During my summer 2024 internship at Desai Accelerator, I had the unique opportunity to collaborate with five startups across diverse industries. One of these was Verbalista, a multilingual communications assistant designed for LATAM teams. My role involved understanding how users enter and interact with the platform, identifying issues in the current design, and applying Verbalista’s core principles to make it more intuitive and user-friendly. I focused on optimizing the micro-interactions within the platform, ensuring a seamless user flow and reducing cognitive load for a more efficient and intuitive user experience.
Verbalista
Year
June '24 - Aug '24
Project
Microinteractions
Tools
Figma, FigJam
The Client
The UX Design Team
Aleena Qaiser
Amol Mendonca
The UX Design Team
Aleena Qaiser
Amol Mendonca
Roles & Responsibilities
Identifying client & user needs
UX Research
Design Audit
Design Development
Wireframing & Prototyping
The Challenge
Working in a second language is exhausting. Each email and message takes longer to write, typically requires revision, and many times a peer review. Today, non-bilingual professionals are stringing together multiple tools like Google Translate, ChatGPT, and Grammarly to get a sentence across. In order to express themselves, they need to context switch across multiple platforms - distracting from core workflows.
⏳
Time-consuming to write a sentence
Switching between multiple tools
What is Verbalista?
Verbalista is a professional translator to help LATAM teams be productive in English. Verbalista works everywhere you work so you can read or write fluently in your native language and get trustworthy output in a target language.
Target Audience
LATAM professionals working across English/Spanish/Portuguese.
A professional translator that gives English superpowers to LATAM teams.
The Challenge
Working in a second language is exhausting. Each email and message takes longer to write, typically requires revision, and many times a peer review. Today, non-bilingual professionals are stringing together multiple tools like Google Translate, ChatGPT, and Grammarly to get a sentence across. In order to express themselves, they need to context switch across multiple platforms - distracting from core workflows.
⏳
Time-consuming to write a sentence
Switching between multiple tools
What is Verbalista?
Verbalista is a professional translator to help LATAM teams be productive in English. Verbalista works everywhere you work so you can read or write fluently in your native language and get trustworthy output in a target language.
Target Audience
LATAM professionals working across English/Spanish/Portuguese.
A professional translator that gives English superpowers to LATAM teams.
The Current Solution
Verbalista makes all text on your computer directly translatable. Using Verbalista, non-bilingual professionals can express themselves in their native language and get reliable English translations in-place.
The current design features a popover where users input their native language for direct translation. However, we explored alternative approaches to make the design more intuitive, as typing into a popover, rather than a native app text field, feels unnatural and disorienting. Further discussion on this can be found in the Ideating the "Write" Experience section.
Verbalista makes all text on your computer directly translatable. Using Verbalista, non-bilingual professionals can express themselves in their native language and get reliable English translations in-place.
The current design features a popover where users input their native language for direct translation. However, we explored alternative approaches to make the design more intuitive, as typing into a popover, rather than a native app text field, feels unnatural and disorienting. Further discussion on this can be found in the Ideating the "Write" Experience section.
The "Write" Experience
Since our goal was to map the user flow for someone looking to use Verbalista to translate their message, several key questions emerged:
With all of these questions in mind, we tackled them one by one by focusing first on the writing experience which was broadly categorized as:
Short
quick responses via messages and comments
Medium
paragraph-size messages typically found in email
Long
longer documentation that is built over a period of time & may have multiple contributors.
This design project is mainly focused on the short category – targeted at messages, comments and other small, high-frequency communication methods.
For short messages, we further identified two different categories on how we could present the messages:
Simultaneous Translation
Live translation via popover
Live translation via bubble
Sequential Translation
Grammarly inspired
Popover upon selection
Mini-menu upon selection
The founders stressed the importance of incorporating their principles into each detail of Verbalista's design.
Every action should make you feel smart
Verbalista does not write for you, it writes with you
The "Write" Experience
Since our goal was to map the user flow for someone looking to use Verbalista to translate their message, several key questions emerged:
For short messages, we further identified two different categories on how we could present the messages:
Simultaneous Translation
Live translation via popover
Live translation via bubble
Sequential Translation
Grammarly inspired
Popover upon selection
Mini-menu upon selection
With all of these questions in mind, we tackled them one by one by focusing first on the writing experience which was broadly categorized as:
This design project is mainly focused on the short category – targeted at messages, comments and other small, high-frequency communication methods.
Short
quick responses via messages and comments
Short
paragraph-size messages typically found in email
Medium
longer documentation that is built over a period of time & may have multiple contributors.
The founders stressed the importance of incorporating their principles into each detail of Verbalista's design.
Every action should make you feel smart
Verbalista does not write for you, it writes with you
The "Write" Experience
Since our goal was to map the user flow for someone looking to use Verbalista to translate their message, several key questions emerged:
With all of these questions in mind, we tackled them one by one by focusing first on the writing experience which was broadly categorized as:
Short
quick responses via messages and comments
Medium
paragraph-size messages typically found in email
Long
longer documentation that is built over a period of time & may have multiple contributors.
This design project is mainly focused on the short category – targeted at messages, comments and other small, high-frequency communication methods.
For short messages, we further identified two different categories on how we could present the messages:
Simultaneous Translation
Live translation via popover
Live translation via bubble
Sequential Translation
Grammarly inspired
Popover upon selection
Mini-menu upon selection
The founders stressed the importance of incorporating their principles into each detail of Verbalista's design.
Every action should make you feel smart
Verbalista does not write for you, it writes with you
User Flow Diagrams
To establish a common foundation, the client suggested we begin by ideating around the experience of familiar messaging apps like iMessage or WhatsApp for iOS. Our primary focus:
How do users initially enter and interact with Verbalista?
Amol and I took a deep dive into analyzing the workflows of Grammarly, identifying potential gaps we could address, and brainstorming new workflows to test their impact on the user experience. This ideation process culminated in a comprehensive FigJam file, which we presented during a Design Sprint to gather feedback from Adrian Pittman, former Head of UX Design at Google and LinkedIn.
To establish a common foundation, the client suggested we begin by ideating around the experience of familiar messaging apps like iMessage or WhatsApp for iOS. Our primary focus:
How do users initially enter and interact with Verbalista?
Amol and I took a deep dive into analyzing the workflows of Grammarly, identifying potential gaps we could address, and brainstorming new workflows to test their impact on the user experience. This ideation process culminated in a comprehensive FigJam file, which we presented during a Design Sprint to gather feedback from Adrian Pittman, former Head of UX Design at Google and LinkedIn.
Simultaneous Translation vs. Sequential Translation
Ideating the "Write" Experience
We began by mapping out the workflow for the current approach - simultaneous translation - exploring options such as using a popover or a bubble.
We began by mapping out the workflow for the current approach - simultaneous translation - exploring options such as using a popover or a bubble.
Simultaneous Translation
Popover
Bubble
Pros
💪 Enhanced user control
Live translation as you type creates a feeling of having "language superpowers," empowering the user.
✨ Potential for text animations
Inspired by WWDC-style animations, these could enhance the experience and make it more engaging.
⏱️ Increased efficiency
Reduces time spent on translations, leading to quicker and more efficient work.
Cons
🚫 Typing in a pop-up feels unnatural:
It creates a barrier compared to using the native text box, interrupting the flow.
🖱️ Unintuitive interaction
Clicking first to activate the pop-up before typing feels less seamless than directly typing into a native text field.
🔄 Disorientation risk
Moving the pop-up elsewhere could be disorienting, as typing in one place while the output appears in another can confuse users.
🧩 Limited scalability
Pop-ups can be awkwardly placed in constrained environments and difficult to scale for different screen sizes or layouts.
Sequential Translation
Grammarly Style
Popover upon selection
Mini-menu Option
Pros
🖋️ Native text box experience
Typing directly into the text box feels more natural and scalable compared to using a pop-up on the side.
🎮 Increased user control
Offers more flexibility, allowing users to take additional actions once the phrase is fully written.
🧠 Reduced cognitive load
No live text streaming minimizes distractions, helping users stay focused on their input.
🚂 Maintain train of thought
Delayed translation, after typing, prevents interruptions from a live feed and helps users concentrate better.
Cons
🐢 More steps involved
The process might take longer, as the entire message is typed before the translation is shown and possibly edited afterward.
⚠️ Potential issues with autodetection
Automatic language detection could trigger inaccurately, depending on the context of the conversation.
Revised Designs
Focusing on the WhatsApp for iOS environment, we realized that when text is selected, WhatsApp has its own popover. Our challenge was to incorporate our own popover without interfering with the app's native elements.
I designed various iterations of this flow, while taking feedback from the founders throughout the process.
The Onboarding
Our Focus
The focus of the onboarding flow was to familiarize user with the reading and writing with Verbalista and make them feel like they have superpowers. We approached this by making the process interactive with step by step instructions and giving the users a glimpse of what it is like using Verbalista in different contexts.
The Wireframes
The focus of the onboarding flow was to familiarize user with the reading and writing with Verbalista and make them feel like they have superpowers. We approached this by making the process interactive with step by step instructions and giving the users a glimpse of what it is like using Verbalista in different contexts.
Onboarding Flow
Onboarding Flow
Learning Outcomes
🌟Learned effective design presentation
The founders guided us on how to organize and present our design work like industry leaders at companies such as LinkedIn.
🎯Attention to detail
I discovered the significance of every design element, as even minor inaccuracies—such as popovers being activated incorrectly—can lead to poor user experiences. This motivated our team to swiftly address such issues.
❓The importance of inquiry
I learned to ask questions and clarify any confusion early on, which enhances understanding of the product and enables the delivery of high-quality solutions.
Revised Designs
Focusing on the WhatsApp for iOS environment, we realized that when text is selected, WhatsApp has its own popover. Our challenge was to incorporate our own popover without interfering with the app's native elements.
I designed various iterations of this flow, while taking feedback from the founders throughout the process.
The Onboarding
Our Focus
The focus of the onboarding flow was to familiarize user with the reading and writing with Verbalista and make them feel like they have superpowers. We approached this by making the process interactive with step by step instructions and giving the users a glimpse of what it is like using Verbalista in different contexts.
The Wireframes
The focus of the onboarding flow was to familiarize user with the reading and writing with Verbalista and make them feel like they have superpowers. We approached this by making the process interactive with step by step instructions and giving the users a glimpse of what it is like using Verbalista in different contexts.
Onboarding Flow
Onboarding Flow
Feedback from Design Sprint
Speed is crucial
Speed is a crucial element to consider in live chat as compared to emails.
Prioritize fewer steps
It is best to minimize the number of clicks to ensure smooth and simple user flow.
There are 3 possible ways to translate
Translate on send (more suitable when the user completely trusts the platform)
Translate on pause
Translate on button press
Eloquent degradation
Emphasize functionality and user experience continuity across various technological environments.
Emphasize functionality and user experience continuity across various technological environments.
Feedback from Users
The founders, along with the Developers Team, created a Demo version of Verbalista which they distributed to whoever was interested. They collected the data on Google Sheets and shared it with the UX Design Team.
Revised Designs
While working within the WhatsApp for iOS environment, we observed that selecting text activates WhatsApp's native popover.
Our challenge was to integrate our own popover seamlessly without disrupting these native elements. The image below displays WhatsApp’s built-in popover.
I crafted multiple iterations of this flow, continuously refining the design based on feedback from the founders at each stage of the process.
The Onboarding
Our Focus
The primary goal of the onboarding flow was to familiarize users with the reading and writing functionalities of Verbalista while empowering them with a sense of having "superpowers." We achieved this by designing an interactive process that features step-by-step instructions, allowing users to experience Verbalista in various contexts and understand its capabilities more fully.
The Wireframes
Below are the initial wireframes that Amol and I designed to kickstart this phase of the project. The founders expressed their appreciation for our focus on simplicity, emphasizing that we prioritized the placement and flow of the screens over intricate details. They highlighted their desire for the onboarding process to be interactive and provide users with a hands-on experience.
Onboarding Flow
Learning Outcomes
🌟Learned effective design presentation
The founders guided us on how to organize and present our design work like industry leaders at companies such as LinkedIn.
🎯Attention to detail
I discovered the significance of every design element, as even minor inaccuracies—such as popovers being activated incorrectly—can lead to poor user experiences. This motivated our team to swiftly address such issues.
❓The importance of inquiry
I learned to ask questions and clarify any confusion early on, which enhances understanding of the product and enables the delivery of high-quality solutions.
Check out more projects!
Check out more projects!
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Made by
Aleena Qaiser
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Made by
Aleena Qaiser
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Made by
Aleena Qaiser