ELOQ
Product that does the job of transcribing spoken words into text in real-time, allowing non-native English speakers to read, understand and contribute to ongoing conversations
Problem Statement
How can we make it easier for non-native English speakers in Canada to navigate conversations in the workplace?
Problem Background
Good communication is an important skill in any environment with human interactions, and when it comes to workplaces, good communication is an integral element of business success. A language is a communication tool and people need to understand each other for communication to be effective.
For immigrants moving into a new country, being able to communicate in the lingua franca of their home country is an important factor that boosts how engaged they are in the workplace, their contributions, and their eventual success. A Statistics Canada Research has shown that immigrants that are more skilled in their ability to communicate in English or French are more likely to be employed in higher-skilled jobs, whereas those who lack such skills are more likely to work in low-wage jobs.
User Pain Points
To understand and address this problem effectively, we conducted user interviews to be able to ascertain the pain points of non-native speakers who work with teams of native English speakers with different speaking styles.
Of the immigrant, and non-native English speakers that were interviewed:
- 67% said that they have a hard time understanding their colleagues' accents in the workplace.
“I work in a place where people speak differently from the way I speak. Being able to understand their accents will make me more productive at my job”.
- 50% said they preferred when their managers/colleagues communicated tasks to them via emails:
“I find it easier to get my tasks done when they come in the form of emails. When it’s verbal conversations, I struggle to hear the accent and I end up not being clear on what to do”
One user responded when asked for their major pain point in understanding their colleagues. The response was “They talk really fast, and I don’t always get their pronunciations. Because of that, I am less engaged during meetings, and it doesn’t help with my visibility at work”
Immigrants that are non-native English speakers need an easy way to process and understand speeches directed at them in the workplace.
Feedback
All users from the research mentioned the challenge of fast speaking and different pronunciations while another female user who worked in a male-denominated industry referred to the excessive use of sports references.
Landing on the Solution
Based on the pain points of our potential users we identified two main pain points - fast speaking and pronunciation.
For these non-native English speakers, it’s not the lack of basic understanding of the English language, but rather the accent of native English speakers in Canada and how fast they speak. So, these are the two jobs to be done the solution aims to address directly.
ELOQ will take out the frustration and communication barrier between native English speakers and non-native English speakers by creating text-based transcriptions of spoken words for easier understanding.
Explanation of the Solution
ELOQ makes active listening easier for non-native English speakers who have challenges understanding the speaking styles, accents, and pronunciations of native English speakers in Canada.
Users only have to use the product in getting transcribed text of words spoken to them and they can read, comprehend and process the information.
For ELOQ to be functional, the user must grant the product access to record audio in whatever setting they are.
Future Steps
I plan to continue with this project and work with a team that can build this project and launch it. I believe it is a solution that will help non-native English speakers develop better confidence in the workplace, improve their visibility and break down some of the communication barriers that exist today.
In the future, ELOQ can add more features based on user's needs and feedback.
Learnings
Product Manager Learnings:
Sophiat Bello
As a product manager, it is important to focus on understanding the problem and the job to be done. From my user interviews, I learnt a lot about the problem which guided me to ways to potentially solve the problem for users.
I also learnt to be very specific and spot on with my questions to users as it’s easy to get derailed in the conversation.
Designer Learnings:
Designer Learnings:
Jo Sturdivant
- Adapting to an Established Team: Joining the team in week 6 of 8 was challenging, as I had to quickly adapt to existing workflows, dynamics, and goals. This mirrors real-world situations where you often integrate into teams mid-project, and flexibility is essential.
- Work-Blocking for Efficiency: With only two weeks to complete the project, I learned the importance of a structured work-blocking system. This approach allowed me to manage my time effectively and meet deadlines under pressure.
- Making Data-Driven Design Decisions: Unlike my past projects, I had to rely on research conducted by others. This was a valuable experience in using pre-existing data to guide design decisions, helping me focus on the core insights without starting from scratch.
Developer Learnings:
Developer Learnings:
Vanady Beard
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As the back-end developer, I learned how important it is to create efficient and reliable systems that support the entire application. This experience also taught me the importance of optimising the database and ensuring the backend is scalable and easy to maintain.
Developer Learnings:
Stephen Asiedu
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As a back-end developer, I've come to understand the importance of being familiar with various database systems and modules. This knowledge enables me to build diverse applications and maintain versatility in my work. I've also learned that the responsibility for making the right choices rests on my shoulders, guided by my best judgement.
Developer Learnings:
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Developer Learnings:
Maurquise Williams
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- Process of Creating an MVP: Developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) taught me how to focus on delivering core functionalities balancing between essential features and avoiding scope creep.
- Collaboration in a Real-World Tech Setting: This experience taught me how to collaborate efficiently in a fast-paced tech environment, keeping the team aligned and productive, even while working remotely across time zones.
- Sharpening Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills: This experience honed my ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently. By tackling challenges and finding quick solutions, I sharpened my decision-making and troubleshooting skills in a dynamic, real-world setting.
Developer Learnings:
Jeremiah Williams
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All in all this experience was very awesome I learned that in coding with others being transparent is key
Developers Learnings:
Justin Farley
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I learned how important communication is when working with a team. Communication provides understanding, advice, ideas, and much more. While working with the product team, I’ve found that communication keeps everything flowing smoothly. Working with a team also showed me that every member brings something different to the table and we all have to work together in order to align and meet our end goal.