Supanida Jennings
Thai Tongue UX Case Study cover page showing the ThaiTongue logo, project title, author Supanida Jennings, and angled phone mockups of the language learning app
Problem Statement: Learning Thai is difficult for English speakers. Current language apps rarely support tones or cultural context, leaving learners without effective, tech-forward solutions.
Objectives and Goals: Make Thai accessible through structured mobile platform, and create an engaging motivating learning experience that encourages consistency
Qualitative Research: Conducted 5 interviews across beginner, heritage, and advanced learners. Key findings: tones are the biggest learning blocker, lessons need early interactivity, learners want both AI feedback and human connection.
User Needs: Accessible and tailored learning with flexible lessons, tone and pronunciation practice with structured tools, and human connection and motivation through tutors and peers
Objectives and Goals After User Research: Make tone mastery the core loop, reduce overwhelm early, clarify learning tools, and blend AI precision with human connection
Features and Functionalities to resolve user needs: A Tone Trainer powered by AI for pronunciation practice, a Lab for peer practice, and 1:1 lessons with real tutors for personal guidance
Competitor Analysis: Mainstream apps excel at streaks and engagement but Thai support and tone training are limited. Thai-supported tools offer structure but lack modern feedback-driven tone practice.
Site Map showing complete information architecture: Login, Sign up, Level selector, Home branching to Lesson, Lab, Exercise, Culture, 1/1 lesson, Profile and progress, and Secondary navigation
Sketches and Wireframes: Hand-drawn sketches for signup, tone practice, and lesson path screens alongside grayscale digital wireframes for tone comparison, feedback, and practice screens
Usability Test 1: 5 participants ages 30s-50s tested onboarding, lessons, vocabulary, and tone practice. Key insight: users found the app fun and visually engaging but onboarding and lessons were text-heavy. The tone trainer was the strongest feature.
Major Screens: Annotated Home Screen showing secondary navigation, search bar, lesson navigation path, and main navigation. Focus Area screen with sliders for listening, speaking, writing, and reading focus levels.Annotated screens: Focus Topic with interactive bubble selection, Answer Feedback with waveform playback and pagination dots, and Practice Speaking with comparison playback, encouraging feedback, and AI-powered specific tips.
Final high-fidelity screens: Welcome, Login, Customize, Topic selection, First lesson, Tone comparison, Feedback, Lesson content, Listen and imitate, Dictionary, Home Search, Exercise, Pronunciation, Tone Recognition, and Advance matching
Next Steps: Balancing AI and Human Support with Practice Lab for peer practice, 1-on-1 Lessons from native speakers, Curriculum Research for structured progression, and Blended Approach combining AI accuracy with human empathy
Reflection: User research revealed learners value human support yet want freedom to practice independently. The project taught designing for both independence and collaboration, balancing precision with empathy.
Next Project: TiriVelo