WordBuddy

Human-Center AI Design Project

Timeline: 12 Weeks / Jun-Aug 2024

Role: UX/UI Design

Tools: Wordpress, Figma, FigJam, Canva

Team: Marisol Guel & Rakshita Kota

I collaborated with two teammates to design an AI-driven app aimed at helping elementary ESL students improve their English language skills. We identified a need for a more personalized and engaging tool to support young learners, as many ESL students struggle with confidence in their abilities.

Overview

The increasing number of elementary ESL students has created a need for tailored educational support. ESL students often struggle with language barriers, which can impact their confidence and academic performance.

Problem

  • Customized language support: Adjusts to each student’s learning style and pace.

  • Interactive, real-time feedback: Helps improve vocabulary, grammar, and cultural understanding.

  • Gaming creative fun

  • Utilizing the HAX Toolkit, a resource designed to help create AI-powered experiences that are ethical, transparent, and user-centric.

Solution

Research and Comparative Analysis

ESL student numbers are growing (4.6M in 2011 to 5.3M in 2022)

  • National Center for Education Statistics 2022)

AI technology enhances the engagement of ESL learners by addressing their specific linguistic challenges in real-time

  • Baharuddin and Nasir

  • Wilson College

  • Armin

This analysis helped us identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to differentiate our app in the market, particularly in supporting ESL students.

Ideation Phase

Iteration & Feedback

The feedback we received emphasized creating something innovative and personalized for each student, as well as clearly defining the core features of the product. Therefore, we focused on three main features:

  1. Interactive Story Mode

  2. Interactive Reading Comprehension Support

  3. Personalized Progress Tracking

Persona

Storyboard

User Flow

Style Guide and Character Design

Low-Fidelity Prototype

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User Evaluation

We interviewed 3 ESL students and one of them was a 9-year-old boy. He loved the "Create Stories" section on our prototype, which allows the user to create their own plot. He suggested adding more content, such as typing exercises, different story genres, and improving the visuals of the AI-generated stories. Additionally, he stated, “I think this would help me a lot at home!”

Interviewee 1

  • A 9 year old boy in 3rd grade, whose first language is Nepali.

“ I like how I get to make my own story! I’m going to make a hamster go to space.”

Interviewee 2

  • A 6 year old girl in 1st grade, whose first langue is Spanish

“ I want my character to be a super girl!”

Interviewee 3

  • A 8 year old boy in 3rd grade, whose first language is Urdu.

“ I wish there was a game I can play on here.”

Homepage

Story & Quiz

AI: Create a Story

Results & Progress Board

I really enjoyed the process of building this project. As a former ESL student, creating something to help others feel confident in their learning was especially fulfilling. It was also interesting to explore how to incorporate AI and to research the most efficient ways to develop it as a team.

If we were to further develop this project, our next steps would be:

  • Conduct more user research to align the app with their learning needs and preferences.

  • Word Dictionary: Integrate a feature for easy vocabulary access and review.

  • Gamification: Add a point system so users can use them to win a prize.