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Bringing Irish back to the checkout

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Project Overview

A six-week collaboration with Dublin City Council, exploring how thoughtful design can encourage people to use Irish naturally daily.

Timeline

6 weeks (February – May 2025)

Role

Researcher, Designer, Prototyper, Presenter

Tools

Figma, ChatGPT Image generation

Research

We spent time with real people, observing routines and asking questions, to understand why speaking Irish outside the classroom feels challenging.

How might we

Help businesses in Ireland to naturally integrate Irish phrases into daily interactions in a way that feels effortless and engaging for both staff and customers?

Key Insights from Research

Our research highlighted key challenges people face when speaking Irish in public, revealing opportunities for design to make the experience simpler and more enjoyable.

People avoid speaking Irish publicly due to fear of making mistakes.

Customers are more comfortable speaking Irish when staff initiate the conversation.

Reward systems encourage return customers.

User Persona

Meet Aoife, a regular shopper who’d love to speak more Irish, but worries about making mistakes. Our design aims to help her feel confident enough to speak Irish comfortably at the checkout.

AO

Aoife Murphy

Regular Grocery Shopper
School Teacher39 years oldDublin, Ireland

About

Aoife loves the Irish language but feels hesitant speaking it publicly. She's eager for opportunities to comfortably use Irish in everyday life.

Goals

  • Gain confidence speaking Irish in daily interactions
  • Feel rewarded for using Irish naturally
  • Easily identify places where speaking Irish is welcome

Frustrations

  • Fear of making mistakes in front of others
  • Lack of clear opportunities to speak Irish casually
  • Feeling self-conscious about her language abilities

Skills

Conversational Irish6/10
Shopping Habits9/10
Loyalty App Usage8/10
Openness to new experiences10/10

"I'd love to use more Irish in my daily life, but sometimes I worry about getting it wrong. When someone greets me in Irish though, it makes my day!"

Ideation

We explored simple, human-centered ways to make Irish feel more natural in everyday life. From confident staff to clear signals and rewarding moments, every idea was designed to help remove hesitation and spark conversation.

Customers hesitate speaking Irish at the checkout

People feel self-conscious about making mistakes or lacking vocabulary when using Irish publicly.

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Problem 1

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Customers aren't sure which businesses welcome Irish

People want to speak Irish, but they're unsure where it’s welcomed and encouraged.

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Problem 2

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Staff feel unprepared to confidently speak Irish with customers

Employees want to support Irish speakers, but feel nervous about their own language skills and pronunciation.

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Problem 3

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Customer Journey Map

We mapped Aoife’s journey, from curiosity to confidence to understand how she interacts with Irish in the real world. Each step revealed moments where the right nudge could turn hesitation into habit.

Customer Journey Map

AO

Aoife Murphy

Regular shopper looking to confidently speak Irish during everyday purchases

Prototyping

We started with something simple: a handwritten sign, a box of lollipops, and a message inviting customers to say hello in Irish. The goal was clear—to test how a small reward could break the ice in a low-pressure setting.

Low-fi prototype: a small sign inviting customers to say a phrase in Irish in exchange for a lollipop.

Low-fi prototype: a small sign inviting customers to say a phrase in Irish in exchange for a lollipop.

Testing

What we saw confirmed our instincts. People noticed the sign—but most stayed quiet. The lesson? Initiating the conversation matters more than the reward.

User Testing & Iteration

We tested our first concept in a real café setting. What we saw and what we heard shaped how we refined the experience to feel more natural, less intimidating, and easier to try.

Outcome

What started as a simple idea became a clear proof of concept. With the right cues and a small incentive, everyday Irish became less intimidating and more joyful—turning language into a shared moment, not a performance.

a checkout with a sign inviting customers to say a phrase in Irish.

Signage at the checkout inviting customers to say a phrase in Irish.

A checkout divider with Irish.

Utilising checkout dividers with Irish phrases to encourage conversation.

A staff hat indicating they speak Irish.

Staff hats indicating they speak Irish to encourage conversation.

Dual language price tags with Irish translations and English translations.

Dual language price tags with Irish translations.
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✨AI Enhanced

I used AI to create a mockup of a Tesco-style self-checkout, exploring how such a system could support everyday interactions in Irish.

TESCO

Select your language

English
Gaeilge

Reflection & Next Steps

We would've liked explore how to scale this approach across more locations, while keeping what matters most: making Irish feel easy, natural, and worth talking about.

Let's Connect

Interested in discussing this project or potential opportunities? I'd love to hear from you.