Hello! My name is Sarah Collinson and I’m a user experience designer based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I am excited about being a part of what lies ahead in terms of developing apps and other technologies that have yet to be built. Technology is continuously developing and improving at a quick pace, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of producing what was previously thought to be impossible.
Outside of work I love trying new coffee shops and restaurants, spending time with friends and family and travelling to new places (to try new coffee shops and restaurants).
Chameleon is a language learning App for IOS and Android with the main goal of helping users learn to speak and understand the local lingo of a language, helping them to blend into the locals and give them more confidence to immerse themselves in the culture.
The application contains features comparable to other language-learning apps, however, it also has unique elements that set it apart, such as allowing users to select the categories they are interested in learning. Users can, for example, focus on travel language and phrases if they are planning a holiday, or on professional vocabulary if they are travelling for work.
Chameleon was an essential product for me to design as I enjoy travelling and usually try to learn the basics of the language before going on holiday to show respect to the locals and immerse myself as much as possible in their culture.
In addition, learning a second language provides numerous benefits, including improved cognitive capacities, stronger communication skills, increased employment options, easier travel and cultural interaction, and even a delay in the beginning stages of age-related mental decline.
Current apps on the market do not offer users the freedom to learn the vocabulary of their choice, EG. Travel or work-related vocabulary, causing users to lose interest quickly as they have no way to access the vocabulary they need when travelling. For users to feel comfortable speaking and understanding the language they choose, it was important to me to design a product that offers users the freedom to learn what they want through a range of games, classes, and conversational practice.
A massive part of Chameleon’s Journey has been the research. With so many language-learning apps already on the market, it was essential to conduct market research on all of Chameleon’s competitors to find the gaps in the market. Once these were established, I also conducted multiple user interviews with a varying age range to discover what features my target audience would want and not want within Chameleon. This was extremely beneficial to Chameleon’s journey as I went into the design process confident in knowing what features my audience wanted.
The goal for Chameleon was always to ensure users of all ages and skill levels would be able to enjoy Chameleon, whether to learn the basics of a new language or further their fluency in a language they are familiar with. I decided to focus on individuals travelling to a new country, whether it be travelling to continue their studies or travelling for work and want to speak to people as freely as they would be able to speak to someone in their native language. Although my target audience is a wide age range, having category options allows the users to choose what topics they want to learn to best fit their needs and interests.
Overall, I’m extremely proud of Chameleon. Throughout this project, I’ve learned a lot of new skills that I’ll be able to apply in my future work as a designer. I’ve explored and conquered new technologies that I previously lacked confidence in, allowing me to develop confidence in myself as a designer. My design decisions have evolved significantly throughout this process, from the beginning of the project to what it looks like today. This is all thanks to my competitor analysis, user testing to discover what my target audience likes to consume, and trial and error wireframes to identify what works well and what my screens’ flaws are. I have also learnt better time management throughout this year between the balance of UI and UX aspects of Chameleon. The research part of designing is just as vital, if not more, than the actual design part as a designer can only create a good product if it fits their target audience’s needs and wants.
