NameRead

Helping global teams pronounce names with confidence

A lightweight conceptual tool that help global workers say names correctly in Zoom meetings.

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

5 Weeks, 2025

Problem

Global meetings bring together people from different cultures, but many names are unfamiliar. Research (36 participants) showed people avoid public mistakes, not correct pronunciation itself.

Goals

User

Help people say names correctly without social pressure.

Business

Make Zoom the most inclusive platform for global collaboration by easing the first-intro friction.

Design Process

Key Decisions

Solutions

  1. Name Setup with Pronunciation Input

Users can record or upload their name pronunciation, add phonetic spelling, and include a short description or name meaning.

  1. Pre-meeting Name Preview

Attendees can preview and practice names before joining and find each participant’s pronunciation info in the invitation email.

  1. Display Setting Before Meeting

Before joining, users can choose how their name appears in meetings, such as showing pronunciation or phonetic spelling.

  1. In-meeting Audio NameTag

During the meeting, users can hover over someone’s name tag to see phonetic spelling, name story, and play their recorded pronunciation.

Outcomes

Tested with 16 participants in 2 rounds of usability testings by using Figma and Userberry (Online Tools).

• 97% overall task completion, average satisfaction 7.9/10 → 8.6/10

•Time to locate the playback button ↓ 21%

•87.5% users felt “more respectful and comfortable”

•All users preferred the low-pressure Pre-meeting Name Preview

Impact

NameRead may help millions of users reduce social pressure by shifting pronunciation learning from public to private, strengthening Zoom’s role in inclusive, cross-cultural collaboration.

“Mispronouncing names isn’t just about language. It’s about identity, respect, and belonging.”

- Participant, Professor at Columbia University

Reflection

Designing NameRead reminded me that inclusion is built through details. The simple act of saying a name correctly can reshape how people feel seen at work. I believe NameRead can raise social awareness while helping people solve the problem.

I’m Kefan! Glad we could meet here.

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© Kefan Shi, 2026