Duolingo Charm
I've been looking for ways to spend less time on my phone, without giving up the things I use it for, like learning a language. That led me to this idea, why can't an app like Duolingo exist on a dedicated device. Working independently, I saw Duolingo as the ideal foundation to build a Y2K-inspired physical learning device. Developed entirely on my own, a concept, start to finish, that's mine.
Duolingo Charm Walkthrough
UI Design
Designing for a screen this small while staying true to Duolingo's design language meant cutting down to the core visual language the color choices, the owl, the simple geometry. Text had to be enlarged to remain readable, and there was a limit on what could comfortably fit on the screen while still saving room for whitespace. Like the iOS app, I focused on making it easily navigable, centered on walking a learner through a lesson in as few taps as possible each screen answering one question.
Three core functions:
1. Notification engine: a nudge to take your lesson, off your phone, on your bag 2. Leaderboard: your rank, your stats, visible without opening the app 3. Mini lessons: quick practice, no phone required
Loading Screen
Inspiration
Y2K nostalgia, and a growing desire to spend less time on our phones, has been picking up speed. Pair that with backpack charms taking over streetwear, and decorative charms growing in popularity, and the interest is obvious. People are reminiscing on Game Boys and Tamagotchis, wearing Labubus and other charms on their backpacks. Something that represents them. And what's more personal than the languages someone speaks, or is learning. Duolingo has already mastered getting people excited about that. I wanted to build a companion, a fashion statement, and a toy, that could spark the conversation itself. So I ask: what language are you learning?
Tamagotchi
Charms
Game Boy
Physical Development
Went through several iterations to get the form and function right, running the experience on an ESP32 chip.
