Redefining the way people learn African languages.
Introduction - sw dibaji ( swahili)
Languages are a powerful way to connect with people and their culture, yet learning African languages can often feel like an uphill task due to limited resources and tools. With over 2,000 languages spoken across Africa, I saw an opportunity to design a solution that not only teaches these languages but also makes the process fun and immersive. This case study explores the journey of creating a language-learning app that combines gamified learning with tutor-led video sessions. It’s an app designed to cater to different learning styles while celebrating the beauty of African culture through thoughtful design features.
My role - Gahee koo (oromo)
As the sole designer for this project, I was responsible for every step of the process, from conducting user research to designing and refining the app. I worked to understand the needs of language learners, ensuring the app was both functional and culturally authentic. I created the user interface and crafted an engaging experience that allowed users to switch seamlessly between gamified learning and tutor-led video sessions. Additionally, I incorporated creative touches, such as African-inspired fonts in the gamified mode, to reflect the cultural essence of the languages.
My tools - Amathuluzi ami (zulu)
Figma, Slack, Figjam, Google docs
Project timeline - Lokacin aikin (Hausa language)
Here’s how the project will unfold: The project basically took 4 months.
Target audience - onye bu ihe a (Igbo language)
The app is designed for anyone interested in learning African languages, but it specifically caters to:
- Language enthusiasts: Individuals passionate about exploring and preserving Africa’s rich linguistic diversity.
- Diaspora communities: Diaspora communities: Africans living abroad who want to reconnect with their roots and heritage.
- Travelers and expats: People planning to travel or live in African countries, eager to learn the basics of local languages.
- Educators and students: Teachers and learners seeking engaging tools for studying African languages in academic or personal settings.
Measuring success - Nkonimdi a wɔsusuw ( Akan language)
To evaluate the app’s success, I focused on three key metrics
- User engagement: Tracking how often users interact with both the gamified mode and tutor video lessons. High engagement indicates that the dual-mode approach resonates with users.
- User feedback: Collecting feedback during user testing to understand how learners feel about the app’s features, cultural elements, and overall usability. Positive feedback on cultural authenticity and ease of use is a strong indicator of success.
- Learning outcomes: Monitoring users’ progress through language levels, ensuring they achieve measurable improvements in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Problem discovery - Probleem ontdekking (Afrikaans)
Africa has over 2,000 languages, but many are not easy to learn.
There aren’t enough resources available for learning African languages, making it difficult for many people to access structured tools or platforms. Additionally, people have different learning preferences, but most existing tools only cater to a single style of teaching, limiting their effectiveness. Moreover, many apps lack a cultural connection, which makes the learning experience feel less meaningful and disconnected from the essence of the languages themselves.
Core question
How can I create an app that makes learning African
languages simple, fun, and meaningful?
The big idea - Revolutionizing language learning - Revolutionizing Mutauro Kudzidza (Shona language)
I wanted to create a platform that makes learning African languages engaging, accessible, and culturally immersive.
This isn’t just another language app—it’s a space where learners can explore African languages through fun games, listen to native speakers for authentic learning, and experience cultural elements like African-inspired fonts. It’s designed for anyone who wants to learn, connect, and embrace the beauty of African languages, without the barriers of limited resources or uninspiring tools.
Choosing languages and switching learning modes - Escolhendo idiomas e alternando modos de aprendizagem (Portuguese)
Users can select from a wide range of African languages, making it easy to start their learning journey. Switching between the gamified mode and video learning is seamless, allowing users to choose the experience that best suits their style—whether they want interactive, fun challenges or structured lessons with native speakers.
Personalized profiles with social features - gilawīneti yetelabesu megelech’awochi kemahiberawī bahirīyati gari (Amharic Language)
Each user gets a profile where they can track their progress and customize their experience. Features like a leaderboard foster friendly competition, while the friends list lets users connect and learn together. Users can also personalize their avatars, adding a fun, social aspect to the app.
Video learning - Wideyo kalancogo (Bambara language)
For users who prefer traditional methods, the video mode offers engaging lessons led by native speakers. These videos provide in-depth explanations and cultural insights, helping learners understand not just the words but also the context behind them. Supplementary quizzes and notes ensure that users retain what they’ve learned.
The Process
Understanding the problem - Xam jafe-jafe bi (Wolof language)
As part of the research phase, diving deep into what the problem was brought me to this conclusion.
Learning African languages is challenging due to a lack of accessible resources and engaging tools. Existing platforms often focus on popular global languages, leaving African languages underserved. Additionally, learners have different styles—some prefer interactive experiences, while others thrive with structured lessons. To make the experience meaningful, we needed to address not just the functionality but also the cultural connection often missing in language-learning tools.
Competitors analysis - Uchambuzi wa washindani (Swahili language)
What I learned from other apps and the
opportunities for me to stand out.
We looked at popular language apps like Duolingo and Babbel to see what worked and what didn’t. While these apps offer excellent gamification and a user-friendly experience, they fail to accommodate African languages or reflect the cultural context of learning. This gap highlighted the need for an app that is not only educational but also celebrates the richness of African cultures through its design and content.
1. Babbel
Babbel provides structured lessons with a focus on grammar and conversational skills, catering to learners who prefer a clear and methodical approach. While its lessons are effective, it doesn’t support African languages and overlooks incorporating cultural aspects into its curriculum.
2. Duolingo
Duolingo excels in gamification, making language learning feel like playing a game. It uses streaks, points, and leaderboards to keep users engaged. However, it doesn’t offer African languages and lacks cultural elements that create a meaningful connection with the language being learned.
Both platforms fail to include African languages and don’t integrate cultural
elements that make the learning experience more immersive and authentic. This
leaves a gap for a tool that celebrates African languages and cultures while
combining both gamification and structured lessons.
User interviews and insight - Yeewtere kuutortooɗo e humpito (Fulani language)
To understand the needs of our audience, we conducted interviews with language enthusiasts, members of the African diaspora, and educators. Here’s what I found
- Diverse preferences: Some users want a game-like experience to stay motivated, while others prefer clear, structured lessons.
- Cultural disconnect: Many learners feel that existing tools lack a connection to the culture of the language they are learning.
- barriers: Cost Expensive courses or travel for immersive learning are out of reach for many.
Some interview questions
What motivates you to learn a new language, and
how do you prefer to learn—through interactive
games or structured lessons?
Have you tried learning an African language
before? If so, what challenges did you face?
What features would you like to see in a language-
learning app that focuses on African languages?
How important is cultural representation, such as
traditional symbols, fonts, or pronunciations, in
your learning experience?
What would make you stay committed to using a
language-learning app regularly?
Mapping pain points and goals - Khariidaynta Dhibcaha Xanuunka iyo Yoolalka (Somali language)
The issue was clear: learners lacked meaningful resources for African languages, and current tools weren’t meeting their needs. What they wanted was a solution that made learning fun, accessible, and deeply connected to culture.
- Pain points
- Limited resources: Many users struggle to find reliable tools for learning African languages, as they are often overshadowed by more global options like Spanish or French.
- One-size-fits-all approach: Existing platforms don’t cater to diverse learning preferences, leaving users who enjoy games or structured lessons underserved.
- Cultural disconnect: The absence of cultural elements in most apps makes learning feel less authentic and engaging.
- Cost barriers: Traditional language-learning methods, such as courses or immersion trips, are too expensive for most learners.
- User goals
- Accessible learning: Users want an app that provides easy and affordable access to African languages.
- Personalized experience: A platform that offers multiple learning modes—gamified for fun and engaging lessons, and structured for clear, methodical learning.
- Cultural immersion: Incorporating African fonts, symbols, and authentic pronunciations to make learning meaningful and connected to the culture.
- Convenience: A tool that fits into their daily routines without requiring significant time or money investment.
Defining user personas - Na-akọwapụta Ndị Ọrụ (Igbo language)
I created user personas to define the insights derived from the user research.
User story - Indaba yomsebenzisi (Zulu language)
Crafting an exciting learning journey
I mapped out the journey for both casual learners like Amina and cultural enthusiasts like Kwame to ensure the app met their unique needs. Amina wanted a fun, consistent way to reconnect with her roots through engaging content, while Kwame needed quick access to conversational phrases for multiple African languages to use during his travels. By designing features like gamified lessons for motivation, structured video tutorials for focused learning, and culturally inspired fonts and visuals to enhance immersion, I created a platform that adapts to each user’s preferences.
The result? A learning experience that is
engaging, meaningful, and
accessible for
everyone.
Developing a strategy - Fɛɛrɛ dɔ labɛnni (bambara language)
To create an engaging and culturally immersive learning experience, I crafted a strategy focusing on three core areas
- Content diversity: The app had to cater to different learning styles, so I ensured it offered two distinct modes: gamified lessons for those seeking an interactive approach and video tutorials for learners who preferred structured, in-depth guidance.
- User engagement: Gamification was at the heart of the strategy. By incorporating rewards like badges, streaks, and leaderboards, I aimed to keep users motivated while learning. Additionally, progress tracking and reminders were designed to encourage consistency.
- Cultural authenticity: To ensure meaningful learning, I integrated cultural elements like African-inspired fonts, traditional proverbs, and visuals into the gamified mode. This gave users a stronger connection to the language and its roots.
Design goals
Simplify onboarding
Create an intuitive and quick onboarding process to help users get started effortlessly.
Engage with gamification
Develop interactive, reward-based features to keep users motivated and excited about learning.
Emphasize cultural identity
Incorporate African-inspired fonts, visuals, and proverbs to reflect the heritage of each language.
Support dual learning modes
Seamlessly integrate gamified lessons and video tutorials, allowing users to switch based on their preferences.
Track progress clearly
Include progress bars, milestones, and personalized feedback to show learners how far they’ve come.
Ensure accessibility
Design for mobile-first usability with clear typography and responsive layouts to cater to a wide audience.
System architecture - Tsarin Gine-gine (Hausa language)
The issue was clear: learners lacked meaningful resources for African languages, and current tools weren’t meeting their needs. What they wanted was a solution that made learning fun, accessible, and deeply connected to culture.
To address our users’ diverse learning needs, the system was designed with a streamlined user flow, minimizing complexity and ensuring an intuitive experience. Key pathways were mapped out to guide users seamlessly to their primary goals, such as accessing gamified lessons, watching video tutorials, and tracking their learning progress, all in just a few steps.
Understanding that users may have limited time and attention, secondary features were deliberately tucked away, keeping the interface clean and focused. This approach ensures that every interaction with the app remains purposeful, efficient, and enjoyable.
- Onboarding:
- Users start with a simple sign-up process, where they select their preferred language and learning mode (gamified or video tutorial).
- A quick tutorial is provided to guide users on how to navigate the app.
- Home screen:
- After onboarding, users are taken to the home screen where they can choose between the Gamified Mode and Video Mode.
- The home screen also displays progress bars and motivational elements like streaks or achievements.
- Learning modes:
- In Gamified Mode, users interact with quizzes, challenges, and rewards, making learning feel like a game.
- In Video Mode, users can watch pre-recorded lessons from tutors, with an option to pause, rewind, or skip as needed.
- Cultural content integration:
- In both modes, users encounter culturally relevant elements (African fonts, proverbs, and imagery) to maintain a strong connection to the language’s heritage.
- Progress tracking:
- As users engage with lessons, their progress is tracked in real-time, with daily reminders and performance feedback
- At any time, users can view detailed stats on their learning journey and achievements.
- Secondary features:
- Access to settings, language preferences, and other secondary features is easily available from the navigation menu but designed not to distract from the core learning experience
Low-fidelity wireframe
Early vision taking shape
At this stage, the focus was on laying down the foundation for the app’s structure and functionality without worrying about the finer details. Using basic sketches and wireframes, I aimed to create a clear outline of how the user interactions would flow—from onboarding to profile creation, and everything in between.
High-fidelity wireframe - Wireframe bu am fidélité bu rëy (wolof language)
High-fidelity mockup refinements: During testing, users enjoyed the bright and easy-to-use design, which made learning African languages fun and exciting. They liked how simple it was to switch between the gamified lessons and video tutorials, and they felt the app worked well for different learning styles.
Features like progress tracking and leaderboards were a big hit, as they made learning more motivating. Users also loved the African-inspired fonts and themes in the gamified mode, which added a special cultural touch. Overall, the design made learning smooth, engaging, and meaningful.
The challenges - Imingeni (Xhosa language)
Building an African language learning app comes with unique challenges that require careful planning and creative problem-solving.
- Diverse language pool: Africa is home to over 2,000 languages, each with its own dialects, nuances, and cultural contexts. Selecting which languages to prioritize and ensuring they are accurately represented was a major challenge.
- Content creation: High-quality content for both gamified learning and video tutorials required sourcing native speakers, linguists, and tutors who could provide authentic and engaging materials.
- Cultural integration: Incorporating elements of African culture, such as proverbs, fonts, and traditions, while keeping the user experience modern and accessible, was a balancing act
- User experience for different learning styles: Designing a seamless transition between gamified and video tutorial modes meant catering to a wide range of learning preferences without making the interface feel disjointed.
- Technology constraints: Ensuring the app performs well across various devices, especially in regions with limited internet connectivity or older smartphones, required innovative solutions.
- Community engagement: Building a community around the app and encouraging consistent user engagement, particularly in regions where language learning apps are not yet common, presented its own set of challenges.
User experience (UX) - Muuxannoo Fayyadamtootaa (oromo language)
Creating an intuitive and engaging user experience was at the core of designing this language learning app. The goal was to ensure that users, regardless of their tech-savviness or learning preferences, could easily navigate the platform while feeling immersed in African culture.
The app provides a seamless and culturally rich experience tailored to diverse learning preferences. Users enjoy a personalized onboarding process where they choose their language, preferred learning mode, and goals. Clear navigation ensures effortless switching between gamified lessons, designed with African-inspired themes, and professional video tutorials led by native speakers.
To keep learning engaging, the gamified mode offers rewards, challenges, and cultural stories, while progress tracking helps users stay motivated. For traditional learners, the video tutorials are structured and paired with quizzes to reinforce learning. With offline capabilities, the app remains accessible even in areas with limited internet, making it a versatile tool for language enthusiasts.
Project takeaways - Ihe eji eme ihe (Igbo language)
This project reminded me that good design can connect people, celebrate culture, and make learning easier for everyone.
Working on this app was an exciting journey that taught me a lot about Africa’s rich languages and cultures. It showed me how important it is to design tools that not only solve problems but also celebrate heritage. One big lesson was learning how to make the app work for different types of learners. By offering both fun, game-like lessons and clear video tutorials, we made sure everyone could learn in a way that works best for them. Adding cultural touches, like African-inspired fonts and themes, made the app feel more connected to its purpose and more meaningful for users.
Finally, making the app simple to use and available offline was key to reaching more people, even in places where the internet isn’t always reliable.