NameRead — never mispronounce a name again
My Role
Product Designer
Timeline
7 Weeks, 2025 Summer
Focus
Product Design, UX Research, Visual and Digital Design
Why it matters
Mispronouncing name may seem small, but it creates invisible friction in global collaboration. Original inspiration from #NameMatters campaign I participated in 2024.
In interviews and usability studies, 83%(30/36) participants confirmed that being mispronounced made them feel “awkward,” “disconnected,” or “less seen.”
Most meeting tools in the market only show names, but none help users say them — especially before joining or during introductions.
How might we help people pronounce names confidently and build cultural respect in remote meetings?
Outcome
NameRead is a lightweight Zoom add-on that helps users learn and pronounce names respectfully through
Pre-meeting name previews
In-meeting Audio NameTag
Host-led greetings
Impact at a glance:
97% task completion
CSAT 7.9→8.6 (after two rounds of usability testing — In-person & Useberry)
87.5% reported ‘more respectful and comfortable’ meetings
Feature Highlight
Name Setup with Pronunciation Input
Users can record or upload their name pronunciation, add phonetic spelling, and include a short description or name meaning.
Pre-meeting Name Preview
Attendees can preview and practice names before joining. Users can find each participant’s pronunciation info in the invitation email or calendar event.
Display Setting Before Meeting
Before joining, users can choose how their name appears in meetings, such as showing pronunciation, phonetic spelling, or cultural notes.
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.
Host-led Greetings
At the start of a meeting, the host can trigger a short greeting prompt that invites everyone to introduce their names. A gentle system message encourages participation.
Case Study - Process
Why Zoom Needs This Feature
A request from the Zoom Community about "name pronunciation."
Zoom community requests show repeated demand for name pronunciation.
In my user study, 16 out of 21 participants said they wanted this feature added to Zoom — describing it as “something small but meaningful.”
As one participant shared,
“Mispronouncing names isn’t just about language. It’s about identity, respect, and belonging.”
- Participant, Professor at Columbia University
Research & Insights
Most platforms show names, but none help people say them right, especially before the meeting and at introductions.
Competitor Analysis
We reviewed 4 name-pronunciation tools + 4 meeting platforms. While all help users navigate social interactions, they also revealed a gap.
What about before the meeting starts?
Almost none of the tools enable private practice pre-meeting.
How about during the meetings?
None of the platforms offer one-tap in-meeting audio playback.
So what? These gaps create hesitation at join and anxiety at first greetings. We turn them into opportunities in MVP (below).
Validating the insights
Findings
Combined with our 21 participants (interviews + surveys), we validated and sized three pains:
Insight 1 — Private pre-meeting practice
16/21 want a subtle, non-performative way to learn pronunciations before joining.
→ Drives MVP: Pre-meeting Name Preview.
Insight 2 — Anxiety at first introductions
73% described mispronunciation as awkward and unprofessional, especially at first greetings.
→ Drives MVP: In-meeting Audio NameTag (one-tap playback).
Insight 3 — Respect motivates adoption
Users value low-pressure cues that make everyone feel acknowledged.
→ Drives MVP: Host-led Greetings (inclusive opening).
Our Goal
User Goal
Say and hear names correctly without pressure.
Business Goal
Increase first-time correct-pronunciation rate and perceived meeting comfort (CSAT) for first introductions.
Design Goal
Build lightweight, non-intrusive interactions that promote inclusion.
Three moments: pre-meeting, first introductions, hand-offs.
Concept Direction
User Journey
We mapped three moments that repeatedly trigger hesitation/anxiety, using Karen (Kai-lun) as a reference case — before, during, and after —three key opportunities to improve inclusive meeting experience.
Moment A — Before joining
Pain Point: No safe way to practice unfamiliar name
Opportunity: Pre-meeting preview in calendar/invite for private practice.
Moment B — First introductions
Pain Point: Public anxiety about saying names wrong
Opportunity: One-tap playback next to each name.
Moment C — Hand-offs / new speakers
Pain Point: New names appear; context switches.
Opportunity: Host-led prompt (“say everyone’s name”) to reset tone.
User Stories
Karen’s journey also reflects two sides of the same moment: the one introducing herself, and the one introducing others.
“As a participant, I want a private way to learn names before joining, so I can introduce others without anxiety.
Acceptance: From the invite, I can preview names and practice pronunciations in under 15s; at introductions, I can play back once and speak confidently.”
“As a host, I want a lightweight prompt to set a respectful start, so new names are said correctly without slowing the agenda.
Acceptance: I can enable a ‘say everyone’s name’ greeting; guests can see optional prompts; playback is just a tap away and won't disturb others.”
MVP Features
From these insights and needs, we developed three MVP features:
Pre-meeting Name Preview (from Insight 1)
Let users privately practice pronunciations from their calendar invite.
In-meeting Audio NameTag (from Insight 2)
One-tap playback next to each name for quick, confident introductions.
Host-led Greetings (from Insight 3)
Optional “say everyone’s name” prompt to set tone; works for hand-offs with new speakers.
Information Architecture
As first, I built IA to visually represent a overview:
Name Input (Zoom Website)
Invite/Calendar (Meeting Email)
Pre-join (Display Setting)
In-meeting (NameTag and Greetings)
Initial Flows - Wireframes
Then, I built lo-fi prototypes to represent our ideas and gave a quick understanding of user flows and how users can navigate between different interfaces.
1. Name Setup with Pronunciation Input
Users can type phonetic spelling or record their name in the Zoom account profile. This ensures every participant controls how their name is heard and represented.
2. Pre-meeting Name Preview
Meeting invites include a “Name Pack” — a preview of all participants’ phonetics and recorded audios. It helps build confidence in a low-pressure, personal setting.
3. Display Setting Before Meeting
Before entering a meeting, users can choose whether to show pronunciation, phonetic hints, or name story. It gives users privacy and comfort before stepping into public interaction.
4. In-Meeting Audio NameTag
When hovering over a participant’s window, users can see a small name tag with a playback button, phonetic line, and personal story. This enables accurate, respectful pronunciation during conversations.
5. Host-led Greetings
Hosts can turn on a “Greet” mode, encouraging participants to introduce themselves. It encourages empathy, inclusion, and genuine engagement at the start.
Iteration & Feedback
Tested 7 participants using Figma and Userberry lo-fi wireframes — unmoderated tests (n=4) and moderated tests (n=3). Our tasks focused on core flows like name setup, pronunciation, and host greeting.
Users found the concept “powerful and respectful,” they all love the Name Tag design — simple and clear. But 57% felt UI was cluttered and 5/7 disliked the Encouragement Medal System. Average satisfaction: 7.9 / 10.
Removed the Medal System
“It makes me anxious if I don’t get one.”
Change: Removed the feature to keep the experience inclusive and low-pressure.
Result: Preference 6/7 for removal
Empathy > gamification.
Leveraged Display Setting Before Meetings
“I’m unsure how it looks to others.”
Change: Moved Display Setting to the same layer as “Background” tools and added visual previews of NameTag styles.
Result: Task success ↑ (8/8 2nd Test)
Enhanced Playback Button Visibility
Button too small and far from the name.
Change: Relocated the button next to the username and simplified the layout.
Result: Led an A/B test, 6/7 participants preferred; Task time ↓ 21% ( n=8 2nd Test)
Redesigned Pronunciation Box for Low-Pressure Interaction
The original “Correct Pronunciation Score” felt stressful
Change: Removed scoring, kept self-record, and made the info box scrollable instead of full.
Result: Respect ↑ +1 / 5 (7/8 2nd Test)
Hifi Mockups
Pre-meeting Name Preview
In-meeting Audio NameTag
Host-led Greetings
Result with Final Test
Future
The 2nd usability test with 8 participants (n=4 In-person & n=4 Useberry) showed that NameRead effectively turned cultural awareness into practical meeting behavior.
Outcome Highlights
97% overall task completion, average satisfaction 7.9/10 → 8.6/10 ⬆️
Time to locate the playback button ↓ 21%
87.5% users said the app made meetings “more respectful and comfortable”
8/8 participants preferred the low-pressure, private Pre-meeting Name Preview
“This makes saying someone’s name less stressful. I’d actually use this in real meetings.”
— Participant, Creative Designer
“I love it. It’s respectful without being performative. It feels natural.”
— Participant, Marketing Manager
“Finally something that helps me not butcher names on Zoom!”
— Participant, Global Team Lead
Due to technical constraints, this concept was designed for Zoom’s existing interface patterns rather than building entire new components.
The focus was to validate user value, not engineering feasibility yet. So I hope to explore this topic and land this solution on the ground.
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.
While global campaigns raised awareness, few of them turned it into real action.
NameRead does.
I believe this product can raise significant social awareness while helping people solve the problem.