Bonobo

A social language learning experience powered by friendship and community support.

Overview

As an immigrant to Canada, I’ve always been curious about the challenges of learning a new language. During my senior year at Sheridan College’s Interaction Design Program, I had the opportunity to focus my skills on a project exploring ways to help people achieve success in language learning, especially given the mixed feedback surrounding online learning methods.

Roles

UX Designer

UI Designer

Visual Designer

Researcher

Tools

Figma

Notion

Google Forms

Adobe Creative Suite

Design Brief

Key Audience

1.

Individuals struggling to achieve satisfying results in asynchronous language learning environments.

2.

People interested in learning a language through social and cultural contexts.

Design Sprints

1.

Sprint 1 (3 months) was dedicated to the discovery, research, and ideation phase.

2.

Sprint 2 (3 months) focused on additional research, analysis, and design.

Problem

Around 90% of people fail to continue their second language learning in online environment.

1

Commitment Issues

Struggling to stay committed is a common obstacle, often driven by the lack of motivation and support in a solitary learning environment.

2

Isolation

The absence of meaningful connections leaves learners feeling alone, limiting their engagement and enthusiasm.

3

Absence of Social Context

Without access to real-world interactions, learners miss valuable opportunities to immerse themselves in the cultural and practical aspects of language use.

Solution

Bridging the gap between in-person and online language learning experiences.

1

Fostering Commitment

Bonobo cultivates a sense of accountability by embedding users in a supportive network of language buddies and a vibrant community, making it easier to stay committed and motivated.

2

Building Connections

By emphasizing friendship and collaboration, Bonobo transforms the isolating experience of online learning into one that thrives on meaningful relationships and shared growth.

3

Creating Real-World Context

Bonobo bridges the gap between in-person and online learning by recreating social and cultural contexts, offering learners opportunities to practice and immerse themselves in dynamic, interactive settings.

Research

Understanding the Challenges in Online Language Learning

The goal of learning a new language is often linked to personal and practical objectives. Whether it’s to boost career opportunities or to immerse oneself in a different culture, language learning is fundamentally about fostering connections with others. Yet, an important question arises: Why do people with clear goals abandon their language studies? To address the gap between user needs and the online language learning experience, the following plan was developed.

Objective

1.

Learning Preferences of the User Base

2.

Learning Motivation and Decision-Making of Learners and Educators

3.

Biases and Assumptions in Research Data

4.

Convergence Point in Research Findings

5.

Opportunities gleaned from Competitions

6.

Foundation for Design Direction

1.

Learning Preferences of the User Base

Based on results gathered from 29 respondents using Google Forms.

92%

Found quality of experience has the biggest impact on decision making process.

77%

Want social learning environment that supports more personalized learning with robust feedback.

68%

Prefer environment that supports learning through social interaction.

63%

Want emphasis on cultural aspect in language learning.

62%

Think lack of personal motivation being an obstacle for new language learning.

62%

Want to be part of decision-making process for their education.

2.

Learning Motivation and Decision-Making of Learners and Educators

Interview results based on five participants and one Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Professor from Sheridan College.

Balanced Approach

Finding the balance between convenience of online platforms and benefits of in-person social learning.

Social and Cultural Goals

Focus on achieving personalized social and cultural goals with new languages learning.

Group Dynamics

Learning in groups settings can influence people and act as positive reinforcement for motivation.

Commitment

Making a commitment and willingness to take risks is a crucial part of a learning experience.

User Agency

Include users in decision-making process for their own education process for better participation.

3.

Biases and Assumptions in Research Data

Unrealistic Expectations

Marketing and skewed public perceptions often lead people to develop expectations that don't match reality.

Favoring Convenience Over Effectiveness

Some prioritize their personal comfort, disregarding the true impact and effectiveness of educational approaches.

Overconfidence in Self-Motivation

Many believe they'll stay committed, but it can be challenging to maintain focus and dedication when learning independently.

Underestimating the Challenges of Online Learning

People often assume that online learning is easier than traditional methods, overlooking the unique difficulties it can involve.

4.

Convergence Point in Research Findings

Social Interaction

Strong recognition of social learning experiences is afforded by in-person learning.

Context-Based Learning

The social context is a crucial part of the language learning process.

Group Experience

Collective group experiences may leave a bigger impression, leading to better engagement.

5.

Opportunities gleaned from Competitions

Removing Learning Barriers

Removing artificial roadblocks designed to funnel people into monetization features, disrupting immersion and study flow.

Feedback With Contexts

Pivot away from endless repetition and provide meaningful feedback or context based error correction.

Community Over Competition

Emphasize supportive community features over aggressive gamification features prioritizing competition.

6.

Foundation for Design Direction

Community Support

Emphasize fostering long-term engagement by integrating community features that create a sense of belonging and provide ongoing support.

Social and Cultural Learning

Offer contextual insights and practical tips to promote deeper understanding and meaningful learning, moving beyond mere repetition without context.

User Flow 1
User Flow 1
Mapped content and features for a community-focused language learning platform.
User Flow 2
User Flow 2
Early ideation phase flow, adjusted later based on research and feedback.
User Journey Map
User Journey
Highlighted user actions and emotions step-by-step, identifying design gaps.
System Map
System Map
Explored technical feasibility and options for the language learning platform.
Concept Design
Concept
Prototyped feature sets and layouts, refining feasible ideas within project scope.
Mid Fidelity Design
Mid Fidelity
Iterated prototypes to showcase use cases and emphasize user emotional journeys.
Style
Style
Refined visual design using Bootstrap 5 for its customizable, robust component library.
Mascot
Mascot
Introduced “Bo,” a mascot embodying community learning, support, and growth.

Design

Building a Supportive Community

The proposed language learning platform focuses on building confidence through both individual and group activities. It integrates a strong community support system, embraces meaningful context-based learning, and effectively brings the supportive elements of in-person learning into the online environment.

Including Key User Feedback into the Final Design

Project Scope

Testers noted that the project's scope is quite broad, and some features were perceived as overly complex.

Key Feature Focus

Testers recommended narrowing the design effort to a few essential features that effectively showcase the platform's core concept.

Streamlined Information Flow

Testers emphasized optimizing the flow of information to enhance the user experience by providing clear and relevant context.

Resource Saving Functionality

Testers proposed adding a feature to allow users to save shared resources into personal collections for easy study reference.

Study Buddies with common goals

Buddies
Chat

Your buddies are just a click away—learn, support, and grow together.

Activities

Track your buddies' progress on their language-learning journey. A little positive peer pressure can work wonders as a motivator.

Personalized Approach

Lessons
Collections

Recommend user created resource collections to develop skill sets complimentary to personal goal.

Suggestions

Resource suggestions based on predetermined interests and overall lesson progression.

Language Learning Adventure

Overview
Steps

Easy to comprehend core objectives matching user needs. Simplified and meaningful gamification targeting milestone achievements.

Roadmap

Visualized progression tracking with individual lesson highlights.

Feedback with Context

Report
Summary

Customizable overview of activities with balanced feedback to aid users.

Steps

Detailed summary for each lessons with achievments and recommended resources.

Language Learning Adventure

Overview
Steps

No need to go anywhere else for help. Share resources to help each other’s language learning.

Roadmap

Save shared resources to different collections as study references. It can be shared with others just like a playlist.

Bonobo

Results

Introducing Bonobo, a Social Language Learning Experience

Bonobo brings the social interaction of in-person learning into online spaces. It encourages users to connect, collaborate, and share experiences with language partners and the wider community, creating a dynamic and supportive environment for collective growth and learning. This has been positively received for its focus on fostering meaningful connections.

Future Design Enhancements

Seamless support Integration

Incorporate mentorship and collaborative features to create a more cohesive community experience.

Refining community contributions

Create a community-driven resource database that integrates various user collections to enrich language learning experiences.