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Case study · Language access

The first digital tool for Kwéyòl Donmnik.

Dominican Creole had printed dictionaries and no digital tools. We built a browser extension for the diaspora, from an empty folder to a live store listing in one sitting.

dictionary entries
8,550
everyday phrases
147
concept to live listing
< 3 hrs
The Kwéyòl Donmnik parrot logo beside three extension screens: the word of the day, twavay, with a 7-day streak, a dictionary search, and the alphabet.Kwéyòl Donmnik Today screen: Chatou the parrot says “Bonswè!” and shows the word of the day, voyé (to throw), with its pronunciation and a Day 1 streak badge.

The problem

Kwéyòl Donmnik is spoken across Dominica and its diaspora, but the only dictionaries were on paper. The question wasn’t how to fix a flawed tool. It was why nobody had built one, and whether it could be done quickly.

How we built it

  1. Data first

    With no digital dataset, an OCR pipeline pulled entries from the printed dictionary.

  2. Two models, checking each other

    Claude and Gemini each structured the entries and cross-checked the other, catching OCR errors either one alone might miss. Disagreements were flagged for manual review.

  3. Interface last

    The screens were designed only after the data was verified, so the design is built around real entries, not placeholders.

  4. Scope held to ship

    A three-hour limit, set at the start, kept v1 focused. Audio pronunciation for every entry moved to v2.

Six screens

  • Today

    Word of the day, a “Did you know” fact, and a streak counter.

  • Dictionary

    Search 8,550 entries, English to Kwéyòl or back.

  • Phrases

    147 everyday phrases, tap to copy.

  • Alphabet

    All 32 letters, filterable by type, on flip cards with examples.

  • Grammar

    Word order and verb tense markers, with examples.

  • About

    What the project is, and a prompt to rate it.

Through the Ansanm™ lens

Four decisions, each mapped to an Ansanm band
The challengeWhat we didAnsanm band
A language with a living community and no digital toolBuilt for the diaspora, in the language they speak at homeSocial band, Ansanm Framework
No digital dataset to start fromOCR pass on the print dictionary, then structured entriesDigital band, Ansanm Framework
Dictionary errors erode trust fastTwo models cross-check each entry; disagreements go to manual reviewCognitive band, Ansanm Framework
A tool nobody had builtShipped in one sitting to prove it could be donePurpose band, Ansanm Framework

Results, and what’s next

Results

Live on Chrome and Firefox with 8,550 entries, 147 phrases, and a full alphabet and grammar guide.

What we’d do differently: the fast timeline left no room for user testing before launch. Real use has surfaced formatting inconsistencies from the OCR pass, and a cleanup is queued alongside audio pronunciation.

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