Testing It Out

Creating an app without feedback is like building a house without ever walking through it.

It might look solid from the outside, but the real problems only show up when someone steps inside and trips on an uneven floorboard.

My Journey

The idea for Ground Level Languages has been brewing in my mind for a while so when I started building it a few weeks ago, I already knew the general direction I wanted it to go. No translations, no writing, and comprehensible input through simple stories. In the process, I discovered new ideas that, to me, would make the concept more memorable. Like, having seeds that give previews of a language before selecting it.

But there lies the biggest issue: to me.

I understand exactly what I want, why I want it, and how I want to do it. I know the problem I want to solve and have crafted a system that I think will tackle each issue piece-by-piece. It all makes perfect sense to me.

And if I was making this only for my personal use, that would be enough.

But I'm not.

The ultimate goal is for everyone to benefit from what I think has the potential to be a relatively novel and effective tool for language acquisition. Up until now, though, I've been the only one walking through this "house" that I'm building.

But if I'm going to be making something for everyone to use then it makes sense that my eyes shouldn't be the only one to see it.

Why Now?

After my first recording session, I got some valuable feedback that highlighted things that needed improvement. Most notably that some sections aren't as clear as I thought. I'm still quite early in development so I already know I have a lot to fix. It would be a surprise if I didn't.

What the experience showed me, though, was that maybe I should be getting more feedback along the way.

That was my original plan.

Now, I'm thinking it's better to get feedback as early as possible even though I still have a long way to go.

Personally, it would suck if I made what I feel like is a complete app only to have to tear it all down and start over. I would rather make small tweaks along the way instead of a total refactor later.

What I’m Trying to Learn

I am not trying to prove that the app is finished.

It is not.

What I want to know is much simpler:

• Do people understand what to do?
• Does the listening-first idea make sense?
• Do the images help, or do they confuse people?
• Does the lack of translation feel interesting or frustrating?
• Which parts feel alive, and which parts feel like dead decoration?

Those questions matter more right now than adding another story.

Launching a Demo

So, I have decided to launch a demo of what I'm currently working on.

As I've mentioned, I'm still extremely early in development. A lot of my ideas aren't implemented fully and I do not have a complete audio set. I have a long way to go before I'm ready for this to be used seriously.

But, I think I have enough to give a general idea of what I'm trying to do. And I'm early enough that even major criticsism will not set me back significantly.

With all of that being said, I’m launching the prototype demo here:

👉 Try the demo 👈

I don't know which version the demo will be by the time you, dear reader, stumble upon this article. But, your feedback would be greatly appreciated!