Digital Product
Digital Product
Case Study
Case Study
Language Resources for the Digital Age
How I designed an ever-growing network of tools, resources and dictionaries for contemporary Slovene. For users, with users.
CLIENT
CJVT, University of Ljubljana
CJVT, University
of Ljubljana
YEAR
2016–
TEAM SIZE
15+ People
ROLE
Product Designer
(Contracted)
01
Context
Is it "than" or "then"? What about "which" or "witch"? Wouldn't it be great if there were a place where one could easily find all the answers to their language-related questions? Even better, a place where one could research language to truly understand how it works? Well...
01
Context
Is it "than" or "then"? What about "which" or "witch"? Wouldn't it be great if there were a place where one could easily find all the answers to their language-related questions? Even better, a place where one could research language to truly understand how it works? Well...
01
Context
Is it "than" or "then"? What about "which" or "witch"? Wouldn't it be great if there were a place where one could easily find all the answers to their language-related questions? Even better, a place where one could research language to truly understand how it works? Well...
01
Context
Is it "than" or "then"? What about "which" or "witch"? Wouldn't it be great if there were a place where one could easily find all the answers to their language-related questions? Even better, a place where one could research language to truly understand how it works? Well...
Small Language, Big Vision
Small Language, Big Vision
Small Language, Big Vision
The Center for Language Resources and Technologies at the University of Ljubljana (CJVT) is a research unit dedicated to scientific research and the development of digital language resources and technologies for contemporary Slovene, enabling it to keep up with other languages in the digital world.
At the heart of their mission is to provide a language community, both general and professional, with free, accessible, web-based language resources, including dictionaries, corpora, lexicons, didactic tools, and more.
The Center for Language Resources and Technologies at the University of Ljubljana (CJVT) is a research unit dedicated to scientific research and the development of digital language resources and technologies for contemporary Slovene, enabling it to keep up with other languages in the digital world.
At the heart of their mission is to provide a language community, both general and professional, with free, accessible, web-based language resources, including dictionaries, corpora, lexicons, didactic tools, and more.
The Center for Language Resources and Technologies at the University of Ljubljana (CJVT) is a research unit dedicated to scientific research and the development of digital language resources and technologies for contemporary Slovene, enabling it to keep up with other languages in the digital world.
At the heart of their mission is to provide a language community, both general and professional, with free, accessible, web-based language resources, including dictionaries, corpora, lexicons, didactic tools, and more.
02
My Role
As the sole designer on the project, I was responsible for the entire design process, from conceptualizing individual resources to handing them over to the development team. To date, I have contributed to the release of a total of 15 language resources. More recently, I took the initiative to systematize the overall product range by establishing the UI design elements library. Consequently, some of the work displayed in this case study is not yet published.
02
My Role
As the sole designer on the project, I was responsible for the entire design process, from conceptualizing individual resources to handing them over to the development team. To date, I have contributed to the release of a total of 15 language resources. More recently, I took the initiative to systematize the overall product range by establishing the UI design elements library. Consequently, some of the work displayed in this case study is not yet published.
02
My Role
As the sole designer on the project, I was responsible for the entire design process, from conceptualizing individual resources to handing them over to the development team. To date, I have contributed to the release of a total of 15 language resources. More recently, I took the initiative to systematize the overall product range by establishing the UI design elements library. Consequently, some of the work displayed in this case study is not yet published.
02
My Role
As the sole designer on the project, I was responsible for the entire design process, from conceptualizing individual resources to handing them over to the development team. To date, I have contributed to the release of a total of 15 language resources. More recently, I took the initiative to systematize the overall product range by establishing the UI design elements library. Consequently, some of the work displayed in this case study is not yet published.
Diverse Team
The core project team consists of over 15 experts with diverse specialisations, including corpus linguists, e-lexicographers, LLM processing experts, user researchers, analysts, as well as front-end and back-end developers. Since the project nature, whole team work more or less remotely.
Diverse Team
The core project team consists of over 15 experts with diverse specialisations, including corpus linguists, e-lexicographers, LLM processing experts, user researchers, analysts, as well as front-end and back-end developers. Since the project nature, whole team work more or less remotely.
Diverse Team
The core project team consists of over 15 experts with diverse specialisations, including corpus linguists, e-lexicographers, LLM processing experts, user researchers, analysts, as well as front-end and back-end developers. Since the project nature, whole team work more or less remotely.
03
Challenge
Despite the numerous specific challenges associated with the individual resources, we identified four key areas crucial for the success of the network as a whole: consistency across the product range, the encouragement of user contributions, ensuring a quality experience for all user types, and enhancing network scalability.
03
Challenge
Despite the numerous specific challenges associated with the individual resources, we identified four key areas crucial for the success of the network as a whole: consistency across the product range, the encouragement of user contributions, ensuring a quality experience for all user types, and enhancing network scalability.
03
Challenge
Despite the numerous specific challenges associated with the individual resources, we identified four key areas crucial for the success of the network as a whole: consistency across the product range, the encouragement of user contributions, ensuring a quality experience for all user types, and enhancing network scalability.
03
Challenge
Despite the numerous specific challenges associated with the individual resources, we identified four key areas crucial for the success of the network as a whole: consistency across the product range, the encouragement of user contributions, ensuring a quality experience for all user types, and enhancing network scalability.
Consistency
Establishing a consistent, trustworthy, and recognisable user experience across the entire product range.
Consistency
Establishing a consistent, trustworthy, and recognisable user experience across the entire product range.
Consistency
Establishing a consistent, trustworthy, and recognisable user experience across the entire product range.
User Contribution
Encouraging the language community to actively contribute to the resources.
User Contribution
Encouraging the language community to actively contribute to the resources.
User Contribution
Encouraging the language community to actively contribute to the resources.
Serving All User Types
Ensuring a high-quality user experience for both regular and advanced users while avoiding unnecessary exposure to irrelevant information.
Serving All User Types
Ensuring a high-quality user experience for both regular and advanced users while avoiding unnecessary exposure to irrelevant information.
Serving All User Types
Ensuring a high-quality user experience for both regular and advanced users while avoiding unnecessary exposure to irrelevant information.
Network Scalability
Developing a framework that would efficiently accommodate a growth of the network.
Network Scalability
Developing a framework that would efficiently accommodate a growth of the network.
Network Scalability
Developing a framework that would efficiently accommodate a growth of the network.
04
Key Areas
Our process was highly influenced by the constraints of a standard academic research project, where objectives are defined in advance, and one must deliver on the promises made in the project application. From a digital product designer's perspective, working within predefined project constraints is surely a bigger challenge than having 'carte blanche' to develop a product from scratch.
04
Key Areas
Our process was highly influenced by the constraints of a standard academic research project, where objectives are defined in advance, and one must deliver on the promises made in the project application. From a digital product designer's perspective, working within predefined project constraints is surely a bigger challenge than having 'carte blanche' to develop a product from scratch.
04
Key Areas
Our process was highly influenced by the constraints of a standard academic research project, where objectives are defined in advance, and one must deliver on the promises made in the project application. From a digital product designer's perspective, working within predefined project constraints is surely a bigger challenge than having 'carte blanche' to develop a product from scratch.
04
Key Areas
Our process was highly influenced by the constraints of a standard academic research project, where objectives are defined in advance, and one must deliver on the promises made in the project application. From a digital product designer's perspective, working within predefined project constraints is surely a bigger challenge than having 'carte blanche' to develop a product from scratch.
Launch Quickly, Re-think Later
Soon, we realised that the project was more of a slow and steady marathon than a short, explosive sprint. That's why we adopted a strategy of swiftly releasing initial, unpolished versions (V1) and promptly began gathering user feedback, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the network's feature scope, and formulating strategies for potential updates and adjustments.
Launch Quickly, Re-think Later
Soon, we realised that the project was more of a slow and steady marathon than a short, explosive sprint. That's why we adopted a strategy of swiftly releasing initial, unpolished versions (V1) and promptly began gathering user feedback, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the network's feature scope, and formulating strategies for potential updates and adjustments.
Launch Quickly, Re-think Later
Soon, we realised that the project was more of a slow and steady marathon than a short, explosive sprint. That's why we adopted a strategy of swiftly releasing initial, unpolished versions (V1) and promptly began gathering user feedback, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the network's feature scope, and formulating strategies for potential updates and adjustments.
Ensuring Consistency
To ensure that users feel familiar and in control, our key priority with updated versions of the resources was to avoid implementing as many usability principles as there were resources. Instead, we reused key usability patterns and standardized the UI language across the network.
Ensuring Consistency
To ensure that users feel familiar and in control, our key priority with updated versions of the resources was to avoid implementing as many usability principles as there were resources. Instead, we reused key usability patterns and standardized the UI language across the network.
Ensuring Consistency
To ensure that users feel familiar and in control, our key priority with updated versions of the resources was to avoid implementing as many usability principles as there were resources. Instead, we reused key usability patterns and standardized the UI language across the network.
Finding Information Efficiently
We conducted user research to identify the most commonly sought-after information in each language resource and adjusted it accordingly. This ensures that essential linguistic information is readily available, while more specific details are accessible deeper within the interface. This approach allows the majority of users to quickly resolve their language problems without being overwhelmed by overly specific details.
Finding Information Efficiently
We conducted user research to identify the most commonly sought-after information in each language resource and adjusted it accordingly. This ensures that essential linguistic information is readily available, while more specific details are accessible deeper within the interface. This approach allows the majority of users to quickly resolve their language problems without being overwhelmed by overly specific details.
Finding Information Efficiently
We conducted user research to identify the most commonly sought-after information in each language resource and adjusted it accordingly. This ensures that essential linguistic information is readily available, while more specific details are accessible deeper within the interface. This approach allows the majority of users to quickly resolve their language problems without being overwhelmed by overly specific details.
Facilitating User Contribution
The key to the success of a responsive dictionary lies in the inclusion of its user community. It monitors the accuracy and relevance of the dictionary by providing feedback on automatically generated language information as well as provide missing one.
Facilitating User Contribution
The key to the success of a responsive dictionary lies in the inclusion of its user community. It monitors the accuracy and relevance of the dictionary by providing feedback on automatically generated language information as well as provide missing one.
Facilitating User Contribution
The key to the success of a responsive dictionary lies in the inclusion of its user community. It monitors the accuracy and relevance of the dictionary by providing feedback on automatically generated language information as well as provide missing one.
Unlocking Scalability
The project-based organizational nature of the project inspired us to pursue more systematic way of work. This resulted in establishement of a simple design library that helped us systematize the design production of the resources.
Unlocking Scalability
The project-based organizational nature of the project inspired us to pursue more systematic way of work. This resulted in establishement of a simple design library that helped us systematize the design production of the resources.
Unlocking Scalability
The project-based organizational nature of the project inspired us to pursue more systematic way of work. This resulted in establishement of a simple design library that helped us systematize the design production of the resources.
05
Results
Since I joined the project in 2016, we have developed a total of 15 products, although not all of them have been released yet. We've become the second most used language resource network for Slovene. Additionally, some of our resources, like the Thesaurus and Collocation Dictionary, stand as the most used resources for Slovene in their respective categories.
05
Results
Since I joined the project in 2016, we have developed a total of 15 products, although not all of them have been released yet. We've become the second most used language resource network for Slovene. Additionally, some of our resources, like the Thesaurus and Collocation Dictionary, stand as the most used resources for Slovene in their respective categories.
05
Results
Since I joined the project in 2016, we have developed a total of 15 products, although not all of them have been released yet. We've become the second most used language resource network for Slovene. Additionally, some of our resources, like the Thesaurus and Collocation Dictionary, stand as the most used resources for Slovene in their respective categories.
05
Results
Since I joined the project in 2016, we have developed a total of 15 products, although not all of them have been released yet. We've become the second most used language resource network for Slovene. Additionally, some of our resources, like the Thesaurus and Collocation Dictionary, stand as the most used resources for Slovene in their respective categories.
Scope
Since 2016 we have developed 15 language resources in three categories: dictionaries, corpora and language tools.
Scope
Since 2016 we have developed 15 language resources in three categories: dictionaries, corpora and language tools.
Scope
Since 2016 we have developed 15 language resources in three categories: dictionaries, corpora and language tools.
7
Dictionary
Resources
4
Corpora
Resources
4
Language
Tools
User Contribution
We believe that we have succeeded in creating a vibrant and active user community, especially within the Thesaurus Dictionary, where the community response has exceeded our wildest expectations.
User Contribution
We believe that we have succeeded in creating a vibrant and active user community, especially within the Thesaurus Dictionary, where the community response has exceeded our wildest expectations.
User Contribution
We believe that we have succeeded in creating a vibrant and active user community, especially within the Thesaurus Dictionary, where the community response has exceeded our wildest expectations.
1m+
Recorded Approval
& Disapproval Votes
140k+
User-added Entries
Across the Network
5k+
Contributing Users
Across the Network
30k+
Contributed Entries by
A single Most Active User
Consistency
Being completely honest, consistency could be improved across the network. One of the reasons for this is that we started standardising the network a bit too early. As a result, we had to change a few components midway, creating some legacy issues that we will need to address in the future. This is one of the drawbacks of project-based development, as updating the products isn't always possible.
06
Credits
06
Credits
06
Credits
06
Credits
CJVT
Dr. Špela Arhar Holdt
Dr. Simon Krek
Dr. Cyprian Laskowski
Dr. Iztok Kosem
Dr. Polona Gantar
Dr. Marko Robnik Šikonja
Dr. Jaka Čibej
Dr. Vojko Gorjanc
Dr. Bojan Klemenc
Dr. Kaja Dobrovoljc
ISSUED BY
Centre for Language Resources and Technologies, University of Ljubljana
DESIGN
Gašper Uršič
DEVELOPMENT
Leon Noe Jovan