Application Design I / Project 2: UI/UX Design Document
Natalie Chu Jing Xuan, 0354589
Application Design I, Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Table of Contents
- Module Information Booklet (MIB)
- Project 2: UI/UX Design Document
- User Research - Qualitative Interviews
- User Personas & User Journey Map
- User Flow Chart
- MVP Features
- Wireframes
- Feedbacks
- Reflection
Fig.1 Module Information Booklet (MIB)
Project 2: UI/UX Design Document
Instruction:
After locking down our App concept and idea, we are now ready to proceed to UX design. We are required to produce a comprehensive UX design document which will provide better directions for us to design the app.
Based on the information gathered in task 1, we will:
- Determine and verify our target audiences.
- Conduct research interviews
- Listing the app features and identifying the application Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
- Create wireframes for main screens
- Plan the user interaction and interactivity (Flow chart)
User Research: Qualitative Interviews
Objective
To understand user frustrations, expectations, and motivations when using the Memrise or similar app.
Target Interviewees: Young adults aged 18–34 who are currently learning a language using Memrise or similar apps. Most are casual learners or students who use mobile apps regularly and prefer flexible, self-paced learning.
Total Number of Interviewees: 5
Estimated Duration of Interviews: Approximately 20 minutes
Timeline:
- 23rd May 2025: Prepare interview questions
- 24th May 2025 - 26th May 2025: Conduct interviews
- 27th May 2025: Compile all responses
Interview Questions:
The interview questions consist of 4 sections:
- Section A: Warm Up & Context
- Section B: Learning Preferences
- Section C: App Usage
- Section D: Final Thoughts
Fig.2.1 Interview Questions
Interview Transcript:
Below is the transcript of the qualitative interviews conducted with users based on the prepared question set.
Fig.2.2 Interview Transcripts
Top Findings from Interviews:
- All interviewees prefer short, bite-sized learning sessions.
- 4 out of 5 interviewees prefer a casual learning method over formal or rigid structures.
- 4 interviewees emphasized that real-life conversational content is very important to them.
- 3 interviewees said gamification features (e.g. points, badges) help motivate and increase their interest in using the app.
- 4 interviewees felt that repetitive content is demotivating and reduces engagement.
- Losing a learning streak was mentioned by multiple interviewees as a significant source of demotivation.
User Personas & User Journey Map
To better understand the needs and behaviors of Memrise users, I created three user personas grounded in insights gathered from my qualitative interviews. These personas were developed by identifying common goals, pain points, and learning preferences expressed by the interviewees. They serve as a reference point throughout the redesign process to ensure the app improvements align with actual user expectations.
My User Personas:
- Phyllis
- Sin Jun Ming
- Yap Pei Qi
Each user persona is accompanied by their respective user journey map, which will be attached below to illustrate their experiences, emotions, and pain points throughout their interaction with their language learning app.
1. Phyllis:
Phyllis is a K-pop fan preparing for a BabyMonster concert next month. She wants to learn Korean quickly for fan chants and basic interaction but struggles with slow, irrelevant app content and limited study time.
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| Fig.3.1 Phyllis' User Persona |
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| Fig.3.2 Phyllis' User Journey Map |
2. Sin Jun Ming:
Jun Ming uses Memrise at night to study Thai, focusing on everyday vocabulary and travel-related phrases. His goal is to confidently hold conversations with relatives on future visits, especially in rural areas where English is limited.
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Fig.3.3 Sin Jun Ming's User Persona |
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| Fig.3.4 Sin Jun Ming's User Journey Map |
3. Yap Pei Qi:
Pei Qi is a Computer Science student who learns Japanese during short breaks. She aims to gain an advantage in future job hunting by being able to communicate casually with Japanese clients or colleagues.
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| Fig.3.5 Yap Pei Qi's User Persona |
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Fig.3.6 Yap Pei Qi's User Journey Map |
Redesign Ideas
For my redesign of the Memrise app, I restructured the navigation into four main pages:
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Home Page highlights the main unit pathways. Key elements like the language icon, streak counter, and XP points are also displayed here. When a user taps into a chapter, a lesson preview is shown.
- Tapping on a chapter leads to the Learning Page, where users can access lessons featuring native speaker video pronunciations and quizzes that focus on listening, speaking, and vocabulary.
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Practice Page is divided into two tabs: Daily Tasks and Revision, helping users build consistent learning habits.
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Leaderboard Page displays user rankings to promote healthy competition and engagement.
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Profile Page includes the user's profile information, a "My Words" section with categorized vocabulary, and Achievements showcasing earned badges.
Key Changes in My Redesigned Memrise App
1. MemBot beta Conversation Removed:
In the original Memrise app, the AI chatbot simulates real-world dialogue. However, based on user feedback, it felt robotic and not very engaging. Instead of keeping this feature, I focused on enhancing the lesson content itself—incorporating speaking, listening, and vocabulary tasks that are scenario-based. This approach still supports real-life conversation skills, but in a more meaningful and structured way.
2. Video Page Removed:
The original app had a separate Video Page in the navigation bar. I decided to remove this, as it felt like an isolated feature that didn’t integrate well into the learning flow. Listening activities are now built directly into the main lessons, creating a smoother and more cohesive user experience.
3. Spaced Repetition (Modified):
While repetition helps with retention, too much of it felt demotivating to users. I reworked this by adding Quick Review and Revision sections under the Practice page, allowing users to revisit content on their own terms. This lighter, user-controlled repetition improves the experience without overwhelming learners.
4. Added XP System and Daily Goals:
These elements encourage consistency and motivate users to build a learning habit. I added them in my redesign to support goal-setting and daily progress tracking, which most of my interviewees found helpful.
User Flow Chart
The user flow chart below outlines the main navigation path of a typical user when using the redesigned Memrise app, focusing on key actions from onboarding to completing a learning session.
Click HERE to view my User Flow Chart:
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| Fig.4.1 User Flow Chart |
MVP Features:
1. Native Speaker Videos
Learners watch native speakers pronounce full sentences naturally, improving listening skills, tone recognition, and authentic language use.
2. Word-to-Sentence Learning Flow
Each lesson starts with key vocabulary and transitions into a real-life sentence example, helping users understand both meaning and context.
3. XP Points & Achievement Badges
Users earn XP for completing lessons, speaking challenges, and reviews. Milestones unlock badges, encouraging daily practice and rewarding progress.
Wireframes for Main Screens
Below are the wireframes for the main screens of my redesigned Memrise app:
Fig.5.1 Wireframes for Main Screens
Submission
Canva Slides
Click HERE to view my Task 2: UI/UX Document Canva Slides:
Fig.6.1 UI/UX Document Canva Slides
FigJam
Click HERE to view my FigJam board:
Fig.6.2 FigJam board
Feedbacks
Week 5: Progress check on Project 1 – Proposal submitted.
Week 6: User Personas completed. Feedback highlighted the need to clearly emphasize key points and strengthen each persona’s scenario with more specific motivations for using the app.
Week 7: Refined User Personas were approved.
Week 9: User Journey Map completed. Advised to make opportunity areas more specific and actionable.
Week 10: Refined User Journey Map was approved.
Week 11: Absent.
Reflection
Redesigning the Memrise app challenged me to think critically about what truly makes a language learning experience effective, engaging, and user-friendly. I realized that simply copying existing features wasn't enough. I had to evaluate which elements to keep, which to improve, and which to remove based on real user needs.
Through the qualitative interviews, I got to hear real thoughts from users: what keeps them engaged, what annoys them, and what makes them quit. Many mentioned that short, casual learning sessions worked best for their busy schedules, and several talked about how real-life conversational content felt more useful than textbook-style lessons. Some even shared how losing a streak made them feel discouraged, which was something I hadn’t considered deeply before.
This part of the process really taught me the value of listening. Instead of designing from assumptions, I learned to slow down, ask the right questions, and build the app around what users actually need and feel. I now see user research not as a checklist item, but as the foundation for every good design choice that comes after.
This task pushed me to consider not just UI design, but also user psychology, pedagogy, and retention. It taught me how to balance creativity with practicality, and to always design with clarity, consistency, and the learner in mind.
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