01. Problem
Users struggle to find a translation resource that is reliable for daily activities and accurate in more than one language.
02. Research
I started with interviews, so that I could empathize with users in the specific situations this app was going to address.
I conducted interviews to find answers to the following questions:
- How does the language gap make you feel?
- What languages have you been exposed to in your lifetime?
- How do you problem solve being in a situation where you are not familiar with the language being spoken?
- At what point in translating something do you feel confident in the accuracy of the translation?
- What types of translation resources do you find most helpful?
I researched digital translation resources that were brought up in the interviews:
- Google Translate: Many languages. Often inaccurate. Relies on text and sound.
- Pleco: English and Mandarin translation only. Very accurate. Relies on text and sound.
03. Define
- Users are overwhelmed and anxious in situations where they need a translation
- Users want audio and images first; text is secondary
- Users know their translation is correct when they achieve their desired result
- Users are not always able to identify the language they need translated
- Users need translation apps to take context into account to improve accuracy
"Studying abroad, I relied on those basic phrases so much with dear life."
"Audio is always the best thing because not everyone is able to read and write…and images, but I feel like even images are super culturally dependent."
"Ordering at a bar or restaurant and then getting what you thought you ordered is the strongest indicator."
04. Ideate
Once I examined the insights, I came up with solutions to address each of those pain points/challenges.
- Users can "favorite" languages they use the most to streamline process and decrease stress
- Each translation will have audio, text, and an image.
- Since users do not know if a translation is accurate until they achieve their desired result, they will be prompted for feedback each time they complete a full translation userflow. This will give the app the feedback it needs to ensure the accuracy of its translations.
- When users do not know which language they need to translate, they can use their location services to get the most commonly spoken languages around their location.
- Translation options will be presented as a list of words/phrases, rather than having the user type in their desired word/phrase. This allows for pre-contextualization of translations that will improve accuracy.
07. Next Steps
- Interview non-native English speakers to gain more comprehensive insights.