01 — About the product
What is Live Transcribe?
Live Transcribe captures speech and sound as text for d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing users. It’s Google’s most-used assistive tech — about 2.5 million daily users.
02 — Problem
Transcription in conversation is awkward
The ergonomic experience breaks down mid-conversation: constant app switching to reply, and frequently turning the device so others can see the screen.
03 — Research
One device, no hand-offs
Partner research with Samsung showed how hard it is to use Live Transcribe on a single device. Users were juggling phones and handing devices around to keep conversations going.
“When I talk with others, I use Live Transcribe on the Galaxy and insert text on my iPhone to show others. It’s really hard to have a conversation with one device handing here and there.” — Research participant
Research insights
- Users didn’t want to use multiple devices
- Users don’t like handing their device to strangers
- Users were relying on other apps for voice / text-to-speech
04 — Journey
Mapping the dual-screen experience
User journeys and IA work placed the feature where foldable posture made dual-screen mode discoverable — without disrupting core transcription.
05 — Form factors
Inside, outside, and Z Flip
Designs covered inside and outside screens, plus a modified version for Samsung Z Flip’s smaller real estate. A delete control let users clear text quickly.
06 — Version 1
First design pass
Version 1 introduced TTS controls and an early “foldable mode” so users could type a reply the device spoke aloud for the person on the other side.
07 — Version 2
Dual Screen — naming, privacy, consistency
With UX Writing and Marketing, naming moved from Foldable Mode to Dual Screen. Iteration also added privacy visibility controls and minimized icons for consistency across form factors.
- Renamed for clarity and marketing consistency
- Visibility toggle to hide/show text for privacy
- Icon-only controls for cross-device consistency
08 — First use
Tooltips that teach without clutter
Icon-only controls needed context. I collaborated on a first-run tooltip sequence so users understood each control once — then the UI stayed clean.
09 — Outcome
Shipped with Pixel Fold
The dual-screen feature launched with Pixel Fold / Pixel Pro Fold (Aug 2024) — a new take on accessibility across form factors. Live Transcribe became a shared conversational interface, not just a single-user tool.
10 — Lessons
What I carry forward
- Stay aware of form-factor constraints while implementing
- Speaking engineers’ language speeds the development process
