This case study was completed as part of the Google UX Design Specialization course. In this project, I explored the challenges and opportunities presented by language barriers on digital platforms and devised strategies to enhance inclusivity and accessibility.
Tech4All is a fictional company.
Role
UX Design
UX Research
TEAM
António Amorim
Client
Fictional
INDUSTRY
Retail
TOOLS
DURATION
3 week
The problems
A lack of proper language translation, weak customer support, and clunky navigation make it hard for multicultural users to have a smooth, inclusive experience. This ends up causing a high dropout rate, with many users giving up before they even check out.
Key Insights
By conducting research about Tech4All user behavior, collecting data, and studying other tech e-commerce sites, I quickly realized users’ drop-off points. These insights helped me determine how to approach better solutions.
The Goal
Enhance the localization and usability of Tech4All’s app to provide a more inclusive and accessible user experience for multicultural users.
Design Process
User Research
In conducting user research for Joseph Ken, an immigrant student seeking gaming gear on Tech4All’s app, we employed a mix of qualitative methods to gain insights into his needs and challenges. Through in-depth interviews and usability testing sessions with Joseph and other users from similar backgrounds, we explored their experiences, preferences, and pain points when interacting with the app. These research efforts focused on understanding Joseph’s language proficiency, navigation patterns, information needs, and overall satisfaction with the user experience. By listening to Joseph’s feedback and observing his interactions with the app, we gained valuable insights that informed the design process and guided the development of solutions tailored to his needs.
Pain Points
Limited Language Support
Joseph may struggle with understanding product descriptions, reviews, and navigation if the app lacks support for his native language. This could lead to frustration and difficulty in making informed purchasing decisions.
Unclear Product Information
Without clear and comprehensive product information provided in his native language, Joseph may have difficulty assessing the features, specifications, and compatibility of gaming gear. This ambiguity could lead to uncertainty and hesitation when making purchasing decisions.
Customer Support
If the app lacks accessible customer support options in Joseph’s native language, he may encounter difficulties getting assistance with order inquiries, troubleshooting, or returns. This could leave him feeling unsupported and dissatisfied with his overall experience.
Persona
Joseph Ken
Age: 20
Education: Enrolled in college
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Family: Parents and sibling
Occupation: Full-time student
“Balance between studies, family and fun is key”
Joseph is a recent immigrant to the United States who is enrolled in online college classes and is also taking classes at a night school for learning English. He can read English well, but sometimes encounters difficulties at restaurants or while out running errands, where shopkeepers tend to speak very quickly and limited translation options are available. Joseph is passionate about sports and the outdoors, and wants to explore what his neighborhood has to offer.
Goals
-
To buy equipment both for studying and gaming
-
To study while taking care of his sibling
-
Focus on his studies without distractions
Frustrations
-
He has some language barriers
-
He struggles with lack of captions on review videos and product specifications
User Journey Map
Mapping out the flow of Joseph’s user journey revealed the benefits of creating an app for foreign users, so that they can search, review, compare, buy and receive items easily.
Paper Wireframes
These wireframes map out the initial layout and user flow for Joseph Ken on Tech4All’s app.
These sketches focused on core functionalities, navigation structure, and information hierarchy, prioritizing usability for immigrant students like Joseph.
Digital Wireframes
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Usability Study
Findings
With the usability study I conducted, I found that the translation icon next to the name of the product, on the product page, was the most effective way to help users.
Round 1 findings:
- Navigation is confusing
- Some search challenges
- Information overload
Style Guide
High-Fidelity Prototype
Accessibility considerations
1.
Ensure the availability of Joseph’s native language, along with commonly spoken languages among immigrants, to facilitate comprehension and inclusivity in product descriptions, navigation menus, and support materials.
2.
Implement clear typography, color contrast, and intuitive navigation elements to accommodate users with varying levels of digital literacy and visual impairments, ensuring a user-friendly experience for Joseph and other immigrant students.
3.
Offer accessible customer support options such as email or chat, supplemented by multilingual chatbots equipped with natural language processing, to provide timely assistance to Joseph and other users, regardless of language proficiency.
Takeaways
Impact:
Improving the localization and usability of Tech4All’s app for users like Joseph Ken could lead to a more inclusive and accessible shopping experience for multicultural audiences, fostering greater engagement and loyalty among diverse user demographics. By addressing language barriers and enhancing user satisfaction, this design initiative has the potential to expand Tech4All’s market reach and contribute to its reputation as a customer-centric brand in the competitive tech retail landscape.
What I learned:
I learned the importance of understanding and addressing the diverse needs of multicultural users like Joseph Ken. By empathizing with Joseph’s experience, we gained insights into challenges and opportunities for improving Tech4All’s app, emphasizing the significance of localization and inclusive design practices. This process highlighted the potential impact of user-centered design approaches in driving business growth and fostering customer loyalty in a global marketplace.
Next Steps
1.
Enhance language support with machine translation or user-generated content for comprehensive coverage.
2.
Streamline app navigation and information architecture for easier product discovery.
3.
Offer multilingual customer support options, including AI-driven chatbots, for responsive assistance.
The more users’ expectations prove right, the more they will feel in control of the system and the more they will like it.