Service Design, Branding, Interaction Design
Mysa: Connecting Language Communities
Fall 2017
THE PROBLEM:Those who study a language in high school or college often have few avenues for building proficiency outside of the classroom, causing them to lose many of the skills they once had due to lack of practice. This can be frustrating for those who are passionate learners of their target language and value the perspective and knowledge gained from their previous studies.
RESEARCH QUESTION:How can we connect language learners with native speakers in their community to practice and maintain their skills beyond the classroom?
COLLABORATORS:NICOLE FERREIRA, JACK RATTERREE, + ANINA VAN DER VORSTResearch + Discovery
My team and I conducted extensive research around second language acquisition, identifying a couple of key insights that directly informed the design of the service and its brand:
By learning through speaking, one retains more, improves faster, and becomes more comfortable and confident in their skills.
Language itself is a cultural artifact. This means that by learning a language, one gains a new cultural perspective. This is especially true when speaking to someone who is a representative of that culture (a native speaker.)
User Personas + Journey Mapping
Following thorough secondary research, we developed a wide range of user personas to understand the diverse motivations for seeking out language-learning opportunities.
Conceptual Development
Through extensive brainstorming, sketching, and concept mapping, we began to develop ideas for the design of a service called Mysa, a platform for connecting language communities across multiple touchpoints.
Design System
Our design system was framed around a system of interaction with touchpoints across platforms and mediums. It includes an app, website, brand, physical space, events, and various promotional materials.
With 7 personas and scenarios, we designed with the consideration of a wide variety of potential users and their needs. This manifested itself as an overarching theme of customization and personalization in the touchpoints.
