CASE STUDY
TRAVELER�PHRASEBOOK
Travelers need a faster, more effective way to communicate with a language barrier while traveling in order to stay safe and reach their goals.
To create an app that allows users to enter and view key phrases quickly while on-the-go to communicate effectively and politely.
Excel�Figma
UX Designer
The Problem
The Solution
My Role
My Tools
PROJECT OVERVIEW
USER RESEARCH
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
To understand the user's thought process when communicating with locals
To discover what tools travelers use to overcome language barriers
To explore cultural differences that travelers experience when communicating
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METHODOLOGY
User Interviews
USER INSIGHTS
10%
30%
40%
AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
10%
30%
40%
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
Travel Destinations
Cultural Differences
Social Standards
Communication Strategies
Challenges in Specific Situations
Safety Concerns
Preparation
Translation Tools
Learning Tools
I want to feel safe and avoid dangerous situations when communicating with locals.
I want to navigate language barriers in fast-paced situations or crowded environments.
I want to prepare by memorizing common phrases without relying on technology.
I want offline access to online translation tools to help communicate in unfamiliar languages.
I want to use a language learning tool, but would prefer one that is useful and practical.
I typically choose destinations where I feel comfortable with the language, and avoid destinations where communication is difficult.
I want to understand what different cultures consider formal and appropriate in their specific language and gestures.
I want to avoid embarrassing or offensive conversations that would result from mistakes or misunderstandings in a foreign country.
I want to use simple, polite phrases and gestures to communicate effectively.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Strengths
Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
DEFINITION & IDEATION
“Traveling is my way of stepping outside my comfort zone”
EMMA THOMPSON
Age: 32
Work: Marketing Manager
Family: Single
Location: New York, NY
Goals
Emma is a marketing manager at a mid-sized tech company in New York. This job requires international travel for client meetings and conference. Her job gives vacation time and encourages traveling for leisure. Emma loves experiencing the culture of new countries, but isn't well versed in different languages. She speaks fluent English and a few Spanish phrases.
Frustrations
Tech Habits
"A great photo tells a story words never could."
CARLOS MONTERO
Age: 34
Work: Freelance Photographer
Family: Married, two children
Location: Austin, TX
Goals
Carlos is a freelance photographer who specializes in travel and lifestyle photography. He spends much of his time traveling internationally for assignments and personal projects, often accompanied by his family. While Carlos loves new cultures, he often struggles with language barriers, especially when traveling to countries where English or Spanish (his native language) isn’t widely spoken. This makes his job a challenge.
Frustrations
Tech Habits
BRAINSTORMING
I LIKE…
I WISH…
WHAT IF…
The app can be used offline.
I have quick access to polite phrases.
The app categorizes phrases by situation.
I had the option to save and bookmark my favorite phrases.
The app provides cultural insights for certain phrases.
There was a punctuation guide for each phrase.
You could search for phrases by keyword.
You could favorite your most-used phrases
You could enable alerts for important phrases based on your location.
There was an option for AI-generated phrases based on category.
The app has a text-to-speech button for each phrase.
The app can teach you common phrases you may need while traveling.
The app included a feature to scan text using the camera.
Users could practice phrases using simple quizzes or games?
The app offered real-time translations for conversations.
The app provided a community forum for travelers to share experiences.
The app offered real-time translations for conversations.
The app allowed users to customize their phrasebook based on their travel itinerary.
Jace’s Picks
STORYBOARD
Emma is Planning a Trip
Emma Arrives in Japan
Emma Struggles to Communicate
Emma Discovers a New App
Emma Gains Confidence
Emma Has a Memorable Trip
Emma is excited for her trip to Japan, but she is anxious about encountering language barriers while trying to interact with locals.
Upon arriving at the airport, she immediately encounters language barriers and panic starts to set in. She cannot understand the signs or the employees.
While at a local restaurant, Emma struggles to order in Japanese. She fumbles with the translation app on her phone, leading to further confusion and frustration.
Seeing that Emma is struggling, another traveler reaches out and introduces Emma to a new app, showing her its offline capabilities and easy navigation. Emma downloads the app.
With her new app, Emma quickly finds and uses polite phrases to communicate with Japanese locals. She feels empowered and confident with the ability to engage in polite conversation and navigate her surroundings.
By the end of her trip, her new app has helped her overcome language barriers and allows her to connect more deeply with the culture and the locals. She leaves with great memories and a newfound confidence for the future.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Travelers often struggle with language barriers, leading to miscommunication, delays, and anxiety in unfamiliar environments. Existing tools can be slow or unreliable, especially when internet access is limited, making it difficult to communicate effectively in real-time.
USER INSIGHT STATEMENT
Users expressed frustration with the slow and tedious nature of current translation tools, emphasizing the need for quick access to essential phrases, especially in time-sensitive situations or when offline.
Many travelers also voiced concerns about unintentionally being impolite or miscommunicating due to a lack of cultural context.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Enable travelers to confidently communicate across language barriers with offline access to essential phrases, cultural insights, and quick navigation—all in the palm of your hand.
CONCEPT TO CREATION
USER FLOW
Finding and Creating a Phrase or Folder
A user starts at the main screen, and can either add a new folder, or open an existing folder.
If they open an existing folder, they can view their phrases and even add new ones.
USER FLOW
Downloading and Using Phrases Offline
Old
New
I decided to go a different route for my wireframes after creating my user flow, so I redesigned this one.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Outfit Bold
Outfit Medium
Outfit Regular
Outfit Light
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WIREFRAMES
Low-Fidelity
Rough sketches of what I wanted the app to look like
My low-fidelity wireframes gave me a loose reference of the structure and composition of my app.
I started with simple ideas of the folders page (originally the main page), the phrases page inside the folder, the process of adding a folder, and the design of the app while offline mode was turned on.
WIREFRAMES
Splash Page
Phrasebook
Splash Screen
Your Languages
App Tile
WIREFRAMES
Settings
Turn on Offline Mode
Downloading a Language Pack
WIREFRAMES
Phrase Folders
Add a Folder
WIREFRAMES
Phrases
Add a Phrase
WIREFRAMES
Offline Mode
Spanish
Offline Language Pack
French
Offline Language Pack
PROTOTYPE
Add a Phrase or Folder
Add a Folder
Add a Phrase
Add a Phrase
Add a Folder
PROTOTYPE
Offline Mode
Turn on Offline Mode
Folder Screen in Offline Mode
Download Language Pack
METHODOLOGY
User Tests
Prompts
USER TESTING
Tor
Jace
Cat
USER TESTING
Incorporating Feedback
FINAL THOUGHTS
Challenges
Moving Forward
My Phrasebook was intended to provide travelers need a faster, more effective way to communicate with a language barrier while traveling, and I believe that my design accomplished that goal.
Successes
There was a lot of great feedback I got that I didn’t have enough time to implement.
I would have loved to add some more animations to the design for a more engaging experience.