Beo
Roles
UX UI
Research
Product Design
Team
Solo design
Group build
Thesis Capstone turned app development project
Process
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Researched why Irish is in decline.
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Conducted user interviews to assess how people feel about the language.
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Created rapid prototypes based on adjacent industry audits.
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Tested prototypes in low and mid fidelity to work out my idea.
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Created a functional high-fi prototype in Figma
- Currently building the app with an engineer and seeking funding.
This project could have a major impact in fighting against the disappearance of the Irish language.
Niamh Reilly, Irish Teacher
Exposing people to the beauty of a language without putting pressure on them to learn it could get more people interested in it.
Sydney Blain, Retired Head of DCU College for Primary Education
The Product
Words
The user can listen to and attempt to pronounce the daily wd. They then earn a card of the word that gets added to their collection. They can save the word to specific playlists.
Streaks
The user can see their success visualised on a calendar on the home page. They can click each image to see the card they earned that day.
Daily
The user can swipe through the daily content. This includes a word of the day, a historical story of the day and a myth from Irish culture.
The Process
- Why is Irish dying?
- Is there interest in preserving Irish?
- What would be lost if we let Irish die?
Ireland invaded by England in 1171 and ban the use of the Irish language in 1541.
In 1921 the Irish Free State was declared. Irish became the national language but at this point, the majority of Ireland couldn’t speak it.
Meta Insights:
A few years after school, interest
in learning the language returns.
How might we?
How might we encourage Irish adults to re-engage with the Irish language?
Findings:
- Too complex
- Already exist in other forms
- Focus on the words and sparking appreciation.
Combine Concepts
Users wanted both words, history and culture daily
Gamify
Levels, themes, badges, streaks. How do you get the user to come back?
Levels or Community?
Is it like Duolingo where you build levels? Or like Wordle where you participate collectively?
Personalize
Could there be a lexicon of words? Playlists? Monthly themes? Build a puzzle as they achieve more words?
“This project could have an impact in the fight to keep Irish alive. We just need interest.” Niamh Reilly
“I studied this language for 14 years and I have NEVER heard of these words. I think I was oblivious to the depth of this language.”
Serena Pedlow
“I would definitely use this. I would love to learn more about the mystical Irish words its so magical.”Jordan Brislane
- Initial user research interviews immensely helpful in understanding different relationships to Irish.
- Low-fi prototyping stage allowed me to work
out all my bad ideas.
- Learned more about the complexity and beauty of Irish
Challenges
- Initially struggled to find a solution to get people to appreciate a language instead
of learning it.
- Over complicated my concept in the beginning and had to pare back to main mission statement.
Accomplishments
- Learned best practices and research methodologies in product design that will inform my process.
- Created a project that could grow outside of the academic environment and I have hopes that it will be successful in the real world.
Currently in the process of building this app with the help of an Irish language (Eve) expert and an Engineer friend (Abhishek). We are seeking funding from the Department of the Gaeltacht and the Irish Times
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