NameRead

In remote meetings, reading a name can always be the first moment of hesitation. Mispronouncing a name can quietly break trust before a conversation even begins. Yet today’s meeting tools don’t fully support this moment.

NameRead will help people say names right in Zoom meetings.

• 87.5% users felt “more respectful and comfortable”

• Reduced hesitation in meetings

• Improved inclusivity in remote teams

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

5 Weeks, 2025

Why this problem？

Research (36 participants) showed people avoid public mistakes about name pronunciation, not correct pronunciation itself.

How might we help people pronounce names confidently and build cultural respect in remote meetings?

Research

Uncovered a gap

To understand the competitive industry, we reviewed 4 name-pronunciation tools + 4 meeting platforms:


•Almost none of the name-pronunciation tools enable private practice pre-meeting.

•None of the meeting platforms offer one-tap in-meeting audio playback.

Concept Direction

Anxious opportunities happened at there key moments.

Participant intent:

Learn names privately before joining, without asking or being exposed.

Host intent:

Set an inclusive tone without slowing the agenda or putting anyone on the spot.

Validating the insights

From 6 deep interviews and 15 surveys, we identified emotional and behavioral patterns around mispronunciation.


Emotions showed the anxiety, and behaviors revealed when support is needed. Together, they shaped 4 actionable insights.

Framing the Opportunity

To make the experience feasible and inclusive, we scoped the solution with three constraints:

No public audio or meeting interruptions

No changes to Zoom’s core navigation system

No heavy profiles or AI pronunciation engine

More Research Process

System Thinking

Before, during, and after

A system that supports name confidence across key moments.

Operation on the Zoom system 🔗: Information Architecture

To support this behavior, the system operates across three layers:

Set up your name once

Users can record the name in the Zoom account profile.

Preview names before you join

Meeting invites include a “Name Pack” — a preview of all participants’ name pronunciation.

Stay confident in real-time

Users can choose display of the name pronunciation, phonetic information, and name story.

Users can see a small name tag with a playback button, phonetic line, and personal story.

Iterations and Frictions

Removed Feature

Name Encouragement System

Initially designed as a recognition mechanism (“small moments of respect leave a big mark”). However, usability testing showed:


•6/7 participants preferred removing it

•“It makes me anxious if I don’t get one.”

Why This Interaction

  1. Click-to-Reveal → Hover Card

“I didn’t know this feature existed.”

Result: Faster, easier (8/8 2nd Test)

  1. Leveraged Display Setting Before Meetings

“I’m unsure how it looks to others.”

Result: Task success ↑ (8/8 2nd Test)

  1. Placement: Next to The Name

Button too small and far from the name.

Result: Led an A/B test, 6/7 participants preferred; Task time ↓ 21% ( n=8 2nd Test)

Tested 7 participants using Figma and Userberry lo-fi wireframes — unmoderated tests (n=3) and moderated tests (n=4).

Users found the concept “powerful and respectful” and "small and private."

But 57% felt UI was cluttered and should be more user-friendly. Average satisfaction: 7.9 / 10.

Highlight Interactions

Pre-meeting Name Preview

In-meeting Audio NameTag

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, 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’m Kefan! Glad we could meet here.

Why don’t we collaborate, coffee chat or learn more? So let's connect!

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© Kefan Shi, 2026