Konix

Konix

Turning Hangul into a game system for young learners.

Turning Hangul into a game system for young learners.

Turning Hangul into a game system for young learners.

Product Designer
Ages 6–12
3 learning tracks
Classroom + usability tested

THE PRODUCT INSIGHT

Korean isn't learned one letter at a time.

Learners were being asked to memorize words before understanding the system underneath them. I focused the experience on how Hangul components combine into readable syllable blocks.

Learn the system → decode new words

ㅎ

ㅎ

+

+

ㅏ

ㅏ

+

+

ㄴ

ㄴ

=

=

한

한

Research & iteration

We spoke with teachers, observed classroom sessions, and tested with young learners to understand real behaviors, not just opinions.

Users

Teachers

Classroom experience and curriculum needs

Classroom experience and curriculum needs

Students

Ages 6–12
Different skill levels

Ages 6–12
Different skill levels

Methods

Interviews

Semi-structured

Semi-structured

Usability testing

Classroom + online

Classroom + online

Observation

Real play sessions
Breakdowns

Real play sessions
Breakdowns

Key insights → Design response

Our findings shaped three key design principles that guided every game and every screen.

Attention dropped quickly

Games under two minutes with immediate feedback.

Games under two minutes with immediate feedback.

Sound changed engagement

Pronunciation, voice feedback and sound effects throughout gameplay.

Pronunciation, voice feedback and sound effects throughout gameplay.

Progress motivated repetition

Completion stickers and visible progress.

Completion stickers and visible progress.

Turning Hangul structure into an interaction

Learning goal

Learning goal

Design question / Early sketch / Reference

Design question / Early sketch / Reference

Prototype

Prototype

Final UI

Final UI

One learning system. Three stages.

Foundation → Building → Mastery

Track 01 · Violet Blue + Pink

Hangul

Basic vowels → tricky vowels → Y-diphthongs → W-diphthongs → plain, aspirated and tense consonants → final consonants.

Basic vowels → tricky vowels → Y-diphthongs → W-diphthongs → plain, aspirated and tense consonants → final consonants.

Track 02 · Green + Orange

Words

Animals, body, clothing, colour, fruit, numbers, transport, sports, places, feelings, occupations, illness, cooking, and motion verbs.

Animals, body, clothing, colour, fruit, numbers, transport, sports, places, feelings, occupations, illness, cooking, and motion verbs.

Track 03 · Blue + Orange

Grammar

Sentence endings, connectors, particles.
Needed the same browsing model, with room for explanation.

Sentence endings, connectors, particles.
Needed the same browsing model, with room for explanation.

Main Game Page

Main Game Page

Game Intro Page

Game Intro Page

Block Master Game

Block Master Game

The scoring economy

The scoring economy

Rewards weren't decoration. They shaped behavior.

Rewards weren't decoration. They shaped behavior.

Easy achievements encouraged momentum. Harder achievements created longer-term goals.

Easy achievements encouraged momentum. Harder achievements created longer-term goals.

Game

Game

Guess Odd

Guess Odd

Guess Odd

Guess Odd

Cost of a wrong answer

Cost of a wrong answer

Panelty

Panelty

Hangul · Match Attack

Hangul
· Match Attack

4 × 3 grid · +50 correct

4 × 3 grid · +50 correct

~8%

~8%

-7

-7

Grammar · Match Attack

Grammar
· Match Attack

4 × 4 grid · +60 correct

4 × 4 grid · +60 correct

~6%

~6%

-9

-9

Words · Match Attack

Words
· Match Attack

4 × 4 grid, image + audio · +50 correct

4 × 4 grid, image
+ audio · +50 correct

~6%

~6%

-12

-12

Grammar · Grammar Master

Grammar
· Grammar Master

4 options · +50 correct

4 options · +50 correct

25%

25%

-12

-12

Grammar · Yes or No

Grammar
· Yes or No

2 options · +50 correct

2 options · +50 correct

50%

50%

-17

-17

Design principle

Reward effort frequently enough to sustain motivation — without making progress meaningless.

Outcome

Live, in classrooms, and instrumented.

Analytics were specified and wired before launch, not bolted on after — completion, replay, drop-off point and error selection per game–level. That last one is the one I care about: because every distractor has a known meaning, wrong answers come back as diagnosis rather than noise.

Analytics were specified and wired before launch, not bolted on after — completion, replay, drop-off point and error selection per game–level. That last one is the one I care about: because every distractor has a known meaning, wrong answers come back as diagnosis rather than noise.

0%

0%

Game completion rate, up from the initial prototype

0%

0%

Game completion rate, up from the initial prototype

0%

0%

Game completion rate, up from the initial prototype

0%

0%

Positive feedback from teachers and parents

0%

0%

Positive feedback from teachers and parents

0%

0%

Positive feedback from teachers and parents

0

0

Game types across three content tracks

0

0

Game types across three content tracks

0

0

Game types across three content tracks

"Finally, a tool that teaches how to read, not just vocabulary."

"Finally, a tool that teaches how to read, not just vocabulary."

Teachers

"My child can now sound out any Korean word they see"

"My child can now sound out any Korean word they see"

Parents

"Now it's fun to do Korean school homework."

"Now it's fun to do Korean school homework."

Students

NEXT OPPORTUNITY

Adaptive learning from error patterns

The game already produces signals about which distractors learners repeatedly choose. A future adaptive layer could use those patterns to recommend the next level or extra practice.

GAMEPLAY SIGNALS

GAMEPLAY SIGNALS

repeated error patterns

repeated error patterns

AI RECOMMENDATION

AI RECOMMENDATION

suggest practice / difficulty

suggest practice / difficulty

Class-level error patterns are the most valuable thing the product generates, and currently nobody sees them. This is where I'd spend the next quarter.

LEARNER OR TEACHER

LEARNER OR TEACHER

accept · change · ignore

accept · change · ignore

Class-level error patterns are the most valuable thing the product generates, and currently nobody sees them. This is where I'd spend the next quarter.

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