01
Context beats structure
People learn best when language shows up in a context they understand, not when the curriculum says it's time.
Role
Product strategy, UX, mobile app build
Stack
Expo, React Native, Node.js, Supabase, OpenAI
Validation
16-user cohort + expert ESL feedback
Codebase
~12,300 lines across mobile and backend
01 · THE WIDE PROBLEM
Billions try. Few feel fluent.
More than two billion people are learning a second or third language, but many still struggle to use it confidently in real moments.
“I can read the words, but when it's time to talk, my head goes blank.”
“Duolingo taught me to say - I'm a tired doctor.
When would I ever say that?”
Popular apps studied
Insights
02
Safety builds fluency
Fluency grows from comfort, not perfection. Fear of embarrassment was the single most repeated blocker.
03
Meaning travels through culture
Culture is inseparable from language. Apps teach correctness; people crave meaning.
04
Immersion, not lessons
Living where the language is spoken · Conversing regularly with native speakers · Integrating the language into daily routines · Watching shows in the target language
02 · THE IDEA SPACE
Turning research into nine ideas
The research gave us three bets to test: practice should come from real context, content should be personally meaningful, and speaking should feel safe before it feels polished.
Direction 01
How might we make practice come from a learner's real world?
The strongest learning moments came from context learners already understood: the places they moved through, the media they consumed, and the routines they repeated.
01
Browser-to-lesson companion
turn everyday browsing into short lessons, which became the LangLearn prototype
02
Environment immersion
make café chatter, signs, and videos feel like practice material, later explored through Verba
03
Scenario rehearsal
let learners practice real situations like ordering food or making calls before they happen
Direction 02
How might we teach through content people already care about?
Learners did not want more abstract drills. They wanted language attached to culture, interests, and stories that made the words worth remembering.
01
Story capsules
small lessons around idioms, humor, and customs from media learners already watch
02
Word lens
show how one word changes meaning across articles, videos, and everyday contexts
03
Interest-based feed
let learners choose topics first, which became the backbone of SpeakEasy's article feed
Direction 03
How might we make speaking practice feel low-stakes but real?
Almost every learner described the same gap: they could recognize words, but froze when they had to speak. The product needed rehearsal without embarrassment.
01
Wearable companion
surface small prompts during real-world moments, an early path we chose not to pursue
02
Voice AI buddy
natural conversation with gentle feedback, first tested in Verba and later carried into SpeakEasy
03
Article discussion
turn something the learner just read into a focused spoken conversation
03 · TWO PROTOTYPES
LangLearn and Verba, built and tested
Concept A
LangLearn
micro-immersive daily learningA Chrome extension that pulls real vocabulary and phrases from your everyday browsing, then turns them into personalized lessons on mobile.
explore prototype →
Concept B
Verba
an AR language companionAR smart-glasses that see what you see and chat with you about it in your target language, like a friend beside you, then compile learning materials from your day.
explore prototype →
04 · THE PIVOT
Meet the 4%
After testing LangLearn and Verba, the direction got clearer. People liked practice that came from things they already consumed, but the product had to live somewhere familiar, private, and easy to return to.
What the prototypes taught us
Real content worked
Users responded to practice built around articles, videos, and daily browsing because it already had context.
Mobile felt more reachable
The browser extension felt useful but too heavy. People expected learning to fit into phone-sized moments.
AR was too early
Verba made the interaction feel alive, but smart glasses were not something most people owned or trusted yet.
Voice practice mattered
The buddy-style conversation was the part users kept coming back to: low-stakes, personal, and close to real speaking.
Pivot
A smaller,more believablehabit.
real content+mobile feed+voice buddy
Content first, practice second, no new hardware or classroom schedule required.
05 · THE PRODUCT
A feed you learn inside
The final app became a simple learning loop: choose something worth reading, get help when stuck, then practice speaking about it.
Content feed
Interests shape the feed.
Learners start with topics they care about, so every article has context before the lesson begins.
Vocabulary support
Help stays in the moment.
A tap brings up pronunciation and native-language meaning without leaving the article.
Voice discussion
Reading turns into speaking.
The AI buddy turns the article into one focused, low-stakes conversation.
System design
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