for grammar lessons and practice exercises; most state it is very difficult to learn grammar through an online platform.
Features
Emphasis on Conjugation
User interviews and market analysis showed a huge demand for grammar lessons, particularly on conjugation. Since Duolingo’s Guidebook feature is soon to be released, I wanted the DuoGrammar feature to focus on the not-often-taught subject — conjugating.
Users can review via DuoFlash or by themselves
THE OBJECTIVES
I wanted to examine the user interaction of the new Duolingo feature, and users' ability to complete 2 user flow tasks in the high-fidelity prototype, including:
Understanding whether the new feature integrates well with the Duolingo app, and understanding whether users can intuitively navigate and use the new feature
Understanding the potential impact, if any, of the new feature on reviewing and retaining learned language material through Duolingo
Determine whether users understand the purpose behind the new feature and sub features
Identify any pain points, opportunities, or needs in the design of the new feature
Testing.
THE FINDINGS
There were 6 participants for the usability testing. All were able to complete both tasks successfully, except for one who could not complete the first task due to getting stuck with navigation.
Overall Successes
The DuoCenter feature and its subfeatures were really enjoyed, particularly the DuoDictionary and its Flashcard component. Most said it would be something they’d love to see implemented, and that could improve their learning.
On a scale of 1 to 5 for how useful this feature would be for learning and retaining information, participants gave an average score of 4.5
The interactive aspect through DuoFlash was well received and most said it was a fun approach to changing Duolingo’s usual “individualised/isolated user experience.”
Overall Pain Points and Suggestions
Navigation - A few participants had a hard time knowing what to do after the popup overlay appeared - shortening the time of the popup overlay or adding an Exit button to it might be clearer for users
Font size - Check and fix font size in the Grammar review pages
Consider adding difficulty levels to the DuoFlash feature
Move the DuoCenter icon to the bottom navigation menu or elsewhere - some participants couldn’t find it
PROTOTYPE REVISIONS
Fixing Navigation Problem
I shortened the popup overlay time and the time of disappearance from the point of tapping on the screen. This would clarify that it is a popup and make navigation more seamless.
Revised text size on Grammar screen
I double checked that font size on the Grammar and other screens complied with both accessibility standards and Duolingo’s style guide. There was one minor fix, the rest was fine.
This project was very fun and rewarding to complete. As a Duolingo user myself, one challenge I had was removing my own biases and opinions from the project. I wanted to start the project running as I already had ideas for what features I personally wanted to see implemented within the app. I had to regroup a few times in the initial phase of the project to focus on the fact that I am designing for others.
Very quickly on in the project, Duolingo publicly announced the release of a new update with a remodeled home screen and a new feature: the guidebook. The DuoCenter feature is a similar concept, so determining whether it could coexist with the new update was a blocker at first and pushed me to analyze how I could leverage research findings to create something more unique and still helpful.
If I had more time I would love to conduct another round of usability test with more Duolingo users for further insights into what could be improved. Additionally, I would love to refine the DuoFlash game to include more animations.
Reflecting.
TRY THE PROTOTYPE ↓
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