Context
LanguageLanguageappsappsarearebuiltbuiltforforabsoluteabsolutebeginners.beginners.LearnersLearnerswhowhohavehaveoutgrownoutgrownthatthatstagestageareareleftleftrepeatingrepeatingvocabularyvocabularytheytheyalreadyalreadyknow,know,withwithnonosensesenseofofhowhowSpanishSpanishisisactuallyactuallyspoken.spoken.UnedoUnedoisisforforthethepeoplepeopleininbetween:between:notnotaabeginner,beginner,notnotquitequitefluent.fluent.
Objective
DesignDesignaadailydailyhabithabitworthworthreturningreturningto.to.ShortShortenoughenoughtotofinishfinishoverovercoffee,coffee,hardhardenoughenoughtotobebesatisfying,satisfying,andandbuiltbuiltsosothatthateveryeveryminuteminutespentspentplayingplayingleavesleavesthethelearnerlearnerwithwithsomethingsomethingculturalculturaltheytheydiddidnotnothavehavebefore.before.
The Daily Loop
TheTheTodayTodaytabtabisisaapath,path,notnotaafeed.feed.AAgame,game,thenthenthetheSparkSparkititunlocks,unlocks,thenthenaachallengechallengethatthatonlyonlyopensopensonceoncethetheday'sday'splayplayisisdone.done.EachEachstepstepisisvisiblyvisiblylockedlockeduntiluntilthetheoneonebeforebeforeititisiscomplete,complete,sosothethesequencesequencedoesdoesthethemotivatingmotivatingratherratherthanthanaanotification.notification.
Word Games
PuzzlesPuzzlesareareclue-ledclue-ledandandculturallyculturallyspecific,specific,closerclosertotoaacrosswordcrosswordthanthanaavocabularyvocabularydrill.drill.TheThekeyboardkeyboardcarriescarriesthetheÑ,Ñ,hintshintsareareearnedearnedthroughthroughaadeliberatedeliberatelonglongpresspressratherratherthanthanhandedhandedover,over,andandaaletterletterhashastotobebecommittedcommittedbeforebeforethethenextnextscreenscreenopens.opens.
Sparks
FinishingFinishingaagamegameunlocksunlocksaaSpark:Spark:aashortshortillustratedillustratedstorystorywrittenwrittenbybyaalocallocalauthor,author,withwiththeirtheirnamenameandandfacefaceononititandandananaudioaudioreadingreadingforforlisteninglisteningpractice.practice.TheTherewardrewardforforplayingplayingisisculture,culture,whichwhichisisthethewholewholeargumentargumentthetheproductproductisismaking.making.
Highlights & Flashcards
AnyAnywordwordininaaSparkSparkcancanbebehighlighted,highlighted,andandhighlightshighlightsbecomebecomeflashcards.flashcards.VocabularyVocabularyarrivesarrivesattachedattachedtotothethesentencesentenceititwaswasmetmetin,in,sosoreviewreviewcarriescarriescontextcontextinsteadinsteadofofstrandingstrandingthethelearnerlearnerwithwithaawordwordandanditsitstranslation.translation.
Onboarding
OnboardingOnboardingmakesmakesthethepromisepromiseandandthenthenprovesprovesit:it:sevensevenminutes,minutes,endingendingininaasolvedsolvedpuzzlepuzzleratherratherthanthanaatour.tour.TeachingTeachingmomentsmomentsarearestagedstagedintointothetheflow,flow,sosothethefirstfirstswipeswipethatthatsavessavesaawordwordisisexplainedexplainedatatthetheinstantinstantitithappens.happens.
Design System
EveryEveryscreenscreenisisassembledassembledfromfromoneonelibrary,library,whichwhichisiswhatwhatletletthetheflowsflowsbebespecifiedspecifiedininthisthismuchmuchdepth.depth.TodayTodayandandPracticePracticedeliberatelydeliberatelyswapswappalettes,palettes,bonebonetotonavy,navy,andandthethetransitiontransitionisissharedsharedacrossacrossthetheappappsosoaachangechangeofofmodemodealwaysalwaysreadsreadsthethesamesameway.way.
Passport
PassportPassportisisthethesubscription:subscription:unlimitedunlimiteddailydailySparks,Sparks,reviewreviewtoolstoolsandandaapersonalpersonaldictionary,dictionary,ononaaseven-dayseven-daytrialtrialatat$5.83$5.83aamonthmonthannuallyannuallyoror$9.99$9.99monthly,monthly,andandfreefreeforforSpanishSpanishteachers.teachers.TheTheharderharderproblemproblemwaswaswherewheretotoask,ask,sosoeveryeverysurfacesurfacewaswasspecifiedspecifiedacrossacrossfourfourstates,states,fromfromlimitedlimitedusersuserswithwithandandwithoutwithoutSparksSparksthroughthroughtrial,trial,post-trialpost-trialandandpaid.paid.
Result
TheTheappappcamecameoutoutofofititmoremoreusableusableandandfarfarmoremoreconsistent,consistent,withwiththethesamesamepatternspatternsholdingholdingacrossacrosseveryeverytabtabandandeveryeveryaccountaccountstatestateinsteadinsteadofofeacheachsurfacesurfacebehavingbehavingononitsitsownownterms.terms.PaywallPaywallviewsviewswentwentupuponceoncethethepromptspromptssatsatwherewherepeoplepeopleactuallyactuallymeetmeetthetheedgeedgeofofthethefreefreetiertierratherratherthanthaninterruptinginterruptingaapuzzle.puzzle.
