Speechy

Project Overview

Speechy is an iOS app designed to help university students overcome the fear of public speaking through acting techniques. By combining breathing practices, speech fluency drills, and confidence-building exercises, the app empowers users to communicate more clearly and effectively.

Inspired by the theme of cinema, Speechy uses acting as a framework to train essential communication skills — encouraging users to understand emotions, engage audiences, and express themselves confidently in front of others.

My Role

As the UX and UI Designer, I was responsible for:

• Contributing to the definition of the app’s scope, ensuring alignment with the theme cinema and the integration of Apple’s Speech framework.

  
  

• Leading user research to understand the main barriers students face when speaking in public and identifying opportunities to address them.

  
  

• Conducting competitive analysis of self-improvement and speech training apps to identify usability standards and areas for differentiation.

  
  

• Generating ideas that positioned Speechy as more than a practice tool — but as an engaging daily companion to help users build long-term confidence.

  
  

• Designing intuitive flows and interfaces for daily activities, progress tracking, and guided breathing sessions, ensuring accessibility and motivation throughout the experience.

Problem

Many university students struggle with anxiety and lack of confidence when speaking in public. Traditional approaches often feel too formal or intimidating, failing to address the emotional and expressive aspects of communication.

As a result, students avoid opportunities to present their ideas — even when they have the knowledge and potential to do so effectively.

Opportunity

By exploring the expressive side of acting, Speechy reframes public speaking as a creative and emotional skill rather than a purely technical one. Acting techniques — such as emotional awareness, audience engagement, and relaxation — can help students overcome fear, gain control, and communicate authentically.

This presented an opportunity to design a digital experience that blends practice, creativity, and self-awareness.

My Approach

Research & Validation – Conducted user research to explore students’ struggles with communication, collecting insights that validated the emotional and cognitive benefits of acting.

Scope Definition – Helped refine the project direction to connect the cinema theme with Apple’s Speech framework, leading to a unique focus on acting and speech practice.

Ideation & Prototyping – Generated and tested ideas for breathing exercises, daily prompts, and progress visualization to maintain engagement.

Visual & Interaction Design – Designed an intuitive and motivational interface in Figma, prioritizing readability, flow clarity, and positive reinforcement throughout the user journey.

Goals

Help university students overcome the fear of public speaking through acting techniques.

• Encourage self-expression and emotional control through guided exercises.

• Design an intuitive, engaging, and motivating experience.

• Use Apple’s Speech technology to make the app more interactive and effective.

What I’ve Learned

Working on Speechy taught me how design can bridge emotion and functionality — especially when dealing with personal challenges like anxiety or insecurity.
It also showed me the importance of combining research-based insights with creative theming to build meaningful, human-centered experiences.