Mr. Lingo

Mr. Lingo is a gamified English learning app inspired by platforms like Duolingo — designed to make language learning an emotionally engaging, goal-driven, and habit-forming experience. From kids to adults, it transforms daily practice into an adventure through a visually rich, rewarding interface guided by a friendly mascot.
Year 2025
Collaborators Hamed Bahadori
Website hamedbahadori.com

Our Process

Mr. Lingo UI

Problem Statement

Most language learners give up within the first week. Research shows that 80% of app users churn in the first 7 days, often due to boring UI, lack of feedback, or overwhelming tasks. Our mission was to design an emotionally engaging, gamified, and intuitively structured experience that keeps users coming back daily.

Research

Target Group

• Children (7–14 years) learning English for school or fun
• Adult beginners learning English in short daily sessions
• Busy professionals with only 10 minutes/day
• Parents guiding their kids through fun learning apps

Objectives & Goals

• Build an engaging learning journey with strong visual feedback
• Make users feel progress after every session
• Use gamification to form daily habits

Research Methods

• Competitive analysis (Duolingo, Lingokids, Memrise)
• User journey mapping for different age brackets
• Behavioral research into app retention & cognitive load

User Interviews & Insights

We interviewed 6 target users (3 kids, 3 adults) across 3 days. Sessions were 25–40 mins long and included: - Current frustrations with existing apps - What motivates them to continue or abandon - Preferred types of exercises (visual, auditory, touch-based)

Key Insights:

• Kids love mascots, colors, and quick wins
• Adults prefer daily goals and structured progression
• Both groups need positive reinforcement and minimal onboarding

Personas

Persona 1 – Amir (Age 10)
- Wants to learn English to talk to his cousin in Canada.
- Gets bored fast and needs animation/movement.
- Motivated by stars, rewards, and "leveling up."

Persona 2 – Zahra (Age 32)

  • Learning English for career growth.
  • Prefers short, daily exercises with visible progress.
  • Needs consistency reminders and emotional support.

Competitor Analysis

We analyzed key players like: - Duolingo: strong gamification, mascot-led flow, but cluttered UI - Lingokids: child-friendly but lacks progression logic - Memrise: focused on vocabulary but too repetitive

Opportunities:

• Simplify lesson UI
• Add emotional support through mascot
• Build story-driven map navigation (like games)

Information Architecture & User Flow

We developed a flow with minimal onboarding and rapid learning access: 1. Welcome 2. Name + Goal 3. Daily Streak Setup 4. Start Learning 5. Rewards

Design System

Typography: Inter Tight — modern, readable for both kids and adults
Color System: Primary Blue (#0056FF), Success Green, Soft Gradient Backgrounds
Components: Cards, Buttons, Progress Bars, Interactive Inputs — all optimized for mobile

Visual Identity

Mascot: Mr. Lingo — a joyful panda with glasses, animations, and reactions
Backgrounds: Sky-themed, location-based (forest, desert, underwater)
Icons & UI: Soft shadows, rounded corners, joyful feedback for every interaction

Screens & Interaction Flows

- Onboarding (goal selection, nickname, reminder time) - Interactive word games: drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, pronunciation tap - Progression map: each level visualized on a playful world map - Celebration animations after completion (fireworks, stars)

Usability Testing & Iteration

We tested the prototype with 5 users (kids + adults). - Avg. session time increased from 4 to 8 minutes post mascot addition. - Completion rate for first lesson: 100% after simplification of UI. - Feedback: "I feel like I'm playing, not studying!"

Changes:

• Replaced tabs with swipeable lessons
• Enlarged CTA buttons for kids
• Simplified map navigation

Outcome & What I Learned

- A joyful UX encourages retention more than raw utility - Visual storytelling increases comprehension in younger users - Designing for emotion (mascot, rewards, animation) creates habit loops

Next Steps:

• Add social leaderboard for friendly competition
• Expand mascot reactions (angry, excited, sleepy)
• Launch MVP and gather onboarding data