01 — About the app
What is Project Relate?
Project Relate is a machine-learning app that helps people with atypical speech communicate independently — including with Google Assistant.
02 — Problem
An eng-driven app without visual cohesion
Relate lacked dedicated UI support. The interface felt outdated and unlike a modern Android app — weak recognition, inconsistent visuals, and an accessibility product that wasn’t meeting modern accessibility standards.
- Improve the interface so controls are easier to recognize
- Unblock marketing so the product could scale
03 — Audit
Addressing usability with a product audit
I ran a product audit on visual aesthetics and proposed design solutions before migrating the system.
04 — Pain points
Users couldn’t read the interface
Users struggled to understand buttons and icons because of size, placement, and unclear function.
05 — Approach
How we addressed the pain points
- Migrate to the current Google design system
- Create customized components for accessibility needs
The solution: adopt Material 3 for a cohesive Android look and feel, then create custom sizes so the system stayed accessible for motor, cognitive, and low-vision users.
06 — System shift
Material 2 → Material 3
Moving from Material 2 to Material 3 brought Relate in line with modern Android patterns while keeping room to customize for the audience.
07 — Components
Custom components for real users
Default Android buttons weren’t sized for this audience. Relate components were enlarged and retuned so primary actions were easier to hit and understand.
08 — Motion
Feedback you can see
Motion confirmed actions instead of decorating them — clearer state changes for users who need stronger visual feedback.
09 — Shipped system
A cohesive Relate experience
The redesign brought the full app surface into a consistent visual language — familiar to Android users, tuned for accessibility.
10 — Impact
Unblocking marketing and new markets
A familiar Android interface made scaling easier — including expansion efforts tied to Ghana. Featured in Google I/O’s Accessibility segment (May 2024).
11 — Follow-through
New tutorial video
Collaboration with a brand studio produced a new tutorial video that used the refreshed system to improve onboarding and overall usability.
12 — Next & lessons
What follows
Next steps
- Use testing and surveys to refine based on feedback
- Keep collaborating on marketing strategies
Lessons learned
- Prioritize product audits to strengthen brand alignment
- Integrate established design-system guidelines early
- Build inclusive practices in for underrepresented user groups
