0 to 1 app design for an immersive Korean language learning app
Open Lab is a makerspace at the University of Pittsburgh that supports more than 1,000 members across students, faculty, and staff. I led an end-to-end redesign to simplify how users find and access resources, equipment, and training.
TIMELINE
April - July 2025
3 months
ROLE
UI/UX Designer
UX Researcher
Team
1 Developer
1 Copywriter
Skills
User Interviews
Information Architecture
Visual Design
CMS (WordPress)
OPPORTUNITY
Despite a large audience, educational mobile apps have low retention
SOLUTION
Delivering bite-sized content as immersive, story driven lessons
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Learn Korean in context
Lessons are built around real situations, introducing language as it naturally appears.
Clear hours and location
By placing icons at the top of the page, new visitors can quickly orient themselves and plan when to visit the space
Tie-in to community and social media
Images of members' work and redirects to social media provides a clear call to action
VALIDATION PLAN
Short-term goal: Test initial reactions and intent to adapt
To understand what problems the redesign should address, I went on-site to speak with members and staff. I recruited the most frequent members through the organization's AirTable database.
Long-term goal: Provide MVP and diary study to observe retention
To understand what problems the redesign should address, I went on-site to speak with members and staff. I recruited the most frequent members through the organization's AirTable database.
RESEARCH AND SYNTHESIS
Analyzing 6 competitors to find design opportunities
To understand what problems the redesign should address, I went on-site to speak with members and staff. I recruited the most frequent members through the organization's AirTable database.
Interviewing Korean learners found emphasis on real-world use
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"Sentences and words don't make sense out of context"
"Felt like learning language was secondary to the brand…want more casual integration to my life"
"There could be more relevant vocabulary"
"Don't like getting stuck at a level and want to progress at my own pace"
"Want to feel like I actually learned something I can use"
"Apps are supplementary — for in-depth lessons I'd go take a real course"
Defined MVP scope by prioritizing features and core flows
Members frequently asked staff for help finding training materials, hours, and booking links. Confusing navigation buried key actions, causing staff to handle questions the site should have answered.
13
interviews with members
AI-ASSISTED WORKFLOW
Rapid ideation and refinement with MagicPath AI
Since navigation is a structural problem, I focused on getting the content right first before thinking about visual design.
This was a great way to quickly make changes with the subject matter experts and organize content.
Prompts for images created with Nano Banana
Since navigation is a structural problem, I focused on getting the content right first before thinking about visual design.
CRAFT
Motion design reinforces key moments and elevates immersion
Since navigation is a structural problem, I focused on getting the content right first before thinking about visual design.
Planning for scale with variables and components
I implemented the redesigned pages in WordPress to test layout translation and responsiveness. Using a staging site helped refine interactions, fix alignment issues, and confirm that the design performed as intended across devices.
Motion design to reinforce key moments and elevate immersion
I implemented the redesigned pages in WordPress to test layout translation and responsiveness. Using a staging site helped refine interactions, fix alignment issues, and confirm that the design performed as intended across devices.
Responsive design: Implemented breakpoints for cross-platform consistency
Custom code: Wrote CSS and JS to better fine-tune behavior and overcome WordPress limitations
REFLECTION