Learn Taíno App
Crafting a 94% Approved Learning Experience for an Endangered Language Through UX Research.
TLDR
Core Experience Gap
Learning Taíno felt
Confusing and Disconnected.
Research Approach
Surveys, Secondary Research, Competitor Audit of 7 language apps and Usability tests helped us understand the learner’s mindset.
30+ Taíno learners revealed trust, structure, and cultural context as core needs.
The Solutions
Lesson 1 structure for Taino language App
HIGHLIGHTS
94%
score for learning experience of Lesson 1
8/10
approval rating for Zunzun measured through user feedback collected in Maze
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Challenges in Creating an Engaging and Culturally Authentic Experience
During the previous phase, the team brainstormed home screen ideas but soon realized the need for a better understanding of the project scope before proceeding.
Initial surveys and usability testing revealed that users required a structured and engaging flow in Lesson 1 to improve comprehension and retention.
PROCESS
RESEARCH QUESTIONS IDENTIFICATION
Process
Research Workshop with cross-functional Agile team consisting of UX researchers, designers, product strategists, writers, and developers
Goals
Identify key research priorities for Phase 3
Establish usability and benchmark metrics
Define focus areas for evaluation
Align stakeholder priorities with user needs
Research Question Examples
How does the Taíno community prefer to learn?
What factors influence users to choose specialized language learning platforms over generalized ones like Duolingo?
How can we create a community-driven experience that enhances user engagement?
What type of rewards and gamification elements best motivate Taíno learners?
How important is it to incorporate history and culture alongside language learning?
RESEARCH GOALS
The Research for the Taíno Language App was designed to address specific challenges in usability, cultural alignment, and learning engagement. Our goals were guided by the following research questions:
By leveraging secondary research and user insights, we aimed to create a structured, interactive lesson flow that aligns with best practices in language learning.
Researching Taíno symbols and collaborating with Casa Areyto helped us embed cultural relevance in the app’s design, content, and mascot representation.
Testing with language learners helped identify onboarding confusion and lesson flow issues, guiding improvements for a more intuitive and engaging user experience.
METHODOLOGY SELECTION
Method 1: Surveys
To understand how different learning preferences can support the journey of relearning and reconstructing the Taíno language, we designed the survey focused on identifying user needs, preferred learning methods, and engagement motivators to inform the design of the Learn Taíno App.
Tools Used
Screening Criteria
Participant demographic
Google Forms was used to design and distribute the survey due to its accessibility and ease of data collection.
Outreach via Social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), direct email campaigns, and University language research groups.
Total Participants: 30 respondents including Taíno descent, language learners, and indigenous language advocates.
Participants identified the most effective and engaging learning methods:
Practicing through speaking
The most preferred learning approach.
Games and challenges
Interactive elements that enhance motivation.
Interaction with others
Social learning features such as community engagement and collaborative exercises.
Participants were driven by:
Seeing practical results
Applying what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios.
Setting small, achievable goals
Breaking down the learning process into manageable steps.
Earning rewards
Gamified incentives to maintain engagement.
Features like daily streaks, word-count targets, and grammar exercises with visual goal tracking.
Assessments to evaluate progress and reinforce retention.
Method 2: Secondary Research
After conducting surveys to gather direct user insights and identify key learning preferences, we recognized the need for a broader perspective to explore scientifically-backed learning techniques and indigenous language revitalization methods to enhance lesson design and engagement.
Secondary research allowed us to analyze existing studies, case studies, and expert methodologies to supplement our primary research.
Key Insights & Application to the Learn Taíno App
Lexical Sequencing & The Power of Stories → Language lessons should tell a story rather than present isolated vocabulary lists. Applying Pareto’s Principle: 20% of words should cover 80% of common conversations. Findings showed that leaderboards, daily streaks, and peer challenges significantly increase motivation and retention.
Multimodal Learning (Text + Audio + Visuals) → Incorporating audio recordings from native speakers, visual storytelling, and culturally relevant lessons enhance user engagement.
Active Recall & Spaced Repetition → Replacing multiple-choice with spoken & written recall tasks improves retention. Learners should review material at set intervals for long-term memory retention.
Cultural Integration & Community Ownership → Indigenous language platforms underscored the importance of collective participation in language preservation, reinforcing the role of peer interactions.
Implementations and impact on Design
Developed a culturally immersive learning experience with indigenous storytelling.
Created phonetic breakdown exercises for pronunciation practice.
Introduced color-coded flashcard decks to support spaced repetition.
While this research enhanced our pedagogical approach, we needed a practical comparison of engagement strategies across successful language learning applications. To benchmark best practices, we conducted a competitive audit of leading language learning platforms
Method 3: Competitive Audit
After conducting secondary research on language learning engagement and retention, we uncovered key strategies that could enhance the Learn Taíno app.
To further explore proven engagement techniques, we conducted a competitive audit of mascots in high-performing learning apps to understand how they contribute to user motivation, brand identity, and learning reinforcement
We conducted an audit of seven top-performing language learning platforms, focusing on their mascot design, role, and engagement mechanics.
Each mascot was evaluated based on:
Visual Design – How friendly, engaging, and memorable is the character?
Cultural Integration – Does the mascot reflect the identity of the app?
Role in Learning – Does the mascot actively guide, encourage, or provide feedback?
Emotional Connection – Does the mascot create a bond with the learner?
Key Design Considerations for Zunzun
A More Active & Encouraging Guide
Unlike mascots that simply exist as branding elements, Zunzun must be an active learning companion, introducing lessons, celebrating progress, and reinforcing pronunciation.
A Character Deeply Rooted in Taíno Culture
Rather than using a generic cartoon style, Zunzun’s colors, jewelry, and markings should reflect authentic Taíno symbolism. The design should respect the hummingbird’s significance in Taíno mythology.
A Motivational Yet Non-Intimidating Presence
Duolingo’s Duo the Owl is known for its persistent notifications, which can sometimes feel aggressive. Zunzun should motivate users with encouragement while maintaining a positive and pressure-free learning environment.
Story-Driven Interactions
Integrating Zunzun into storytelling elements could enhance learning. Instead of just saying “Good job,” Zunzun could share a short Taíno legend when a learner completes a milestone.
While these insights provided a strong foundation, they primarily focused on general best practices for mascot-driven learning experiences. However, to ensure Zunzún remained a culturally authentic and meaningful representation of Taíno identity, we needed to go beyond standard mascot conventions.
Method 4: Secondary Research
To deepen our understanding of Taíno cultural representation, we conducted additional secondary research on historical artifacts, traditional symbols, and indigenous artistic motifs. This research aimed to integrate authentic Taíno elements into Zunzún’s design while maintaining an inviting and engaging presence for modern learners.
We explored:
Taíno Petroglyphs and Carvings
to identify visual styles that could influence Zunzún’s form.
Color symbolism in Taíno culture
to ensure that the palette aligned with historical and spiritual signficance
Traditional Taíno jewelry, attire, and craftsmanship
to incorporate recognizable cultural elements into Zunzún’s accessories
Indigenous storytelling traditions
to shape Zunzún’s role as a guide and motivator in the app.
Applying Cultural Research to Zunzún’s Identity
Our findings directly influenced Zunzún’s visual and functional evolution:
Role as a Storyteller: Inspired by Taíno oral traditions, Zunzún was envisioned as a messenger of knowledge, offering contextual learning through stories and guidance.
User Connection: Usability research showed that learners resonated more with a mascot that felt distinctly Taíno, reinforcing our decision to integrate these elements.
This culturally informed redesign positioned Zunzún not just as a generic language-learning mascot, but as an ambassador of Taíno history and identity, ensuring that every interaction in the app strengthens the user’s connection to the language and its rich cultural roots.
After researching Taíno cultural symbols and redesigning Zunzún, we aimed to validate our findings and integrate them into the user experience. The product strategy and design teams refined Zunzún’s interactions, ensuring alignment with engagement principles and usability insights. They developed a prototype incorporating cultural storytelling, improved navigation, and engagement strategies. This prototype was then prepared for usability testing to assess Zunzún’s role and overall user experience.
This phase was critical in bridging research and implementation, allowing us to evaluate how users interacted with the new design in real-world scenarios. The resulting prototypes provided a testable version of our findings, setting the stage for usability testing to measure their effectiveness.
Method 5: Usability Testing
To ensure Lesson 1 of the Taíno language app delivered a clear, engaging, and culturally resonant learning experience, we conducted a remote usability test with 12 participants using Maze. The participant group was intentionally diverse, including individuals with experience in online language learning and others with personal connections to Taíno heritage, to capture a broad range of perspectives.
Goals
Understand how easily users could navigate Lesson 1 and absorb new Taíno vocabulary
Gauge reactions to Zunzún, our cultural mascot
Assess users emotional engagement and retention
Measure clarity of instructions, flow, & visual design
Method
Using Maze, participants completed a series of tasks designed to simulate a first-time user experience:
Navigating the onboarding process and entering Lesson 1.
Engaging with vocabulary exercises, sentence-building activities, and pronunciation audio.
Interacting with Zunzún, the app’s mascot, during the lesson.
Responding to sentiment questions and providing open-text feedback.
Metrics Tracked in Maze
Task completion rates
Heatmaps (to identify click confusion or visual hierarchy issues)
Time on task (to assess efficiency and friction points)
Final survey questions for sentiment and recall
Key Findings from Usability Test
94%
Approval
“It felt good to learn something that connects me to my family.”
Usability Insights
8/10
approval rating for Zunzun measured through user feedback collected in Maze
Users were confused as lesson started before signing up
Guess work reduces learning effectiveness
Friendly, but some felt it appeared too often
Users responded positively to matching exercises
Many struggled to recall phrases, indicating room for improvement for flow of information.
Reflections
What I would have done differently
🧑🤝🧑 Include More Intergenerational Perspectives
The majority of our usability testing participants were young & middle aged adults, often motivated by cultural curiosity or heritage connection. Including more older adults or elders, those with direct emotional ties to the language could have revealed deeper cultural expectations and accessibility needs.
🕰️ Longitudinal Testing for Language Retention
Our usability testing was conducted on a single lesson within a short session. While this captured first impressions, it didn’t reflect how learners retain or revisit content over time. A longitudinal study could provide insights into learning persistence, cultural resonance, and long-term usability.
Personal Learnings
Cultural Design Requires Cultural Listening
Designing for heritage isn’t just about representing culture visually, it’s about listening to how people emotionally connect to it. The most valuable insights came when users shared personal memories tied to the words they were learning.
Emotional Impact Is as Important as Usability
Designing for an endangered language isn’t just about flow or features, it’s about emotion, identity, and pride. I learned that capturing emotional reactions like “this reminds me of my grandmother” can be just as critical as measuring task success.
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