Blending AI and Design Thinking to Build an Arabic Literacy Platform for Children
I want to start with the why, because the why is the whole thing.
Arabic content for children is not just scarce. It is almost nonexistent in the digital space. Not bad, not mediocre. Almost nonexistent. And what does exist is usually either overstimulating or culturally hollow. I grew up with Arabic as a language of home and faith and story. The idea that children today have almost nowhere to find that digitally, that bothered me enough to do something about it.
Hekaya is an animated storybook platform for Arabic-speaking children aged 2 to 8. I led the product development from the ground up, using AI not as a shortcut but as a way to do things that would have been impossible otherwise.
Here is how it actually happened.
Empathize: Understanding User Needs
The first step was to deeply understand the needs of Arabic-speaking children, their families, and educators. Using AI-powered sentiment analysis tools, I gathered insights from parental testimonials, online forums, and educational reports. This data helped identify key pain points: a shortage of quality Arabic content and overstimulation from digital platforms.
AI Tool Used: Sentiment Analysis (MonkeyLearn)
This tool enabled us to process large amounts of feedback quickly, identifying key emotions and recurring themes, allowing for a deeper understanding of user concerns and preferences.
Define: Identifying the Core Problem
With insights in hand, we defined the problem: the lack of personalized, culturally relevant Arabic educational content. Additionally, we pinpointed the need for tools that could adapt to each child’s learning pace without overwhelming them with digital distractions.
AI Tool Used: Data Visualization (Tableau)
I used AI-driven data visualization to organize and present our findings, ensuring the core challenges were clear. This helped solidify our problem statement and focus our efforts on creating a solution that addressed both educational and cultural gaps.
Prototype: Building the Solution
Prototype: Building the Solution
To bring the solution to life, we developed an MVP for Hekaya, which focused on one key feature: personalized book creation. The platform allowed users to generate customized animated storybooks tailored to a child's reading preferences and progress.
AI Tools Used:
Jasper was instrumental in creating the content for the personalized storybooks, generating unique variations of narratives based on a child’s reading history, preferences, and learning progress.
ElevenLabs.io helped us create the narrator’s voice-over, bringing the stories to life with engaging, natural-sounding speech.
Luma AI (https://lumalabs.ai/) animated the visuals, transforming static illustrations into captivating animations, enriching the storytelling experience for young readers.
Test: Refining Through Feedback
We conducted multiple rounds of user testing with parents, children, and educators to ensure the platform met its objectives. AI-powered user behavior tracking tools helped analyze how children interacted with the platform, allowing us to fine-tune the user experience.
AI Tool Used: User Behavior Analytics (Google Analytics with AI insights)
These insights allowed us to measure engagement rates, session durations, and content interaction, helping refine the platform for a more seamless and enriching experience.
By integrating AI into the design thinking process, I was able to blend innovation with cultural authenticity. This approach not only streamlined development but also made it possible to deliver a more tailored and impactful product for our users. This case study highlights how AI can elevate design thinking by making the process more efficient, creative, and user-centered.
Reflection
