Problem
When arriving in a new country, immigrants often struggle to integrate and feel like they belong. Although there are language-learning apps such as Duolingo, they only solve a small part of the problem and are not enough to help people communicate confidently or navigate everyday life. Despite France having one of the largest immigrant populations in Europe, there is no single solution that helps newcomers with all aspects of integration.
Result
I designed a unique app that addresses the full range of immigrants’ needs and provides a complete solution to help them go from lost to local.
My role
Worked as Founder and Product Designer to prepare the prototype for an MVP.
Responsabilities:
Conduct market research and analyze existing solutions.
Define product requirements and write the product specifications.
Design the application's information architecture and user flows.
Create the first interactive prototype and conduct user testing.
Develop the final high-fidelity prototype ready for development.
Year
2024-2025
Duration
1 year
Tags
UX Design
UI Design
Branding
Mobile
B2C
EdTech
Marketing
Process
Market research
Competitors analysis
Analyzed existing apps and online services for immigrants, including indirect competitors such as language-learning apps, to define the most valuable features for the product.
Design, technology, and sociological research
Researched design trends for inspiration, explored technical feasibility and development constraints for product features, reviewed legal requirements for voice recognition, and analyzed immigration statistics.
Functionality Definition
Workshops
Analyzed existing apps and online services for immigrants, including indirect competitors such as language-learning apps, to define the most valuable features for the product.
Specifications
Five core user needs were translated into the application's key features:
Personalized Dictionary
A context-aware dictionary that learns from the user's daily environment and generates personalized flashcards to reinforce vocabulary through spaced repetition.Grammar Lessons
Practical grammar lessons designed to help users communicate confidently in real-life situations.Interactive City Map
A gamified map featuring hidden places and local points of interest that users can unlock by exploring the city.Community Events
User-created events that encourage newcomers to meet people.Administrative & Legal Guide
A practical guide covering immigration procedures, administrative tasks, and essential information for everyday life in France.
Product Architecture
Map
Taskflows
User Journey
Branding
Colors & Fonts
First Version & User Tests
Qualitative user testing
onducted user interviews and usability testing with participants in both French and English.
Quantitative user testing
Collected quantitative feedback using a User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), measuring key dimensions such as attractiveness, perspicuity (ease of use), efficiency, dependability (control), stimulation, and novelty.
Improvement example
The interviews revealed several insights shared by the majority of participants. One of the main issues was the navigation system, which users found inconvenient. Instead of navigating through a menu, they preferred a single home screen displaying all key features, with a persistent button allowing them to return to this page from anywhere in the app.
Product
Main Page
Displays all the application's core features on a single screen, serving as the main home screen.
Flashcards
The environment recognition feature creates a personalized dictionary based on what the user hears in their daily life. The user learns through constant repetition.
Socializing
Each user can create events and join those organized by others to meet fellow foreigners and build their own social circle while living abroad.
City map
A gamified city map with suggested landmarks and famous sites that the user must visit to unlock.
Practical guide
A collection of articles on essential topics — from administrative tasks to education and apartment rentals.