Handee
Handee is a playful mobile app that introduces people to hand gestures as a natural, everyday form of communication, using them as a gateway into learning American Sign Language (ASL). By building on this familiar behavior, Handee makes learning feel intuitive and approachable, helping users gradually connect casual gestures to meaningful sign language.
Software Used
Figma, Ps, Ai
Project Type
UI/UX Design, Branding
Overview
What is Handee?
Handee is a mobile app that introduces users to hand gestures as a natural, everyday form of communication, using them as a gateway into learning American Sign Language (ASL). By building on familiar behaviors, it creates an intuitive and approachable way to learn through play your way through learning a non-verbal language.
Handee highlights how nonverbal communication isn’t just for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, it’s something everyone uses. Whether you’re at a loud concert trying to talk over the music or in a quiet library where even a whisper feels too loud, gestures naturally take over. Handee leans into these everyday moments, showing how using your hands can be a quick, easy, and even more considerate way to communicate. By emphasizing these situations, it makes hand-based communication feel useful and relatable, encouraging users to see how their everyday gestures can transform into meaningful sign language.
My Approach
Why Design Matters
I wanted Handee’s design to feel fresh and vibrant, intentionally moving away from the “textbook” aesthetic often found in educational apps, which can feel rigid and uninviting. With only about 3% of the United States knowing American Sign Language, those traditional visuals can feel intimidating and discourage people from getting started. Handee’s color palette and visual system were built around a fun-first approach, using bold, playful elements to make the experience feel light and engaging. The goal was to motivate users to learn a new skill without it feeling like another class added to their schedule.
How it's Used
Play, Compete, Learn
Handee is built around quick, game-like interactions that fit seamlessly into everyday life. Users can jump into short challenges: matching gestures, gesture charades, or racing against the clock in timed rounds. As they play, they unlock new gestures, earn trophies, and climb leaderboards, turning progress into something visible and rewarding. The experience becomes even more engaging through real-time matches, where users can compete with friends or connect with others online.
Beyond gameplay, Handee allows users to create and share custom decks, keeping gesture gameplay relevant to their own lives, from social slang to situational scenarios. This mix of play, competition, and personalization keeps learning light, motivating, and easy to return to.
Handee
Handee is a playful mobile app that introduces people to hand gestures as a natural, everyday form of communication, using them as a gateway into learning American Sign Language (ASL). By building on this familiar behavior, Handee makes learning feel intuitive and approachable, helping users gradually connect casual gestures to meaningful sign language.
Software Used
Figma, Ps, Ai
Project Type
UI/UX Design, Branding
Overview
What is Handee?
Handee is a mobile app that introduces users to hand gestures as a natural, everyday form of communication, using them as a gateway into learning American Sign Language (ASL). By building on familiar behaviors, it creates an intuitive and approachable way to learn through play your way through learning a non-verbal language.
Handee highlights how nonverbal communication isn’t just for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, it’s something everyone uses. Whether you’re at a loud concert trying to talk over the music or in a quiet library where even a whisper feels too loud, gestures naturally take over. Handee leans into these everyday moments, showing how using your hands can be a quick, easy, and even more considerate way to communicate. By emphasizing these situations, it makes hand-based communication feel useful and relatable, encouraging users to see how their everyday gestures can transform into meaningful sign language.
My Approach
Why Design Matters
I wanted Handee’s design to feel fresh and vibrant, intentionally moving away from the “textbook” aesthetic often found in educational apps, which can feel rigid and uninviting. With only about 3% of the United States knowing American Sign Language, those traditional visuals can feel intimidating and discourage people from getting started. Handee’s color palette and visual system were built around a fun-first approach, using bold, playful elements to make the experience feel light and engaging. The goal was to motivate users to learn a new skill without it feeling like another class added to their schedule.
How it's Used
Play, Compete, Learn
Handee is built around quick, game-like interactions that fit seamlessly into everyday life. Users can jump into short challenges: matching gestures, gesture charades, or racing against the clock in timed rounds. As they play, they unlock new gestures, earn trophies, and climb leaderboards, turning progress into something visible and rewarding. The experience becomes even more engaging through real-time matches, where users can compete with friends or connect with others online.
Beyond gameplay, Handee allows users to create and share custom decks, keeping gesture gameplay relevant to their own lives, from social slang to situational scenarios. This mix of play, competition, and personalization keeps learning light, motivating, and easy to return to.
Handee
Handee is a playful mobile app that introduces people to hand gestures as a natural, everyday form of communication, using them as a gateway into learning American Sign Language (ASL). By building on this familiar behavior, Handee makes learning feel intuitive and approachable, helping users gradually connect casual gestures to meaningful sign language.
Software Used
Figma, Ps, Ai
Project Type
UI/UX Design, Branding
Overview
What is Handee?
Handee is a mobile app that introduces users to hand gestures as a natural, everyday form of communication, using them as a gateway into learning American Sign Language (ASL). By building on familiar behaviors, it creates an intuitive and approachable way to learn through play your way through learning a non-verbal language.
Handee highlights how nonverbal communication isn’t just for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, it’s something everyone uses. Whether you’re at a loud concert trying to talk over the music or in a quiet library where even a whisper feels too loud, gestures naturally take over. Handee leans into these everyday moments, showing how using your hands can be a quick, easy, and even more considerate way to communicate. By emphasizing these situations, it makes hand-based communication feel useful and relatable, encouraging users to see how their everyday gestures can transform into meaningful sign language.
My Approach
Why Design Matters
I wanted Handee’s design to feel fresh and vibrant, intentionally moving away from the “textbook” aesthetic often found in educational apps, which can feel rigid and uninviting. With only about 3% of the United States knowing American Sign Language, those traditional visuals can feel intimidating and discourage people from getting started. Handee’s color palette and visual system were built around a fun-first approach, using bold, playful elements to make the experience feel light and engaging. The goal was to motivate users to learn a new skill without it feeling like another class added to their schedule.
How it's Used
Play, Compete, Learn
Handee is built around quick, game-like interactions that fit seamlessly into everyday life. Users can jump into short challenges: matching gestures, gesture charades, or racing against the clock in timed rounds. As they play, they unlock new gestures, earn trophies, and climb leaderboards, turning progress into something visible and rewarding. The experience becomes even more engaging through real-time matches, where users can compete with friends or connect with others online.
Beyond gameplay, Handee allows users to create and share custom decks, keeping gesture gameplay relevant to their own lives, from social slang to situational scenarios. This mix of play, competition, and personalization keeps learning light, motivating, and easy to return to.