MEMRISE

MEMRISE

MEMRISE

My Team

Duration

4 Months

My Role

Product Design

User Research

Tools

OUR PROBLEM
Is Standardized Learning Killing Our Language Potential?

Current learning paths are too rigid to adapt to individual goals. This standardized approach leaves learners feeling stuck and uninspired, preventing them from reaching their full language potential.

OUR SOLUTION
Does Adaptive AI And Community Unlock The Key To True Fluency?

By integrating collaborative communities with adaptive AI, we replace rigid structures with tailored paths that spark engagement and empower learners to reach their full language potential.

By integrating collaborative communities with adaptive AI, we replace rigid structures with tailored paths that spark engagement and empower learners to reach their full language potential.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

01

01

Discover

Discover

Discover

Discover

02

02

Define

Define

Define

Define

03

03

Ideate

Ideate

Ideate

Ideate

04

04

Design

Design

Design

Design

Discover

Competitor Analysis

EMPATHY INTERVIEWS

  • Especially for language, it should be with a community. They will help you the most to practice and feel included, which fosters a supportive environment that builds confidence and ensures consistent long-term growth.

    Raymond

  • I prefer to organize my study materials digitally, as it ensures convenient access to resources from anywhere, streamlines my workflow, and maintains a high level of structure  required for effective long term study.

    Anjo

  • It is vital to have visual aids, as imagery helps me better understand vocabulary definitions, creating a multisensory experience that improves memory recall and ensures a more engaging language learning journey.

    Henry

  • Especially for language, it should be with a community. They will help you the most to practice and feel included, which fosters a supportive environment that builds confidence and ensures consistent long-term growth.

    Raymond

  • I prefer to organize my study materials digitally, as it ensures convenient access to resources from anywhere, streamlines my workflow, and maintains a high level of structure  required for effective long term study.

    Anjo

  • It is vital to have visual aids, as imagery helps me better understand vocabulary definitions, creating a multisensory experience that improves memory recall and ensures a more engaging language learning journey.

    Henry

  • Especially for language, it should be with a community. They will help you the most to practice and feel included, which fosters a supportive environment that builds confidence and ensures consistent long-term growth.

    Raymond

  • I prefer to organize my study materials digitally, as it ensures convenient access to resources from anywhere, streamlines my workflow, and maintains a high level of structure  required for effective long term study.

    Anjo

  • It is vital to have visual aids, as imagery helps me better understand vocabulary definitions, creating a multisensory experience that improves memory recall and ensures a more engaging language learning journey.

    Henry

  • Especially for language, it should be with a community. They will help you the most to practice and feel included, which fosters a supportive environment that builds confidence and ensures consistent long-term growth.

    Raymond

  • I prefer to organize my study materials digitally, as it ensures convenient access to resources from anywhere, streamlines my workflow, and maintains a high level of structure  required for effective long term study.

    Anjo

  • It is vital to have visual aids, as imagery helps me better understand vocabulary definitions, creating a multisensory experience that improves memory recall and ensures a more engaging language learning journey.

    Henry

AFFINITY MAPPING

PAIN POINTS

Pain Points

Through affinity mapping, we identified three core findings: a clear preference for visual learning over auditory styles, a strong desire for community driven settings, and high engagement with interactive experiences.

Community Based Learning

Users lack the motivation and time to study alone, requiring a community led experience to keep them consistent and engaged.

Users lack the motivation and time to study alone, requiring a community led
experience to keep them consistent and engaged.

Information Structure

Users feel overwhelmed by cluttered study materials, needing a better system to easily find the right resources for learning.

Users feel overwhelmed by cluttered study materials, needing a better system to easily
find the right resources for learning.

Personalized Learning Paths

Users need personalized learning that fits their unique style, as a flexible experience is key for different types of learners.

Users need personalized learning that fits their unique style, as a flexible experience is key
for different types of learners.

Define

OUR PERSONAS

Xingyu Wang/ Travel Trekker

31

Marketing Manager

I want motivation and support to learn a new language, ideally by making friends to study with and learn together.

Samira Abdi / Wisdom Wanderer

26

Community Activist

I want support and guidance to improve my communication skills for different scenarios with personalized practice.

Nara Sukanaya/ Scholar Student

21

International Student

I want a workspace that helps me organize and streamline my studying by providing the ideal setup.

I want a workspace that helps me organize and streamline my studying by providing the ideal setup.

User journey maps

We created journey maps for each of our personas to detail the different touchpoints and emotions they experience throughout various scenarios allowing us to enhance the user experience with more specificity.

We created journey maps for each of our personas to detail the different touchpoints and emotions they experience throughout various scenarios allowing us to enhance the
user experience with more specificity.

Ideate

User needs & INSIGHTS

User Needs a dynamic resource that bridges the gap between academic and real world cultural nuance through direct interaction with fluent speakers.

User Needs a dynamic resource that bridges the gap between academic and real world cultural nuance through direct interaction with fluent speakers.

The Insight: Fluency is found in context, not just vocabulary. Learners need dynamic, scenario based practice and native engagement to transition from

study to living it.

The Insight: Fluency is found in context, not just vocabulary. Learners need dynamic, scenario based practice and native engagement to transition from study to living it.

User Needs a dynamic resource that bridges the gap between academic and real world cultural nuance through direct interaction with fluent speakers.

The Insight: Fluency is found in context, not just vocabulary. Learners need dynamic, scenario based practice and native engagement to transition from

study to living it.

User Needs a community hub for peer collaboration, shared discussions, learning vocabulary, and exchanging learning experiences or expert language tips.

User Needs a community hub for peer collaboration, shared discussions, learning vocabulary, and exchanging learning experiences or expert language tips.

User Needs a community hub for peer collaboration, shared discussions, learning vocabulary, and exchanging learning experiences or expert language tips.

The Insight: Success is found in belonging, not just grades. International students need a social hub to master academic jargon and navigate life through peer connection.

The Insight: Success is found in belonging, not just grades. International students need a social hub to master academic

jargon and navigate life through peer connection.

The Insight: Success is found in belonging, not just grades. International students need a social hub to master academic jargon and navigate life through peer connection.

The Insight: Success is found in belonging, not just grades. International students need a social hub to master academic jargon and navigate life through peer connection.

User Needs a support system providing native language guidance for professional and legal tasks, ensuring access to career growth and community services.

User Needs a support system providing native language guidance for professional and legal tasks, ensuring access to career growth and community services.

User Needs a support system providing native language guidance for professional and legal tasks, ensuring access to career growth and community services.

The Insight: Access is found in support, not just forms. Immigrants need more than basic tools; they require native guidance to navigate complex interviews and paperwork.

The Insight: Access is found in support, not just forms. Immigrants need more than basic tools; they require native guidance to navigate complex interviews and paperwork.

The Insight: Access is found in support, not just forms. Immigrants need more than basic tools; they require native guidance to navigate complex interviews and paperwork.

HOW MIGHT WE

Travel Trekker

Xingyu Wang - 31

HMW shift from the independent learning style to a community-driven and collaborative learning experience?

Study Buddy

Scholar Student

Nara Sukanaya - 21

HMW make learning something new an interactive experience instead of something that’s deemed a bore/chore?

“I want I want a workspace that helps me organize and streamline my studying by providing the ideal setup.”

Custom Workspace

Wisdom Wanderer

Samira Abdi - 26

HMW disrupt conventional methods to enhance user engagement with learning content, effectively catering to their needs?

Memrise Mentor

Visual Solution

Design Direction

Swiss Simplicity

This experience is all about capturing Memrise’s essential harmony between functional clarity and playful energy. By utilizing a palette of vibrant primaries and vintage modern tones, the interface radiates a bold, aspirational spirit while maintaining its educational reliability. The visual language pairs crisp, Swiss typography with organic elements like minimalist illustrations to create a sensory atmosphere that feels engaging rather than academic. Strategically, the experience is tailored for the brand’s core Gen Z demographic. By prioritizing navigational scannability and visual simplicity, the design ensures a seamless journey for daily learners, while the refined aesthetic successfully invites a modern, lifestyle oriented audience into the language story.

This experience is all about capturing Memrise’s essential harmony between functional clarity and playful energy. By utilizing a palette of vibrant primaries and vintage modern tones, the interface radiates a bold, aspirational spirit while maintaining its educational reliability. The visual language pairs crisp, Swiss typography with organic elements like minimalist illustrations to create a sensory atmosphere that feels engaging rather than academic. Strategically, the experience is tailored for the brand’s core Gen Z demographic. By prioritizing navigational scannability and visual simplicity, the design ensures a seamless journey for daily learners, while the refined aesthetic successfully invites a modern, lifestyle oriented audience into the language story.

Balanced
Balanced
Balanced
Engaging
Geometric
Geometric
Geometric
Contrast

BRAND ARCHETYPE

THE EXPLORER

0%

0%

THE SAGE

0%

0%

Design

Feature 01 : Study Buddy

TABLE STAKES
Can We Foster Belonging While Keeping Users On Track?

Facilitate social interaction through user chat, while helping learners stay accountable by tracking their personal goals and progress.

Facilitate social interaction through user chat, while helping learners stay accountable by tracking their personal goals and progress.

DIFFERENTIATORS
Does Seamless Peer Sharing Redefine The Learning Path?

Enable seamless resource sharing with study buddies and use targeted peer notifications to drive mutual accountability and consistency.

Feature 02: Custom Workspace

TABLE STAKES
Can integrated AI Support Help Users Stay Organized?

Provide integrated AI support for coursework alongside custom flashcards and notes to help users organize their daily study materials.

Provide integrated AI support for coursework alongside custom flashcards and
notes to help users organize their daily study materials.

DIFFERENTIATORS
Can AI Turn Static Files Into Tailored Study Paths?

Enable automatic vocabulary extraction from files, using AI to generate tailored learning content that adapts to specific user needs

Enable automatic vocabulary extraction from files, using AI to generate tailored learning
content that adapts to specific user needs

Feature 03: Memrise Mentor

TABLE STAKES
Can Realistic Simulations Prepare Users For Success?

Provide realistic scenario simulations for various occasions, with options to customize mentor formality levels to suit user preference.

Provide realistic scenario simulations for various occasions, with options to
customize mentor formality levels to suit user preference.

DIFFERENTIATORS
Can Behavioral Feedback Bridge The Gap In Social Learning?

Enable analysis of non verbal cues for behavioral feedback, plus interactive coaching with real time guidance and custom study options.

Enable analysis of non verbal cues for behavioral feedback, plus interactive coaching with
real time guidance and custom study options.

KPI ( KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR)

Pain Points

To ensure these features truly serve our target audience, we have aligned our KPIs with the specific pain points of Xingyu/Travel Trekker, Samira/ Wisdom Wanderer, and Nara Sukanaya/ Scholar Student, treating this student project as a rigorous test of real world utility and user problem solving.

Feature 01: Studdy Buddy
+35%

By moving from textbooks to real conversation, Xingyu saw a 35% boost in his conversational nuance. The Study Buddy feature helped him bridge the gap between theory and fluency, allowing him to practice with fluent speakers in real time.

By moving from textbooks to real conversation, Xingyu saw a 35% boost in his conversational nuance. The Study Buddy feature helped him
bridge the gap
between theory and fluency, allowing him
to practice with fluent speakers in real
time.

Xingyu Wang
Feature 02: Custom Workspace
+45%

By shifting from cramming to mastery, Nara saw a 40% jump in long term retention. The Custom Workspace helped her turn school materials into instant study sets, drastically reducing the time she needed to spend relearning concepts before exams.

Nara Sukanaya
Feature 03: Memrise Mentor
+50%

By shifting from uncertainty to legal readiness, Samara saw a 50% rise in community success. The Memrise Mentor feature helped her group master interview prep and complex paperwork, giving immigrants the tools to navigate their new lives with complete confidence.

Samira Abdi
Outcome

Memrise has transformed into a collaborative ecosystem. Using AI driven personalization and social learning, I bridged the gap between rote study and real world mastery for better retention.

Reflections

During this redesign, I realized that the biggest barrier to language learning isn't a lack of content, but a lack of context. By introducing community features, I addressed the emotional need for support that independent learners often miss. Balancing high tech AI with human centric community tools taught me how to design for both efficiency and empathy.

Next Steps

I will run A/B testing on the AI generated course flows to ensure the high tech integration is intuitive and doesn't hinder the user's progress. To maintain a safe environment, I’ll develop a guide for group leaders and perform an accessibility check for international students. Finally, I’ll track KPIs like user retention and community engagement to prove that a collaborative model successfully keeps students motivated and reduces drop off rates.