ReadingBuddy
ReadingBuddy is a concept project of an AI-assisted reading platform that tracks spoken words in real time and provides teachers with insights into student reading performance.
ReadingBuddy is a concept project of an AI-assisted reading platform that tracks spoken words in real time and provides teachers with insights into student reading performance.
ReadingBuddy tracks spoken words in real time as students read.
ReadingBuddy tracks spoken words in real time as students read.
ReadingBuddy tracks spoken words in real time as students read.
Project type
Concept project
Concept project
Date
July 2025 - 6 hours
July 2025 - 6 hours
Role
UX/UI Designer
UX/UI Designer
Tools
Figma
Figma
The Challenge
Reading aloud is an important part of developing reading fluency, but teachers rarely have the time to monitor each student individually. Tracking accuracy, pace and pronunciation usually requires direct supervision.
The challenge was to explore how a digital platform could support this process by automatically tracking spoken words and presenting useful feedback after the reading session.
The solution needed to remain simple enough for young readers while still providing meaningful insights for teachers.
Reading aloud is an important part of developing reading fluency, but teachers rarely have the time to monitor each student individually. Tracking accuracy, pace and pronunciation usually requires direct supervision.
The challenge was to explore how a digital platform could support this process by automatically tracking spoken words and presenting useful feedback after the reading session.
The solution needed to remain simple enough for young readers while still providing meaningful insights for teachers.
Solution
The concept follows a simple flow that guides the student through preparation, reading and performance review.
The experience consists of four main states:
The concept follows a simple flow that guides the student through preparation, reading and performance review.
The experience consists of four main states:
Microphone preparation
Microphone preparation
Idle reading state
Idle reading state
Live reading tracking
Live reading tracking
Performance summary
Performance summary
Concept Overview
Real-time reading tracking
A key idea behind the concept is allowing the system to follow the student’s reading in real time.
As the platform detects spoken words, the text is progressively highlighted so the reading session becomes visually trackable. This allows both the student and teacher to understand how the reading progressed.
This idea formed the next design focus points:
A key idea behind the concept is allowing the system to follow the student’s reading in real time.
As the platform detects spoken words, the text is progressively highlighted so the reading session becomes visually trackable. This allows both the student and teacher to understand how the reading progressed.
This idea formed the next design focus points:
Word-by-word speech detection
Word-by-word speech detection
Visual feedback directly inside the text
Visual feedback directly inside the text
Minimal interface during reading
Minimal interface during reading
Preparing the microphone
Before the reading session begins, the platform first confirms that the student’s microphone is working correctly.
The student is asked to say the title of the story aloud as a sound test, allowing the system to detect the microphone input and prepare the reading interface.
This step prevents technical interruptions and gives the student a clear starting point.
Before the reading session begins, the platform first confirms that the student’s microphone is working correctly.
The student is asked to say the title of the story aloud as a sound test, allowing the system to detect the microphone input and prepare the reading interface.
This step prevents technical interruptions and gives the student a clear starting point.
Preparation screen allowing students to test their microphone before reading.
Preparation screen allowing students to test their microphone before reading.
Idle reading state
The idle state represents the moment just before the student begins reading.
The interface is intentionally minimal. The text is placed at the center of the screen with very little surrounding UI so the student’s attention stays focused on the story.
The idle state represents the moment just before the student begins reading.
The interface is intentionally minimal. The text is placed at the center of the screen with very little surrounding UI so the student’s attention stays focused on the story.
This gave further design considerations:
This gave further design considerations:
Large readable typography
Large readable typography
Calm and distraction-free layout
Calm and distraction-free layout
Clear starting point for reading
Clear starting point for reading
Idle state of the reading interface before the session begins.
Idle state of the reading interface before the session begins.
Live reading state
Once the student starts reading, the platform begins listening and tracking spoken words in real time.
As the system detects speech, words are highlighted directly in the text so the reading progress becomes visible during the session. The text is divided into smaller paragraphs to keep the reading task manageable and reduce visual overload for early readers.
The layout keeps the story centered on the screen, allowing the student to focus on the text without surrounding distractions.
Once the student starts reading, the platform begins listening and tracking spoken words in real time.
As the system detects speech, words are highlighted directly in the text so the reading progress becomes visible during the session. The text is divided into smaller paragraphs to keep the reading task manageable and reduce visual overload for early readers.
The layout keeps the story centered on the screen, allowing the student to focus on the text without surrounding distractions.
Real-time word highlighting allows the platform to track reading progress as speech is detected.
Real-time word highlighting allows the platform to track reading progress as speech is detected.
3.1. Feedback variation
To explore additional feedback possibilities, an alternative version introduced subtle color indicators showing how each word was read - mispronounced, repeated, skipped and similar.
To explore additional feedback possibilities, an alternative version introduced subtle color indicators showing how each word was read - mispronounced, repeated, skipped and similar.
Alternative feedback concept showing pronunciation accuracy through subtle color indicators.
Alternative feedback concept showing pronunciation accuracy through subtle color indicators.
Performance summary
After the reading session ends, the platform generates a summary of the student’s performance.
The results screen gathers key metrics in one place so teachers can quickly understand how the student performed without reviewing the entire reading session.
Information includes:
After the reading session ends, the platform generates a summary of the student’s performance.
The results screen gathers key metrics in one place so teachers can quickly understand how the student performed without reviewing the entire reading session.
Information includes:
Reading accuracy
Reading accuracy
Fluency score
Fluency score
Words per minute
Words per minute
Reading duration
Reading duration
Mispronounced or skipped words
Mispronounced or skipped words
Reading insights generated after the session is completed.
Reading insights generated after the session is completed.
Idle state of the reading interface before the session begins.
Design Considerations
Real-time word highlighting allows the platform to track reading progress as speech is detected.
The platforms interface balances the needs of two different users: students and teachers.
Students require a focused environment that encourages reading without unnecessary distractions. Teachers need clear and concise insights that allow them to quickly assess reading performance.
Key design decisions here are:
The platforms interface balances the needs of two different users: students and teachers.
Students require a focused environment that encourages reading without unnecessary distractions. Teachers need clear and concise insights that allow them to quickly assess reading performance.
Key design decisions here are:
Minimal interface during reading
Minimal interface during reading
Large and readable text layout
Large and readable text layout
Compact data presentation in the results screen
Compact data presentation in the results screen
3.1 Feedback variation
To explore additional feedback possibilities, an alternative version introduced subtle color indicators showing how each word was read - mispronounced, repeated, skipped and similar.
Alternative feedback concept showing pronunciation accuracy through subtle color indicators.
Preparation screen allowing students to test their microphone before reading.
Reflections & Insights
In time, the concept could expand into a broader platform that tracks reading progress across multiple sessions and supports personalized reading levels for each student.
Possible future directions:
In time, the concept could expand into a broader platform that tracks reading progress across multiple sessions and supports personalized reading levels for each student.
Possible future directions:
Multi-session progress tracking
Multi-session progress tracking
Personalized reading difficulty
Personalized reading difficulty
Classroom-level analytics for teachers
Classroom-level analytics for teachers
Although the concept was created within a limited time frame as part of a short design exercise, it explores how voice recognition could support reading development in educational environments.
Although the concept was created within a limited time frame as part of a short design exercise, it explores how voice recognition could support reading development in educational environments.
Preparing the microphone
Before the reading session begins, the platform first confirms that the student’s microphone is working correctly.
The student is asked to say the title of the story aloud as a sound test, allowing the system to detect the microphone input and prepare the reading interface.
This step prevents technical interruptions and gives the student a clear starting point.
Idle reading state
The idle state represents the moment just before the student begins reading.
The interface is intentionally minimal. The text is placed at the center of the screen with very little surrounding UI so the student’s attention stays focused on the story.
This gave further design considerations:
Large readable typography
Calm and distraction-free layout
Clear starting point for reading
Live reading state
Once the student starts reading, the platform begins listening and tracking spoken words in real time.
As the system detects speech, words are highlighted directly in the text so the reading progress becomes visible during the session. The text is divided into smaller paragraphs to keep the reading task manageable and reduce visual overload for early readers.
The layout keeps the story centered on the screen, allowing the student to focus on the text without surrounding distractions.
Performance summary
After the reading session ends, the platform generates a summary of the student’s performance.
The results screen gathers key metrics in one place so teachers can quickly understand how the student performed without reviewing the entire reading session.
Information includes:
Reading accuracy
Fluency score
Words per minute
Reading duration
Mispronounced or skipped words
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