Mavo
Mavo
Mavo
The Moment a Voice Turns Into Connection
The Moment a Voice Turns Into Connection
The Moment a Voice Turns Into Connection
Team Project
Team Project
Team Project
Subin Choi (Product designer, Project Leader)
3 Front-end developers
Subin Choi(Product Designer, Project Leader)
3 Front-end developers
Subin Choi (Product designer, Project Leader)
3 Front-end developers
DURATION
DURATION
DURATION
Jun 2024
Jun 2024
Jun 2024
TOOLS
TOOLS
Figma, ProtoPie, React, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Figma, ProtoPie, React, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Project Overview
Project Overview
Project Overview
Mavo is a vocabulary learning experience for non-verbal children, designed to prioritize emotional safety over instruction.
Mavo is a vocabulary learning experience for non-verbal children, designed to prioritize emotional safety over instruction.
Mavo is a vocabulary learning experience for non-verbal children, designed to prioritize emotional safety over instruction.
After usability-driven iterations, voluntary engagement increased by 1.5×.
Mavo is a word-learning experience for non-verbal children, designed around emotional familiarity. By combining caregiver-recorded voices with child-created drawings, the experience increased voluntary interactions by ~1.5× in usability testing.
Mavo is a word-learning experience for non-verbal children, designed around emotional familiarity. By combining caregiver-recorded voices with child-created drawings, the experience increased voluntary interactions by ~1.5× in usability testing.
What’s the problem?
What’s the problem?
What’s the problem?
Engagement dropped by over 40% with robotic voices and generic visuals
Engagement dropped by over 40% with robotic voices and generic visuals
Engagement dropped by over 40% with robotic voices and generic visuals
Children often disengaged or repeatedly selected only their favorite cards, avoiding exploration.
Children often disengaged or repeatedly selected only their favorite cards, avoiding exploration.
Children often disengaged or repeatedly selected only their favorite cards, avoiding exploration.
What’s the solution?
What’s the solution?
What’s the solution?
Emotional connection sustains attention better than rewards or correctness.
Emotional connection sustains attention better than rewards or correctness.
Emotional connection sustains attention better than rewards or correctness.
Mavo replaces synthetic speech with familiar voices and enables learning through child-created drawings, creating an emotionally safe, playful experience
Mavo replaces synthetic speech with familiar voices and enables learning through child-created drawings, creating an emotionally safe, playful experience
Mavo replaces synthetic speech with familiar voices and enables learning through child-created drawings, creating an emotionally safe, playful experience
Discovery & Insight Synthesis
Discovery & Insight Synthesis
Discovery & Insight Synthesis
Understanding why others failed
Understanding why others failed
Understanding why others failed
Most tools rely heavily on text-to-speech repetition and structured prompts, prioritizing communication output over emotional input.
Most tools rely heavily on text-to-speech repetition and structured prompts, prioritizing communication output over emotional input.
Most tools rely heavily on text-to-speech repetition and structured prompts, prioritizing communication output over emotional input.
While these apps support word recognition, they often fail to create emotional connection or intrinsic motivation to express.
While these apps support word recognition, they often fail to create emotional connection or intrinsic motivation to express.
While these apps support word recognition, they often fail to create emotional connection or intrinsic motivation to express.
competitive analysis
competitive analysis
competitive analysis
Key Insight
Key Insight
Key Insight
Emotional connection plays a critical role in sustained learning.
Children stayed focused longer when they heard familiar voices, felt emotionally safe, and were allowed to explore without fear of failure.
Emotional connection plays a critical role in sustained learning.
Children stayed focused longer when they heard familiar voices, felt emotionally safe, and were allowed to explore without fear of failure.
Emotional connection plays a critical role in sustained learning.
From findings to design opportunities
From findings to design opportunities
From findings to design opportunities
Research revealed that engagement increases when learning feels emotionally familiar, personally owned, and creatively expressive.
Research revealed that engagement increases when learning feels emotionally familiar, personally owned, and creatively expressive.
Emotional connection keeps children engaged
Emotional connection keeps children engaged
Personal ownership increases motivation
Personal ownership increases motivation
Creative expression fosters expression
Creative expression fosters expression
CREATIVE iNTERACTION fOSTERS sELF EXPRESSION
These insights shaped the foundation for an adaptive, emotionally responsive interface.
These insights shaped the foundation for an adaptive, emotionally responsive interface.
These insights shaped the foundation for an adaptive, emotionally responsive interface.
User Journey map
User Journey map
User Journey map
Understanding Emotional Friction
Understanding Emotional Friction
Understanding Emotional Friction
Observation revealed that excessive feedback, correctness cues, or performance pressure disrupted emotional focus.
Observation revealed that excessive feedback, correctness cues, or performance pressure disrupted emotional focus.
Observation revealed that excessive feedback, correctness cues, or performance pressure disrupted emotional focus.
When learning felt evaluative rather than supportive, children disengaged.
When learning felt evaluative rather than supportive, children disengaged.
When learning felt evaluative rather than supportive, children disengaged.
"How might we design a learning experience that supports emotional safety while encouraging exploration?"
"How might we design a learning experience that supports emotional safety while encouraging exploration?"
"How might we design a learning experience that supports emotional safety while encouraging exploration?"
What do users need to stay emotionally engaged?
What do users need to stay emotionally engaged?
What do users need to stay emotionally engaged?
emotional connection builds confidence
Emotional connection builds confidence
Emotional connection builds confidence
Familiar voices help children stay focused longer.
Familiar voices help children stay focused longer.
Familiar voices help children stay focused longer.
Personalization increases motivation
Personalization increases motivation
Personalization increases motivation
Drawing and recording create emotional ownership.
Drawing and recording create emotional ownership.
Drawing and recording create emotional ownership.
Creative interaction fosters expression
Creative interaction fosters expression
Creative interaction fosters self-expression
Children can express themselves without speech.
Children can express themselves without speech.
Children can express themselves without speech.
From Recognition to Emotional Connection
From Recognition to Emotional Connection
From Recognition to Emotional Connection
The learning flow was designed to feel personal, sensory, and emotionally guided.
The learning flow was designed to feel personal, sensory, and emotionally guided.
The learning flow was designed to feel personal, sensory, and emotionally guided.
The interface connects recognition, creation, and feedback into one continuous learning loop.
Interface & screen flow
Interface & screen flow
Interface & screen flow
However, early testing revealed that even emotionally guided systems can create unintended friction when structure and hierarchy are unclear.
However, early testing revealed that even emotionally guided systems can create unintended friction when structure and hierarchy are unclear.
However, early testing revealed that even emotionally guided systems can create unintended friction when structure and hierarchy are unclear.
Usability Testing & Iteration
Usability Testing & Iteration
Usability Testing & Iteration
Usability testing was conducted to evaluate whether the prototype supported child-focused interaction and natural exploration.
Usability testing was conducted to evaluate whether the prototype supported child-focused interaction and natural exploration.
Usability testing was conducted to evaluate whether the prototype supported child-focused interaction and natural exploration.
The focus was on identifying moments of confusion, distraction, and limited engagement.
The focus was on identifying moments of confusion, distraction, and limited engagement.
The focus was on identifying moments of confusion, distraction, and limited engagement.
Navigation Confusion (Parent Feedback)
Navigation Confusion (Parent Feedback)
Navigation Confusion (Parent Feedback)
"Edit and Vocabulary modes are confusing, and my son was trying to click them."
"Edit and Vocabulary modes are confusing, and my son was trying to click them."
"Edit and Vocabulary modes are confusing, and my son was trying to click them."
Usability Insight:
Children were visually drawn to caregiver-only controls.
Usability Insight:
Children were visually drawn to caregiver-only controls.
Usability Insight:
Children were visually drawn to caregiver-only controls.
Design Response:
Caregiver functions needed to be visually separated
to maintain a child-focused interface.
Design Response:
Caregiver functions needed to be visually separated
to maintain a child-focused interface.
Design Response:
Caregiver functions needed to be visually separated
to maintain a child-focused interface.
Low Exploration (Teacher Feedback)
Low Exploration (Teacher Feedback)
Low Exploration (Teacher Feedback)
"The student clicked only certain topic cards that he was interested in."
"The student clicked only certain topic cards that he was interested in."
"The student clicked only certain topic cards that he was interested in."
Usability Insight:
Children tended to repeat only familiar categories and avoided new vocabulary.
Usability Insight:
Children tended to repeat only familiar categories and avoided new vocabulary.
Usability Insight:
Children tended to repeat only familiar categories and avoided new vocabulary.
Design Response:
Instead of instructions or rewards, subtle visual and narrative cues were added to gently invite exploration.
Design Response:
Instead of instructions or rewards, subtle visual and narrative cues were added to gently invite exploration.
Design Response:
Instead of instructions or rewards, subtle visual and narrative cues were added to gently invite exploration.
Outcome
Outcome
Outcome
As a result, voluntary interaction increased by 1.5×, with broader exploration across categories.
As a result, voluntary interaction increased by 1.5×, with broader exploration across categories.
Key screens
Key screens
Key screens
A Safe and Supportive Speaking Practice with a Familiar Voice
A Safe and Supportive Speaking Practice with a Familiar Voice
A Safe and Supportive Speaking Practice with a Familiar Voice
By allowing caregivers or teachers to record their own voices onto vocabulary cards, the app reduces anxiety toward unfamiliar sounds and encourages children to engage in speech naturally and with confidence.
By allowing caregivers or teachers to record their own voices onto vocabulary cards, the app reduces anxiety toward unfamiliar sounds and encourages children to engage in speech naturally and with confidence.
By allowing caregivers or teachers to record their own voices onto vocabulary cards, the app reduces anxiety toward unfamiliar sounds and encourages children to engage in speech naturally and with confidence.
Building Attachment Through Self-Created Cards
Building Attachment Through Self-Created Cards
Building Attachment Through Self-Created Cards
By drawing their own vocabulary cards, children develop emotional attachment to words and engage more actively in speech practice.
By drawing their own vocabulary cards, children develop emotional attachment to words and engage more actively in speech practice.
By drawing their own vocabulary cards, children develop emotional attachment to words and engage more actively in speech practice.
Key Micro Interaction from iterate
Key Micro Interaction from iterate
Key Micro Interaction from iterate
Learning that moves at a child's rhythm
Learning that moves at a child's rhythm
Learning that moves at a child's rhythm
Mavo turns word learning into a tactile, emotionally guided experience. Children tap or swipe cards to hear familiar voices and learn at a pace that feels safe and natural.
Mavo turns word learning into a tactile, emotionally guided experience. Children tap or swipe cards to hear familiar voices and learn at a pace that feels safe and natural.
Mavo turns word learning into a tactile, emotionally guided experience. Children tap or swipe cards to hear familiar voices and learn at a pace that feels safe and natural.
Learning that feels like a conversation
Learning that feels like a conversation
Learning that feels like a conversation
A friendly mascot guides children with warm voice prompts, keeping interactions supportive rather than instructional.
A friendly mascot guides children with warm voice prompts, keeping interactions supportive rather than instructional.
A friendly mascot guides children with warm voice prompts, keeping interactions supportive rather than instructional.
Prototyping the Experience
Prototyping the Experience
Prototyping the Experience
Recognition, creation, and feedback form one continuous learning loop.
Recognition, creation, and feedback form one continuous learning loop.
Recognition, creation, and feedback form one continuous learning loop.
Reflection
Reflection
Reflection
Designing emotion, not instruction
Designing emotion, not instruction
Designing emotion, not instruction
Emotional design proved to be about pacing, tone, and trust. Not features.
Emotional design proved to be about pacing, tone, and trust. Not features.
Emotional design proved to be about pacing, tone, and trust. Not features.
Simple, predictable feedback outperformed complex or reward-driven systems.
Simple, predictable feedback outperformed complex or reward-driven systems.
Simple, predictable feedback outperformed complex or reward-driven systems.
Read more of my other projects
Read more of my other projects
Read more of my other projects
