2024
Spitch studio
spitch.app
Spitch is a voice-first AI platform built to understand African languages and accents. While global AI players dominate with English and Western dialects, millions across Africa remain excluded. Spitch was created to bridge that gap, giving businesses, creators, and developers tools that are inclusive, culturally resonant, and powerful.
I was brought in to turn an ambitious vision into a clear, trustworthy, and engaging product. This meant shaping both the product experience and the brand story so that users could immediately grasp the value of Spitch while feeling represented in its identity.
The challenge
Designing for a completely underserved space meant we had no playbook to copy. The key challenges were
The Language Gap
Most voice AI platforms ignored African languages, which made adoption nearly impossible for local users.The Trust Gap
Users were skeptical of AI accuracy, data privacy, and whether Spitch could really deliver where global giants hadn’t.The Clarity Gap
The concept of “voice AI” felt abstract and intimidating, especially for non-technical users like creators and small businesses.
We needed to craft a product that educated, inspired confidence, and felt approachable, while still standing out as credible in a market dominated by global brands.
Research & Insights
We conducted qualitative interviews with African creators, small business owners, and developers. Some powerful insights shaped our approach:
“Most of these AI tools don’t feel like they’re made for us.”Creators felt excluded.
“It’s always too technical, too cold.” Businesses struggled with jargon-heavy platforms.
“If I don’t trust the accuracy, I won’t even try it.” Trust was a dealbreaker.
We also mapped out competitor platforms like ElevenLabs and Descript. While polished, they lacked cultural resonance, and their positioning felt alienating for African users.
Steps we took
After getting our research in line, it was time to open our drawing board. First on the list was:
Information Architecture
We mapped three clear user journeys:
Creators → wanted to dub, narrate, and tell stories in African languages.
Businesses → needed tools for customer voice interactions and automation.
Developers → required APIs that recognized African contexts.
2. Onboarding as Storytelling
Instead of overwhelming new users, onboarding told a story: “Here’s why Spitch exists, here’s how it helps you, and here’s how to start.” This narrative framing built clarity and trust from the start.
3. Designing the Studio
The Studio became the product’s heart, a space where creators, developers & businesses could explore voice packs, test outputs, and experiment freely. It blended playfulness with professional reliability.
4. Building Trust Signals
We embedded credibility throughout:
Case studies of early use cases.
Testimonials emphasizing clarity and cultural relevance.
Clear data privacy commitments and transparent feature descriptions. Bullet Points:Key Improvements
Simplified, modern user interface
Fully customizable workflows
Integrated communication tools
Visual, real-time analytics
Results and Impact
After the Spitch redesign, we were able to carve out a unique space in voice AI by centering African languages and accents, giving businesses a tool to truly connect with their audiences. This led to stronger customer trust, broader adoption across industries like fintech and media, and positioned Spitch as a market differentiator. The design work also enabled scalable APIs, opening new revenue streams and setting the foundation for long-term growth.