Project Description
Release date: 2017
Role: UX Design Support &Testing
iTranslate is a standalone translation app that works with Dash Pro earbuds to convert spoken words into the listener’s chosen language in real time; when two users pair their Dash Pros with iTranslate, each speaks in their own language and hears the other’s speech translated instantly—no manual switching or delays.
The Challenge
From a technical standpoint, we had to bridge the Dash Pro firmware and our app with the iTranslate API—ensuring low-latency, reliable audio streaming and translation. From a UX standpoint, we needed clear pairing status indicators and intuitive feedback on when the earphones were “listening” for a sentence to translate.
I supported conceptualization and solution validation by testing each software release end-to-end, reporting bugs, and suggesting UX improvements.
Supporting
Together with the design lead, I developed a comprehensive test protocol outlining each action in detail—complete with expected results and a pass/fail dropdown—to ensure consistency across all testers.
I installed the test software on each Dash Pro kit, assembled the hardware bundles, and distributed them to our internal testing pool.
Issues
The main problems we encountered with this feature can be divided into two functions areas.
- Earphone to app-related issues
- Earphone to earphone issues
Earphone to app
Most issues arose from a gap between earphone connectivity and user expectations—when the Dash Pro took longer than anticipated to acknowledge input, testers assumed it had failed and retried immediately, triggering a loop of repeated commands and inconsistent feedback that frustrated many users.
Earphone to earphone
The general earphone–app issues compounded when linking two Dash Pro + iTranslate setups for a back-and-forth conversation—pairing two pairs introduced new failure modes around latency, handoffs, and audio routing. While we resolved the majority of these glitches during development, occasional connectivity hiccups still resurfaced sporadically, proving difficult to eliminate entirely.
A promotional video can be seen here of the project
All Images and Videos are subject to © Copyright 2019 Bragi GmbH.
