Tarjimly Spark AI
AI Interpreter for everyday conversations
2025
Tarjimly is the "Uber for Translation," connecting 60,000+ volunteers with refugees and aid workers. But unlike calling an Uber, our users are often in crisis—medical emergencies, border crossings, or legal disputes.
Role:
Senior Product Designer
Timeline:
4 Weeks (Concept to Beta)
Outcome:
Reduced average wait time from 90s to <3s
The Friction
While our volunteer network is vast, human matching takes time (average: 60–90 seconds). In high-stress environments, a minute of silence feels like an hour. We noticed a 25% abandonment rate on "short-form" requests. Users were leaving before help arrived.
The Design Challenge
How might we provide instant support for low-stakes queries without losing the human empathy that defines our brand?
The Insight
We went deep into the chat logs and conducted user interviews in Greece and Turkey. We discovered that for simple tasks, like reading a medicine label or asking for directions. Users didn't necessarily want a conversation, they wanted agency.
They didn't just want to hand their phone to a doctor, they wanted to know how to say the words themselves.
The Hypothesis
If we deploy an AI "First Responder" to handle simple translation and pronunciation immediately, we can reduce anxiety and save human volunteers for the complex, high-empathy calls.
The Solution: Spark AI
We designed Spark AI, an intelligent triage layer that lives inside the chat. It isn’t a barrier to reaching a human; it’s a bridge.
Feature A: Spark AI Assistant
- Think of this as a direct line to a smart helper. It works just like chatting with a friend.
- The Flow: Users open a direct chat with Spark to ask for quick translations, explain cultural differences, or even practice a new language.
- The UX Detail: We designed this for speed. It gives users immediate answers and support without the wait time of connecting to a human volunteer.
Feature B: In-Person Interpreter Mode
- This mode is designed for face-to-face scenarios where two people are in the same room but can't speak the same language.
- The Flow: You place the phone between the speakers. Spark listens to both people and translates their speech out loud in real time.
- The UX Detail: We added a live text transcript that scrolls as you speak. This ensures accessibility and lets users double check the translation instantly to avoid misunderstandings.
Feature C: Online Conversation Bridge
- This is a powerful tool for connecting people who are physically apart.
- The Flow: Speakers of 2 or 3 different languages can join a single online session. Spark acts as the universal translator, instantly converting speech or text so everyone understands the conversation in their own native language.
- The UX Detail: This eliminates the need for multiple interpreters in a group call, making cross-border communication feel fluid and direct.
The Craft: Designing for Trust
We avoided the "Robot" trope. The interface uses:
- Soft Motion: Typing indicators are smoothed to feel like a thinking partner, not a loading spinner.
- Typography: We utilized a font stack optimized for high legibility across non-Latin scripts (Pashto, Farsi, Cyrillic).
- Warmth: The copy is designed to be helpful, not transactional. (e.g., "Here are two ways to say that..." rather than just "Translation:")
The Impact
We launched a beta to 5,000 active users. The results validated the "First Responder" strategy.
Metric
Time to First Response
Abandonment Rate
Volunteer Satisfaction
Before (Human Only)
~90 Seconds
25%
Average
After (Spark AI)
< 3 Seconds
8%
High (Less burnout from repetitive tasks)
Closing Thought
Spark AI proved that technology doesn't have to replace human connection. By clearing the noise of simple translations, we allowed our human volunteers to focus on what they do best: providing empathy and complex aid in times of crisis.
Tarjimly Spark AI
AI Interpreter for everyday conversations
2025
Tarjimly is the "Uber for Translation," connecting 60,000+ volunteers with refugees and aid workers. But unlike calling an Uber, our users are often in crisis—medical emergencies, border crossings, or legal disputes.
Role:
Senior Product Designer
Timeline:
4 Weeks (Concept to Beta)
Outcome:
Reduced average wait time from 90s to <3s
The Friction
While our volunteer network is vast, human matching takes time (average: 60–90 seconds). In high-stress environments, a minute of silence feels like an hour. We noticed a 25% abandonment rate on "short-form" requests. Users were leaving before help arrived.
The Design Challenge
How might we provide instant support for low-stakes queries without losing the human empathy that defines our brand?
The Insight
We went deep into the chat logs and conducted user interviews in Greece and Turkey. We discovered that for simple tasks, like reading a medicine label or asking for directions. Users didn't necessarily want a conversation, they wanted agency.
They didn't just want to hand their phone to a doctor, they wanted to know how to say the words themselves.
The Hypothesis
If we deploy an AI "First Responder" to handle simple translation and pronunciation immediately, we can reduce anxiety and save human volunteers for the complex, high-empathy calls.
The Solution: Spark AI
We designed Spark AI, an intelligent triage layer that lives inside the chat. It isn’t a barrier to reaching a human; it’s a bridge.
Feature A: Spark AI Assistant
- Think of this as a direct line to a smart helper. It works just like chatting with a friend.
- The Flow: Users open a direct chat with Spark to ask for quick translations, explain cultural differences, or even practice a new language.
- The UX Detail: We designed this for speed. It gives users immediate answers and support without the wait time of connecting to a human volunteer.
Feature B: In-Person Interpreter Mode
- This mode is designed for face-to-face scenarios where two people are in the same room but can't speak the same language.
- The Flow: You place the phone between the speakers. Spark listens to both people and translates their speech out loud in real time.
- The UX Detail: We added a live text transcript that scrolls as you speak. This ensures accessibility and lets users double check the translation instantly to avoid misunderstandings.
Feature C: Online Conversation Bridge
- This is a powerful tool for connecting people who are physically apart.
- The Flow: Speakers of 2 or 3 different languages can join a single online session. Spark acts as the universal translator, instantly converting speech or text so everyone understands the conversation in their own native language.
- The UX Detail: This eliminates the need for multiple interpreters in a group call, making cross-border communication feel fluid and direct.
The Craft: Designing for Trust
We avoided the "Robot" trope. The interface uses:
- Soft Motion: Typing indicators are smoothed to feel like a thinking partner, not a loading spinner.
- Typography: We utilized a font stack optimized for high legibility across non-Latin scripts (Pashto, Farsi, Cyrillic).
- Warmth: The copy is designed to be helpful, not transactional. (e.g., "Here are two ways to say that..." rather than just "Translation:")
The Impact
We launched a beta to 5,000 active users. The results validated the "First Responder" strategy.
Metric
Time to First Response
Abandonment Rate
Volunteer Satisfaction
Before (Human Only)
~90 Seconds
25%
Average
After (Spark AI)
< 3 Seconds
8%
High (Less burnout from repetitive tasks)
Closing Thought
Spark AI proved that technology doesn't have to replace human connection. By clearing the noise of simple translations, we allowed our human volunteers to focus on what they do best: providing empathy and complex aid in times of crisis.
Tarjimly Spark AI
AI Interpreter for everyday conversations
2025
Tarjimly is the "Uber for Translation," connecting 60,000+ volunteers with refugees and aid workers. But unlike calling an Uber, our users are often in crisis—medical emergencies, border crossings, or legal disputes.
Role:
Senior Product Designer
Timeline:
4 Weeks (Concept to Beta)
Outcome:
Reduced average wait time from 90s to <3s
The Friction
While our volunteer network is vast, human matching takes time (average: 60–90 seconds). In high-stress environments, a minute of silence feels like an hour. We noticed a 25% abandonment rate on "short-form" requests. Users were leaving before help arrived.
The Design Challenge
How might we provide instant support for low-stakes queries without losing the human empathy that defines our brand?
The Insight
We went deep into the chat logs and conducted user interviews in Greece and Turkey. We discovered that for simple tasks, like reading a medicine label or asking for directions. Users didn't necessarily want a conversation, they wanted agency.
They didn't just want to hand their phone to a doctor, they wanted to know how to say the words themselves.
The Hypothesis
If we deploy an AI "First Responder" to handle simple translation and pronunciation immediately, we can reduce anxiety and save human volunteers for the complex, high-empathy calls.
The Solution: Spark AI
We designed Spark AI, an intelligent triage layer that lives inside the chat. It isn’t a barrier to reaching a human; it’s a bridge.
Feature A: Spark AI Assistant
Think of this as a direct line to a smart helper. It works just like chatting with a friend.
- The Flow: Users open a direct chat with Spark to ask for quick translations, explain cultural differences, or even practice a new language.
- The UX Detail: We designed this for speed. It gives users immediate answers and support without the wait time of connecting to a human volunteer.
Feature B: In-Person Interpreter Mode
This mode is designed for face-to-face scenarios where two people are in the same room but can't speak the same language.
- The Flow: You place the phone between the speakers. Spark listens to both people and translates their speech out loud in real time.
- The UX Detail: We added a live text transcript that scrolls as you speak. This ensures accessibility and lets users double check the translation instantly to avoid misunderstandings.
Feature C: Online Conversation Bridge
This is a powerful tool for connecting people who are physically apart.
- The Flow: Speakers of 2 or 3 different languages can join a single online session. Spark acts as the universal translator, instantly converting speech or text so everyone understands the conversation in their own native language.
- The UX Detail: This eliminates the need for multiple interpreters in a group call, making cross-border communication feel fluid and direct.
The Craft: Designing for Trust
We avoided the "Robot" trope. The interface uses:
- Soft Motion: Typing indicators are smoothed to feel like a thinking partner, not a loading spinner.
- Typography: We utilized a font stack optimized for high legibility across non-Latin scripts (Pashto, Farsi, Cyrillic).
- Warmth: The copy is designed to be helpful, not transactional. (e.g., "Here are two ways to say that..." rather than just "Translation:")
The Impact
We launched a beta to 5,000 active users. The results validated the "First Responder" strategy.
Metric
Time to First Response
Abandonment Rate
Volunteer Satisfaction
Before (Human Only)
~90 Seconds
25%
Average
After (Spark AI)
< 3 Seconds
8%
High (Less burnout from repetitive tasks)
Closing Thought
Spark AI proved that technology doesn't have to replace human connection. By clearing the noise of simple translations, we allowed our human volunteers to focus on what they do best: providing empathy and complex aid in times of crisis.