Recall

A mobile app that empowers people to learn new vocabulary on the go.

The project.

This project formed the introductory part of my UX Design course with CareerFoundry. The goal was to design a mobile application focused on helping students learn new vocabulary whilst on the go, enabling them to confidently move forward in their field.

Duration: 3 weeks

Methods:

Interviews
Usability Testing
Wireframing
Prototyping

Tools:

Overflow
Mockup
Marvel
Zoom
Adobe Illustrator

The problem.

Users need a way to learn complex words in a visual and engaging way to retain information and sustain long term motivation.

We will know this to be true when we see users retaining complex information and consistently hitting short term goals.

The process.

I approached this project following the design thinking method – an iterative process that seeks to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to identify successful solutions.

DISCOVER

Competitive analysis

To kick off this project, I conducted a competitive analysis of existing apps to identify possible opportunities and threats. I chose to evaluate Quizlet, Remember, Vocabulary and Elevate. Below can read my analysis of each.

DEFINE

User research

To obtain a better understanding of users behaviours, motivations, and experiences towards learning I conducted three in-person interviews.

Interview quotes

“I feel frustrated when I can’t skip to my appropriate level.”

“Tracking my progress is a great way to keep me engaged and motivated.”

“Using pictures, stories and fun games are the most effective method.”

“I found some app structures hard to understand. Every time I came back I had to relearn my way around it.”

Proto persona

Following the interviews, I synthesised my findings and created a persona to better empathise with my main user group.

User flows

The next step was to develop user flows. These provided greater insight as to how our users would navigate the app to complete specific tasks, what boundaries and issues they may face along the way.

IDEATE & PROTOTYPE

Wireframing & prototyping

After having established the key user flows, I sketch out my ideas, so I could rapidly experiment with different layouts and ideas.

Lo-fi Prototype

TEST & ITERATE

User testing

SCOPE

Using the low-fi prototype, test Recall’s basic functions and Identify any potential blockers to completing tasks.

The study was moderated and done remotely using Zoom, testing the low-fidelity prototype created with Marvel.

PROCESS

METRICS

Jakob Nielsen’s error severity rating scale (0-4)

Scenario tasks

1

Get started and create an account.

You have just downloaded the Recall app and would like to get started.

2

Add new words with definitions.

You’ve just read a book and have come across a new term to add to your collection so you can memorise it later on.

3

Start learning words.

You have added a number of new words that you would like to start to learn and commit to memory.

4

Edit your goals.

You’re falling behind so you need to increase the number of words to learn per week so you can get back on track.

Design Iteration

Style guide

Primary logo

What did I learn?

This project has taught me the significant value of user research in the design process. It helps to challenge or validate initial assumptions, enabling more effective and successful solutions. I discovered that testing low-fidelity prototypes encourages more honest user feedback and helps to identify fundamental issues early on.

How was I challenged?

This was my first experience conducting user interviews. Whilst I initially prepared questions on how the user generally felt about learning new words, I discovered the importance of digging deeper and asking more focused questions that would lead to tangible design outcomes.

What next?

As this project only covered one phase of prototyping and testing, I would like to continue the process and develop high-fidelity prototypes.

I would also like to develop additional features focussing on different ways of learning, such as games and quizzes.