Reframing Multilingual Accessibility
How fragmented workflows and broken trust disrupt comprehension on digital libraries
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Role
UX Researcher
⏱️
Timeline
3 Months
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Platform
Open Library
01
The Reframe
At the start of this project, the assumption was simple: multilingual readers struggle on digital libraries because translation tools aren't good enough.
But as we spoke to international students and academic staff, a different story emerged. Readers weren't blocked by language alone — they were blocked by the experience of reading itself
Understanding a single paragraph often meant switching between four or five tools, losing context with every lookup, and constantly questioning whether a translation could be trusted.
This project reframed multilingual accessibility from a language problem into a systems design problem — one where fragmented workflows, invisible tools, and broken trust disrupt comprehension far more than vocabulary ever could.
Goal
Identify where multilingual readers lose comprehension during digital reading — and determine which design changes could reduce friction without violating legal or technical constraints.
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02
The Problem
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English-first design
→
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Fragmented experience
Most digital libraries assume English fluency by default.
While translation tools exist, they are often hidden, fragmented, or disconnected from the reading experience.
As a result, multilingual readers rely on external workarounds that interrupt flow, increase cognitive load, and undermine trust.
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The issue wasn't language proficiency — it was how broken workflows disrupt comprehension.
Current Reading Workflow
1
Encounter unfamiliar text
Reader finds a word or phrase they don't understand
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2
Switch to translation tool
Open Google Translate, dictionary app, or browser search
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3
Lose context
Forget where they were in the original text
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4
Question accuracy
Check multiple sources to verify translation
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5
Repeat process
Cycle continues for every unfamiliar element
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Result:
Comprehension breaks down not from lack of language knowledge, but from cognitive overload and workflow fragmentation.
03
Research Approach
To understand real reading behavior, I focused on workflows rather than feature usage.
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Interviews
8 semi-structured conversations with multilingual students and academic support staff
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Survey
Distributed across the UMSI community to capture broader patterns
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Synthesis
Affinity mapping to identify themes across experiences and workflows
04
Key Insights
01
Comprehension breaks when the workflow breaks
"I switch between Google Translate, my dictionary app, and Wikipedia just to understand one paragraph."
Why it matters
Fragmentation actively disrupts understanding — even when readers are fluent.
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02
Users want unity, not more tools
"I just want everything in one place."
Why it matters
Accessibility is shaped by integration, not feature count.
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03
Unreliable translation erodes trust
"I don't trust the translation — I double-check everywhere."
Why it matters
When users distrust the system, they slow down, reread, and reconstruct meaning manually.
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05
Design Recommendations
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01
Improve visibility of existing translation tools
Move language support into primary navigation and reduce the steps required to access it.
Expected Impact
Lower cognitive load, higher discoverability
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02
Introduce contextual AI as a reading assistant
Support comprehension through optional, privacy-preserving AI explanations — without generating or altering original content.
Expected Impact
Increased trust without legal or ethical risk
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03
Strengthen feedback loops with users
Enable structured, lightweight reporting so multilingual readers can surface issues and influence improvements.
Expected Impact
Shift users from workaround builders to co-improvers
06
Constraints & Ethics
All recommendations were evaluated within real-world constraints, including copyright, privacy and academic integrity.
Rather than proposing idealized solutions, this project focused on what could realistically scale within existing legal and technical frameworks.
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Copyright
Respect for original content and attribution rights
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Privacy
User data protection and consent mechanisms
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Integrity
Maintaining academic standards and transparency
07
Reflection
Thank you for reading.
For questions or collaboration opportunities, feel free to reach out.
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💼
This project reframed accessibility as a systems design problem rather than a language problem — a perspective that applies far beyond digital libraries.
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