The Linguist
Designing a translator that works when users feel lost,
pressured, and alone.
One afternoon, Simge stood in a German supermarket, staring at labels she couldn’t read.She opened her phone. The translator stuttered. Froze. She repeated herself , slower. Louder. It failed again.
All she wanted was rice.
What she really needed? Confidence. Independence. A way to belong.
1. Defining the Problem
For people like Simge, everyday tasks in a new country can quickly become overwhelming, language barriers don’t just block information - they block confidence, independence, and connection. Existing translation tools are built around ideal conditions: strong internet, clear speech, tech fluency.But real life doesn’t work like that. Simge wasn’t struggling because she lacked curiosity or effort, she struggled because the tools weren’t designed for her context.
“How might we design a translation experience that works in the real world, where people feel lost, pressured, and underserved ? ”
2. Secondary Research
To design for real users, I studied how language barriers show up in everyday life,through academic papers, YouTube vlogs, and survey data.
View Research SourcesThese sources helped me understand real-life moments of confusion and
cultural gaps - from academic analysis to raw human experience.
3. Who’s Struggling, and Why: Patterns, Pain Points & Real-World Frustrations
Frustrations
4. Conducting User Interviews
Interview Question BankAfter analyzing research papers, app reviews, and user behavior data, I didn’t want to ask vague or generic questions. I wanted to ask questions that reflected the real pain points, emotional friction, and gaps that showed up in the data.
So I curated a focused question bank based on three core areas:
Participants Profile
To ensure depth and diversity in my insights, I conducted video-based contextual interviews with participants from India, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey, currently living across India, Germany, France, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and Polland.
All participants came from well-educated backgrounds and represented a mix of life stages and goals:
- A few were international students aiming to settle post-graduation
- Some were travelers, navigating short-term language challenges
- Others were professionals working abroad, dealing with long-term integration issues
Data collected from the user interviews
View Interview Data
5. Mental Model of the user base
The mental model of the user base is a complex interplay of their
6. Statistical Persona: “Global Settler”
We started with Simge !
But as I spoke with more people across cultures, languages, and countries, I realized, Simge’s story wasn’t rare. It was statistically normal. So I took what started with one real person…
And shaped it into a persona that reflects many more just like her.
“I’m not just visiting, I’m trying to build a life here. But the language barrier makes even simple tasks feel like a test.”
7. Refinement Scope
8. Solution Screens
Home Screen Overview (Core Interaction Hub)
Scan mode( mode used to feature as per data )
Scan Mode – Zero-Interaction Translation
This feature follows the principle of least effort by reducing interaction to a single tap. The moment the user enters Scan Mode, the app automatically detects, scans, and translates the content in view — with no extra input required.
Similar to QR code scanning, this experience eliminates friction, enabling instant visual translation with minimal cognitive or physical load.
Translated messenger ( enables translated calls)
Native Conversations, Seamlessly Bridged
Modelled on familiar chat platforms like WhatsApp, the Translated Messenger enables users to communicate naturally in their own language — while the recipient receives messages automatically translated into their preferred language.
No toggling, no selecting, just effortless conversation across language barriers.
Multi-Participant Conversations
No Shared Language Required
In group conversations where participants don’t share a common language, the system automatically detects and translates each message into every participant’s preferred language — ensuring that no one is left out of the loop.
Everyone communicates in their native tongue. Everyone reads in their own language.Seamless, inclusive, and real-time.