(final assignment for course 2 of the Calarts UI/UX Design Specialization)

Easy and fun way to learn kanji!

MIKANA is a Japanese kana learning app that uses radicals and mnemonics to make kanji easier to remember. Learning the Japanese writing system is one of the biggest challenges of learning this language. With the help of mini-games, handwritten character recognition, and a handy dictionary, the Mikana app effectively teaches Japanese kana and basic vocabulary.

Main functions:‍

• Teach kanji characters with radicals and mnemonics
• Teach vocabulary with radicals and mnemonics
  Have handwritten character recognition tests and mini-games for revision
• Have a dictionary to check kanji/words and add them to new lessons

User personas:

1. A 26-year-old woman working as a programmer. She recently got a job offer in an international company, and now she's transferred to the Tokyo office. She knows basic 150 kanji characters but looks for a way to quickly learn more characters without getting overwhelmed or confused. She likes learning apps that aren't too serious.
2. A 16-year-old boy who likes anime decided to learn Japanese. It's hard for him to learn a new language and keep up with school. He uses learning apps while waiting for a bus to help him remember material learned during Japanese language lessons.
3. A 20-year-old Japanese language major university student. She wants a fun way to keep up with her studies.
4. A 30-year-old woman who wants to read a book in Japanese. This is why she wants to learn advanced kanji.

Client/designer goals:‍

• Help others learn the Japanese writing system
• Provide a helpful app and learning system
• Earn money through a subscription
• Build a community of language learning enthusiasts

Examples of existing apps (2021):‍

1. Kanji Study - made for learning kanji, can also be a dictionary, has many great options like checking radicals, and you can write kanji characters.
2. Scripts - for learning Japanese kana, when introducing a new kanji for the first time, there's a simple mnemonic drawing, you can write the kanji characters
3. Toki's Kanji Cards - uses mnemonic cards to learn kanji and vocabulary; you can't write kanji characters.

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