Duolingo

Initial Frustrations with Duolingo

In December 2023, I joined Duolingo to improve my Japanese, but quickly encountered frustrations, particularly with the gamified learning features. As a UX student, I began redesigning the system and discovered that others on Reddit shared my concerns.

Research and Analysis

To understand these issues better, I initiated a netnography study. I identified key problems with Duolingo’s user experience—especially the ads and limited daily use, which frustrate users.

While Duolingo aims to provide free language education, 80% of its revenue comes from just 10% of its users, and the company relies heavily on A/B testing for user engagement rather than improving the learning experience. Despite having 12 times more downloads than Babbel, Duolingo's revenue remains lower.

Duolingo Max Concerns

The introduction of Duolingo Max, a $30/month AI-powered subscription tier, seemed more focused on short-term revenue than on enhancing long-term user satisfaction. My research, including qualitative interviews, supported this concern. The AI features didn’t seem compelling enough to justify the cost, especially with similar experiences available for free elsewhere.

Key Objectives and Further Study

My study identified three key goals:

1. Increase premium subscribers.
2. Develop desirable features that provide genuine value.
3. Establish sustainable growth without relying on ads.

To better understand the curriculum, I enrolled in a Japanese class and leveraged my connections with Japan Society in New York to conduct an experimental study. This research informed the development of features with strong potential to meet these goals.

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